Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
9-1
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
UTEP
1-7
Volleyball recap: CSU sweeps UTEP to cap off perfect weekend
9/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
EL PASO, Texas – The No. 14 Colorado State Rams completed a successful weekend away from home with a sweep of the UTEP Miners Saturday afternoon at Memorial Gym (25-13, 25-18, 25-23).
Senior middle blocker Kelsey Snider led the way for the Rams (9-1, 0-0 MW) offensively with 13 kills on .500 hitting (13-2-22). Snider was followed by fellow middle blocker Acacia Andrews, who tallied seven kills, while outside hitters Jasmine Hanna and Marlee Reynolds each had six.
The story of the day, however, was CSU’s defense. Led by Snider’s team-leading five blocks, the Rams racked up a total of 11 blocks and limited the Miners (1-7, 0-0 Conference USA) to just .083 hitting for the match. CSU was particularly effective in limiting UTEP’s Talia Jones, who came into the match leading the team with 3.00 kills per set. Jones mustered just two kills and was forced into five attack errors.
While the Rams were impressive at the net, they were perhaps even more impressive in the back row. As a team, CSU out-dug UTEP 54-43 and were led by a season-high-tying performance from Jaime Colaizzi, with 22. It marked the 10th time that Colaizzi has registered 20-plus digs in a match, moving her into third place in CSU history.
Along with Colaizzi, freshman outside hitter Sanja Cizmic racked up a career-high 10 digs in her third career start.
Dating back to Oct. 27, 2012, CSU has now won 21-straight true road matches. Against UTEP, CSU has won 13-straight in the series, including 40 sets in a row.
CSU jumped out to a 15-6 lead in the opening frame, never trailing past the 3-2 mark. The Rams used a 5-0 run in Set 2 to take a 10-5 lead, and while UTEP closed within two – as late as 16-14 – they were able to close on a 9-4 run to win the set.
The third frame was the tightest, but like it was in victories Friday over No. 9 BYU and New Mexico State, CSU was at its best late in the set to stave off a Miners rally.
The Rams next travel to Tempe, Ariz., for the Residence Inn Challenge. CSU opens up the tournament at No. 15 Arizona State on Friday at 8 p.m. MT.
