Colorado State University Athletics
Saturday, November 1
Fort Collins, CO
1:00 PM
Colorado State
3
vs
2
San Jose State
Six and Counting
11/1/2025 4:31:00 PM | Volleyball
Colorado State fights through five sets to defeat San Jose State
Colorado State didn't make it easy—but didn't back down, either.
Fresh off five straight victories, CSU battled through another five-set thriller on Saturday, outlasting San Jose State 3–2 (25-18, 21-25, 21-25, 25-12, 15-11). The win marked their sixth in a row and proved that this group knows how to fight through chaos.
San Jose State came into Moby Arena with a reputation for dragging teams deep into matches. It was right there in the scouting report: long rallies, relentless defense and a refusal to give in. The Spartans lived up to that billing in the second and third sets, flipping momentum through sheer persistence.
"San Jose has gone five with a lot of good teams," coach Emily Kohan said. "They took Utah State to five and San Diego State to five. That was on the scouting report, that they love to play hard defense, and they will not go away. So that wasn't a complete surprise to us. But again, I was proud that we responded in that fourth set and in the fifth."
That response came after some uncomfortable stretches.
CSU looked sharp in the opening set but lost its edge midway through the match, especially from the service line. The Rams' offense stalled, and San Jose's defense began dictating the tempo, forcing CSU to play reactive volleyball instead of attacking.
"I think the main thing was we didn't serve as tough as we did in the first set," Eve Wilson said. "They were insistent a lot more, and no matter what the team is, it's hard to defend insistent teams. Once we kind of got our serving mojo back, we were able to get a hold of the ball."
Wilson's comment summed up the turning point. When CSU rediscovered its rhythm behind the line in the fourth set, everything else started to click. Passes sharpened, hitters found cleaner angles and the Rams turned what looked like a fading effort into a dominant finish.
"Insistent" might be the perfect word to describe the Spartans. With 12 blocks and 55 kills, SJSU didn't overwhelm CSU with power, but simply refused to let rallies end. That constant pressure forced the Rams to dig deep and stay composed in long volleys and finish plays cleanly.
"I thought San Jose State is a really great team," Riley Simpson said. "They really rallied on defense, and I'm very impressed. I think there's a couple areas we definitely need to grow in, including myself. I need to grow in right side blocking and becoming a more versatile attacker. As a team, we have areas of growth that we need, but we also had a lot of great things happen."
Simpson was one of those great things.
Still finding her rhythm after returning from injury, she led CSU with 15 kills and three blocks. A statement performance which came alive in the fifth set. Her presence gave the Rams a steady option on the outside when points tightened.
"She's starting to figure out how to play volleyball again at a very high level," Kohan said. "That was one of her best performances, especially in the fifth set. A really great performance in the fifth set, when it really matters, is important."
Kohan also turned to Brenna Rowland in the middle after she had sat out a few games, and the change immediately shifted the energy on the court.
Rowland's voice was loud, her energy contagious, and her production tangible with three kills and two blocks in the final two sets that helped swing the match.
"I think Brenna brings a lot of energy, and we were able to kind of balance out our offense a lot," Wilson said. "Sometimes there just needs to be a change and that's what it was."
That willingness to adapt—to change when the match demands it—has become one of CSU's defining traits during this winning streak. They've learned how to stay level when things start to slip and regroup instead of unraveling.
Next up, they'll need that same poise as they prepare for a rematch against still undefeated Utah State. The Aggies swept CSU earlier this season at Moby Arena, and the Rams haven't forgotten it.
"I hope we play with a little chip on our shoulder," Kohan said. "We've got something to prove and we're trying to get a little bit of redemption from a really poor performance in that first one."
It wasn't perfect, but it was proof.
Proof this team has learned how to bend without breaking and dig in when things start to slide. And as the Rams look ahead to Utah State, that growing composure will be needed as they make their way through the Mountain West's best.
Fresh off five straight victories, CSU battled through another five-set thriller on Saturday, outlasting San Jose State 3–2 (25-18, 21-25, 21-25, 25-12, 15-11). The win marked their sixth in a row and proved that this group knows how to fight through chaos.
San Jose State came into Moby Arena with a reputation for dragging teams deep into matches. It was right there in the scouting report: long rallies, relentless defense and a refusal to give in. The Spartans lived up to that billing in the second and third sets, flipping momentum through sheer persistence.
"San Jose has gone five with a lot of good teams," coach Emily Kohan said. "They took Utah State to five and San Diego State to five. That was on the scouting report, that they love to play hard defense, and they will not go away. So that wasn't a complete surprise to us. But again, I was proud that we responded in that fourth set and in the fifth."
That response came after some uncomfortable stretches.
CSU looked sharp in the opening set but lost its edge midway through the match, especially from the service line. The Rams' offense stalled, and San Jose's defense began dictating the tempo, forcing CSU to play reactive volleyball instead of attacking.
"I think the main thing was we didn't serve as tough as we did in the first set," Eve Wilson said. "They were insistent a lot more, and no matter what the team is, it's hard to defend insistent teams. Once we kind of got our serving mojo back, we were able to get a hold of the ball."
Wilson's comment summed up the turning point. When CSU rediscovered its rhythm behind the line in the fourth set, everything else started to click. Passes sharpened, hitters found cleaner angles and the Rams turned what looked like a fading effort into a dominant finish.
"Insistent" might be the perfect word to describe the Spartans. With 12 blocks and 55 kills, SJSU didn't overwhelm CSU with power, but simply refused to let rallies end. That constant pressure forced the Rams to dig deep and stay composed in long volleys and finish plays cleanly.
"I thought San Jose State is a really great team," Riley Simpson said. "They really rallied on defense, and I'm very impressed. I think there's a couple areas we definitely need to grow in, including myself. I need to grow in right side blocking and becoming a more versatile attacker. As a team, we have areas of growth that we need, but we also had a lot of great things happen."
Simpson was one of those great things.
Still finding her rhythm after returning from injury, she led CSU with 15 kills and three blocks. A statement performance which came alive in the fifth set. Her presence gave the Rams a steady option on the outside when points tightened.
"She's starting to figure out how to play volleyball again at a very high level," Kohan said. "That was one of her best performances, especially in the fifth set. A really great performance in the fifth set, when it really matters, is important."
Kohan also turned to Brenna Rowland in the middle after she had sat out a few games, and the change immediately shifted the energy on the court.
Rowland's voice was loud, her energy contagious, and her production tangible with three kills and two blocks in the final two sets that helped swing the match.
"I think Brenna brings a lot of energy, and we were able to kind of balance out our offense a lot," Wilson said. "Sometimes there just needs to be a change and that's what it was."
That willingness to adapt—to change when the match demands it—has become one of CSU's defining traits during this winning streak. They've learned how to stay level when things start to slip and regroup instead of unraveling.
Next up, they'll need that same poise as they prepare for a rematch against still undefeated Utah State. The Aggies swept CSU earlier this season at Moby Arena, and the Rams haven't forgotten it.
"I hope we play with a little chip on our shoulder," Kohan said. "We've got something to prove and we're trying to get a little bit of redemption from a really poor performance in that first one."
It wasn't perfect, but it was proof.
Proof this team has learned how to bend without breaking and dig in when things start to slide. And as the Rams look ahead to Utah State, that growing composure will be needed as they make their way through the Mountain West's best.
Players Mentioned
Colorado State Volleyball Press Conference 9.22.25
Monday, September 22
CSU Volleyball Players Press Conference - August 6
Thursday, August 07
Emily Kohan Press Conference - August 6
Thursday, August 07
Colorado State Volleyball: Building Champions to Win Championship
Monday, May 05