Denver, CO- MSU Denver handed a loss to WNMU’s volleyball team Saturday afternoon in three sets (25-18, 25-13, 25-11). The Roadrunners (12-8, 9-2 RMAC) stay hot as they hold on to their nine-game winning streak and give Western their second lose in conference play.
The first set started of with three kills and a serving ace from Grap, which gave Western a quick lead at 4-2. After a kill from Shannon Rich and Grap, the Mustangs took their lead to 10-7 but MSU Denver did not let up by scoring five points in a row to give them their first lead of the set 13-11. WNMU’s Sheila Menezes kill kept her team close at the deficit of 17-15, but it would not stop the Roadrunners momentum by increasing their lead 21-15 from a few errors by Rich. MSU Denver would go on to take the set 25-18.
Starting off the second set, the Roadrunners came out hot by taking a 6-2 lead as the Mustangs only points came from two kills from Grap. WNMU would go on a run to cut the lead 8-7 after a kill by Mustangs Kelli McGhiey, but the Roadrunners answered back after two kills from MSU Denver’s Michaela Smith that made their lead 13-8. MSU Denver did not look back by taking the set 25-13.
The Roadrunners held the Mustangs to a hitting percentage of .132 in the first set and a .059 in the second set. MSU Denver’s offense came to a stunning hitting percentage of .273 in the first set and .368 in the second set.
The Roadrunners momentum carried into the third set by taking a 5-1 lead over Western and kept things rolling. Menezes, Rich, and Grap’s kills could not keep WNMU in the game as MSU Denver took the set 25-11. The Mustangs only came to a total of 28 kills the entire game compared to MSU Denver’s 44. Western finished with a .041 hitting percentage while the Roadrunners finished with a .337. Grap lead the team in kills with 14 while Taimane Passi and Chyler Imai lead in assists with 9 each.
The Mustangs (14-5, RMAC 9-2) will be back at home to face Chadron State College this coming Saturday at 7 p.m.
