Colorado State University Athletics
Thursday, September 26
Fort Collins, Colo.
7 PM MT
Colorado State
11-1, 1-0MW
3
vs
0
New Mexico
5-8, 0-1MW
1
2
3
F
New Mexico
13
11
15
0
Colorado State
25
25
25
3
Photo by: Cris Tiller
No. 17 Rams Sweep Past Lobos in Conference Opener
9/26/2019 9:29:00 PM | Volleyball
Colorado State recorded 15 blocks and kept New Mexico under with a -.067 hitting mark – fifth of the season.
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Outside hitters have found a new nightmare in the Rams' defensive front.
After a full week of practicing to shut down the Lobos' Lauren Twitty and Tai Bierria, No. 17 Colorado State put the work into action Thursday at Moby Arena. The result was a 25-13, 25-11, 25-15 sweep and a flawless opening match for the Rams.
Entering the night, the Rams' stingy hitting defense ranked first in the nation, allowing opponents to muster a mere .088 hitting percentage. That bar proved too high for the visiting Lobos who finished at minus-.067 – the lowest mark for a Rams' opponent this year.
"Knowing that we're holding (opponents) to hitting negative almost every game is such a cool feeling," Kirstie Hillyer said. "I think, all of us being on the blocking side of it want to help as much as we can."
Twitty and Bierria, the lone returning starters for the Lobos, mustered only 10 combined kills. Their team total of 16 was also the fewest for a Rams' opponent this year.
Standing in their way was a flurry of blockers in Hillyer, Paulina Hougaard-Jensen and Jessica Jackson. Each member of the trio accounted for multiple blocks in the first set alone. The match's entirety saw the Rams rack up 15 total blocks as a team.
The lofty total wasn't even their highest of the year. In eight matches, including their latest win, the Rams have totaled double-digit blocks.
"I think everyone is just determined and we're going to have to end the year No. 1 (in defense)," Hougaard-Jensen said.
Every time the Lobos set up for an opportunity to break their slump, they were met by a pair of Rams' blockers.
Each of the Rams' 11 out-of-conference opponents were met with the same resistance. One of the hardest non-conference schedules in the nation failed to stop them. Now, with conference play in full flux, coach Tom Hilbert and company are being given familiar looks.
"Our players know how to prepare," Hilbert said. "I was talking to their coach before (the match) and we were talking about the differences in our teams. I said, 'Five seniors, they get it. They go into a prep session, they understand what you're trying to do, you can move through things quickly and they understand how to get ready for a team.'
"These guys are really impressing me in terms of how they're able to do the disruptive parts of the game to the other team, because they are always ready."
When teams have gotten the ball past a wall of Rams' blockers, Alexa Roumeliotis, Olivia Nicholson and Brooke Hudson have been a force on the floor. The former led the team with 11 digs Thursday, a fruitful entry into her career against a Mountain West foe.
"I trust all of our (defensive specialists) and liberos insurmountably," Jackson said. "I will give them every single ball if they want, and I'm A-Okay with them taking it."
The win served as the lone match between the two teams this year. A three-game road trip awaits the Rams, forcing the team away from their conference-leading attendance.
It's just another opportunity to answer the questions, "Why not us?"
"I think the interesting challenge now for us is obviously going on the road," Hilbert said. "You go to environments you're not used to, and can you still execute and do those things in the other gyms?
"These are new things that you've got to lay on your team, but I trust -- with these guys -- because they're veterans, we're going to do a good job with it."
MATCH NOTES
- The Rams kept their opponent to a -.067 hitting mark, the fifth time this season
- CSU kept the Lobos to just 16 kills in the sweep
- The Rams recorded 15 blocks, led by Kirstie Hillyer who had nine stuffs – including two solo
- Jessica Jackson floored a team-high 12 kills while also hitting a blistering .550
- Breana Runnels reached double-figures with 10 kills and recorded five digs
- Alexa Roumeliotis paced the back row with 11 digs
- Sasha Colombo and Katie Oleksak dropped in two aces each, Oleksak also dished out 35 assists
UP NEXT
Colorado State will head on the road for a match at UNLV on Saturday, starting at 3 p.m., MT.
