COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 26, 2026) – The Colorado State University Pueblo Volleyball team picked up a massive road victory Saturday afternoon, taking down I-25 rival UCCS in a five-set thriller (22-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-20, 15-13) inside the Gallogly Events Center.
After falling behind two sets to one, the ThunderWolves battled back to force a decisive fifth set before holding off a late Mountain Lion comeback to secure the victory. With the win, CSU Pueblo improved to 8-7 overall, while UCCS fell to 8-6. Saturday's contest was a non-conference Regional Pod matchup between the two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foes, leaving both teams' league records unchanged at 3-1.
The story of the afternoon was the ThunderWolves' presence at the net, as CSU Pueblo recorded an impressive 15 total team blocks compared to just six for UCCS. The Pack also held the Mountain Lions to a .176 hitting percentage, forcing 34 attacking errors throughout the five-set battle.
Finja Schul led the way for the ThunderWolves with an outstanding all-around performance, recording 11 kills, three solo blocks and five block assists to finish with a match-high eight total blocks and 16.5 points for the Pack.
Andi Nothdurft was equally impressive offensively, registering 11 kills on just 21 swings with only one attacking error for a team-best .476 hitting percentage. Nothdurft also added six block assists to finish with 14 points.
Brianna Pino joined Schul and Nothdurft with 11 kills of her own, adding six digs, three block assists and a service ace. Senior Lilly Zwart rounded out CSU Pueblo's double-digit attackers with 10 kills and five digs.
Defensively, senior libero Chinaru Pao anchored the ThunderWolves' back row with a team-high 24 digs and seven assists. Nicole Monge chipped in 12 digs, while Kendall Schmitz recorded 11 digs and 17 assists. Madison Gardner directed the Pack offense with a team-high 22 assists to go along with nine digs and two service aces.
UCCS opened the afternoon by claiming a tightly contested first set, 25-22. The ThunderWolves held a 16-12 advantage midway through the frame before the Mountain Lions responded with five consecutive points to regain the lead. The two sides continued to trade blows late, but UCCS pulled away to capture the opening set.
The Pack wasted little time answering in the second frame, using a strong defensive effort to take control. After trailing 7-4 early, CSU Pueblo rattled off five consecutive points to grab a 9-7 advantage. The ThunderWolves continued to build their lead, eventually taking the set 25-18 while holding UCCS to a dismal .022 hitting percentage.
With the match tied at one set apiece, the Mountain Lions regained control in the third frame. UCCS built a commanding 22-13 lead before CSU Pueblo mounted a late rally, trimming the deficit to just three points at 23-20. However, the Mountain Lions held off the comeback attempt to take the third set, 25-21, and move within one set of victory.
Facing elimination on the road, the ThunderWolves delivered when it mattered most in the fourth set.
With the two teams deadlocked at 17, Pino sparked a pivotal six-point run from the service line. A kill from Natalie Mobley and a combined block by Mobley and Schul helped the Pack surge ahead 22-17. Schul and Zwart added crucial kills down the stretch before Nothdurft delivered the set-winning kill to secure a 25-20 victory and send the match to a decisive fifth frame.
Carrying that momentum into the final set, CSU Pueblo jumped out to an early advantage and led 9-4 following a service ace from Gardner. The ThunderWolves extended their lead to 12-7 behind consecutive kills from Schul and Mobley, putting themselves within striking distance of the road victory.
UCCS refused to go away, however, scoring four consecutive points to cut the Pack's lead to just one at 12-11.
With the Mountain Lions threatening to complete the comeback, Zwart delivered a crucial kill to stop the run and give CSU Pueblo some breathing room. After UCCS answered, Nothdurft came through with another timely kill to give the ThunderWolves match point at 14-12.
The Mountain Lions managed to fight off the first match point, but a UCCS attacking error on the next rally sealed the 15-13 fifth-set victory and sent the ThunderWolves home with a hard-fought win over their I-25 rival.
CSU Pueblo finished the afternoon with 54 kills, 86 digs and a .179 hitting percentage. The Pack's offense found its rhythm when it mattered most, hitting .222 in the fourth set and .261 in the decisive fifth frame. The ThunderWolves also recorded four service aces while committing just two service errors.
For UCCS, Payton Tompkins led all players with 20 kills, while Sydnee Walker added 13 kills and 13 digs. Mountain Lions libero Alysse Marcoso finished with a match-high 28 digs.
Saturday's victory gives the ThunderWolves a key regional win as they continue their 2026 campaign.
