Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
Denver
Volleyball Drops Decision At Denver
9/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 6, 2005
The Colorado State volleyball team dropped a four-game decision to Denver this evening, 23-30, 27-30, 30-27, 27-30 in front of 396 people. The Rams fell to 1-3 for the first time since 1982, while the Pioneers improve to 2-3.
Senior middle blocker Dre Downs led the team with 18 kills, while senior outside hitter Casey Bauer tallied 16 and senior outside hitter Tess Rogers and sophomore right-side hitter Tonya Mokelki each chipped in 12. Freshman setter Ashley Fornstrom, getting her first career start at the setter position, recorded 29 assists in the first two games, while junior setter Katherine Whitney set the last two games and recorded 31 assists. Freshman libero Kelsey Hoff led the team with 15 digs and Downs and freshman middle blocker Mekana Barnes led the team with six blocks each.
Denver was led by senior Amanda Millard with 18 kills, while Holly Benson added 13, Lisa Hunter recorded 12 and Kim Muller added 10. Senior libero Sarah Adamis led the match with 17 digs, while Millard had 16 and senior setter Ashly Ball added 10. Middle blocker Alyta Baris led the match with nine blocks.
The Rams scored four of the first five points in the first game, but Denver came back to score the next three and knot the score at 4-4. Bauer recorded a kill then after a Denver point, combined with Downs for a block for the 6-5 advantage. The Rams scored four of the next six points to lead 10-7, but the Pioneers again scored three in a row to tie the score at 10-10. CSU answered with four of the next five points, including two kills by Bauer and an ace by Strauss for the 14-11 but Denver scored the next four points with two CSU errors for the 15-14 DU lead and a CSU time-out. After the break, the Rams scored four of the next five points with three kills by Downs to regain an 18-16 lead. Denver scored eight of the next 10 points with two missed serves by Colorado State to lead 24-20 and force CSU into its final time-out. The Rams were not able to recover and went on to lose 30-23. Bauer led the team with six kills, while Downs added five, but the Rams missed five serves in the game.
The teams traded points for the first 10 points, knotting the score at 5-5 before the Rams scored four of the next five points to take a three-point lead at 9-6. The teams traded points to 11-8 when Denver went on a three-point run to tie the score for the sixth time at 11-11. CSU then scored five of the next seven with two kills by Downs for the 16-13 lead and a DU time-out. The Rams two of the next three points for the 18-14 lead, but the Pioneers scored four straight to tie the score at 18 all. The teams then traded points with a tie at every point from 19 through 27 when Denver called for a break, trailing 27-26 after a block by Fornstrom and Barnes. DU scored the next two points to lead 28-27 when Hilbert called his final time-out and the Pioneers scored the final two points out of the break to take the 2-0 lead heading into the long break. CSU did not miss any serves in the second game and Downs led the team with seven kills in the second game, while Bauer added five.
The first three points of the third stanza were all kills off tips, one by Downs and Rogers for the Rams and one by Denver. The Rams then scored the next two for the 4-2 lead. Denver scored three of the next four points off two errors by CSU and an ace serve to tie the score at 5-5. The Rams answered with a three-of-four point run of their own to take an 8-6 lead when Denver scored five straight with three blocks in four point for the 11-8 lead and CSU called a time-out. Strauss got a kill out of the break, then Barnes had a kills and paired with Mokelki on a block to pull within one at 12-11, but DU scored the next two points to trail 14-11. Back-to-back kills by Mokelki and Barnes had the Rams again within one, but DU recorded back-to-back blocks for the 16-13 lead. After trading points for the 19-17 score, the Pioneers scored five of the next six to extend the lead to six points at 24-18. Hilbert called for a time-out and the Rams scored the next five to pull within one at 24-23. The Pioneers again scored back-to-back points to lead 26-23, but the Rams scored three straight with two Bauer kills to knot the score at 26-26. After DU scored out of a Pioneer time-out, the Rams scored four of the last five to win 30-28.
With the momentum from game three, the Rams scored three of the first four points of game four to lead 3-1, but the Pioneers were not done, scoring the next four to take the 5-3 lead. The Rams answered with their own four-point run, including two blocks by Barnes and Rogers and a kill by each to take a 7-5 lead. Each team scored two straight, then traded points for a 10-9 CSU lead. Denver then scored six of the next eight points to lead 15-12 and Hilbert called for a time-out. The Pioneers continued their dominance, scoring four of the next six points to extend the lead to five at 19-14. The Rams were not done battling, scoring six of the next eight points with Mokelki and Downs each blistering two kills to bring the deficit back to just one at 21-20, but the Pioneers held tough, winning 30-27.
Colorado State will host The Hilton Classic this weekend, playing UC Irvine, Virginia Tech and Oregon State. The Rams face UC Irvine Friday evening at 7:00 p.m.