After a full week of practicing to shut down the Lobos' Lauren Twitty and Tai Bierria, No. 17 Colorado State put the work into action Thursday at Moby Arena. The result was a 25-13, 25-11, 25-15 sweep and a flawless opening match for the Rams.
Entering the night, the Rams' stingy hitting defense ranked first in the nation, allowing opponents to muster a mere .088 hitting percentage. That bar proved too high for the visiting Lobos who finished at minus-.067 – the lowest mark for a Rams' opponent this year.
"Knowing that we're holding (opponents) to hitting negative almost every game is such a cool feeling," Kirstie Hillyer said. "I think, all of us being on the blocking side of it want to help as much as we can."
Twitty and Bierria, the lone returning starters for the Lobos, mustered only 10 combined kills. Their team total of 16 was also the fewest for a Rams' opponent this year.
Standing in their way was a flurry of blockers in Hillyer, Paulina Hougaard-Jensen and Jessica Jackson. Each member of the trio accounted for multiple blocks in the first set alone. The match's entirety saw the Rams rack up 15 total blocks as a team.
The lofty total wasn't even their highest of the year. In eight matches, including their latest win, the Rams have totaled double-digit blocks.
"I think everyone is just determined and we're going to have to end the year No. 1 (in defense)," Hougaard-Jensen said.
Every time the Lobos set up for an opportunity to break their slump, they were met by a pair of Rams' blockers.
Each of the Rams' 11 out-of-conference opponents were met with the same resistance. One of the hardest non-conference schedules in the nation failed to stop them. Now, with conference play in full flux, coach Tom Hilbert and company are being given familiar looks.
"Our players know how to prepare," Hilbert said. "I was talking to their coach before (the match) and we were talking about the differences in our teams. I said, 'Five seniors, they get it. They go into a prep session, they understand what you're trying to do, you can move through things quickly and they understand how to get ready for a team.'
"These guys are really impressing me in terms of how they're able to do the disruptive parts of the game to the other team, because they are always ready."
When teams have gotten the ball past a wall of Rams' blockers, Alexa Roumeliotis, Olivia Nicholson and Brooke Hudson have been a force on the floor. The former led the team with 11 digs Thursday, a fruitful entry into her career against a Mountain West foe.
"I trust all of our (defensive specialists) and liberos insurmountably," Jackson said. "I will give them every single ball if they want, and I'm A-Okay with them taking it."
The win served as the lone match between the two teams this year. A three-game road trip awaits the Rams, forcing the team away from their conference-leading attendance.
It's just another opportunity to answer the questions, "Why not us?"
"I think the interesting challenge now for us is obviously going on the road," Hilbert said. "You go to environments you're not used to, and can you still execute and do those things in the other gyms?
"These are new things that you've got to lay on your team, but I trust -- with these guys -- because they're veterans, we're going to do a good job with it."
MATCH NOTES
- The Rams kept their opponent to a -.067 hitting mark, the fifth time this season
- CSU kept the Lobos to just 16 kills in the sweep
- The Rams recorded 15 blocks, led by Kirstie Hillyer who had nine stuffs – including two solo
- Jessica Jackson floored a team-high 12 kills while also hitting a blistering .550
- Breana Runnels reached double-figures with 10 kills and recorded five digs
- Alexa Roumeliotis paced the back row with 11 digs
- Sasha Colombo and Katie Oleksak dropped in two aces each, Oleksak also dished out 35 assists
UP NEXT
Colorado State will head on the road for a match at UNLV on Saturday, starting at 3 p.m., MT.
#PointRams
Team Stats
UNM
CSU
Kills
16
39
Errors
22
12
Attempts
89
84
Hitting %
-.067
.321
Points
22.0
61.0
Assists
15
38
Aces
2
7
Blocks
4.0
15.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
9
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
MB/OPP
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ VolleyballOH
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