DENVER, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball team got back into the win column in impressive fashion Friday night, opening Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play with a straight-set victory over Regis University inside Regis Fieldhouse.
The ThunderWolves (4-6, 1-0 RMAC) controlled the opening two sets before battling from behind to finish off the sweep, defeating the Rangers 25-17, 25-16 and 29-27. The victory moved CSU Pueblo to 1-0 in conference play, while Regis fell to 1-9 overall and 0-1 in the RMAC.
CSU Pueblo turned in one of its most efficient offensive performances of the young season, hitting .312 as a team with 38 kills and just eight attack errors on 96 swings. The Pack was equally impressive at the net, recording 13 total blocks while holding Regis to a .100 hitting percentage and just one team block.
Senior Finja Schul was nearly flawless offensively, finishing with seven kills on 10 attacks without an error for a match-high .700 hitting percentage. Schul also made her presence felt defensively with six total blocks. Senior Lilly Zwart and Brianna Pino each totaled eight kills, with Zwart hitting .368 and adding six blocks, while Pino hit .280. Emma Luce added seven kills, while Grace Helzer finished with four kills on a .400 clip.
The Pack's back-row defense was led by senior libero Chinaru Pao, who recorded 12 digs, while Nicole Monge added 10. CSU Pueblo used a two-setter attack as Kendall Schmitz dished out 15 assists and Madison Gardner added 14. Gardner was also dominant from the service line, accounting for all four of the Pack's service aces.
How It Happened
Regis jumped out to an early 5-3 advantage in the opening set before Gardner stepped to the service line and completely changed the momentum. CSU Pueblo rattled off 10 consecutive points, turning the two-point deficit into a commanding 13-5 advantage. Pino and Schul each recorded multiple kills during the run, while Gardner added an ace and Schul supplied a solo block.
The Rangers never recovered, as the Pack continued to pull away. CSU Pueblo hit a blistering .391 in the opening frame while holding Regis to a .000 hitting percentage. Zwart eventually closed the set with a kill to give the ThunderWolves a 25-17 victory.
Gardner again sparked a decisive run in the second set. With the score tied at four, the ThunderWolves scored eight straight points with Gardner serving to build a 12-4 lead. Gardner delivered three aces during the run, while Schul and Helzer teamed up for a pair of blocks.
The Pack kept Regis at arm's length from there, with Helzer, Zwart and Schul supplying the offense down the stretch. CSU Pueblo finished the frame by scoring the final five points to secure a 25-16 win and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
Regis responded with its best volleyball of the night in the third set, racing out to a 7-2 lead before eventually extending the advantage to 14-7. The Pack slowly chipped away, using kills from Schul, Zwart and Pino to eventually draw even at 17-17.
The Rangers regained control and led 23-21 late, but CSU Pueblo refused to allow the match to reach a fourth set. Luce and Pino delivered back-to-back kills to tie the score at 23 before the teams traded points deep into extra play.
With the score tied at 25, Zwart and Schul combined for a block to give the Pack its first set-point opportunity. Regis answered, but Zwart followed with a kill for a 27-26 advantage. After the Rangers tied it once more, a Regis service error put CSU Pueblo ahead 28-27 before Andi Nothdurft and Zwart combined for the match-clinching block, completing the 29-27 comeback victory and the straight-set sweep.
The ThunderWolves will now head east to Nebraska to conclude their opening weekend of RMAC play Saturday evening against Chadron State College at 6 p.m.
