Oct. 18, 2002

Box Score

DENVER - The University of Denver volleyball team recorded a .250 attacking percentage Friday night, but were unable to overcome 16 service errors in a 3-1 (27-30, 26-30, 30-26, 33-31) home loss to Middle Tennessee at Hamilton Gymnasium. With the loss, the Pioneers fall to 2-14 overall on the season, 1-5 in the Sun Belt Conference. Middle Tennessee improves to 12-9, 3-3.

The two teams were very evenly matched in all four games, as Denver actually recorded more kills than Middle Tennessee in the match (63-60) but had three more attacking errors (27-24). The Pioneers also recorded their second-best defensive performance of the season with 10.5 blocks, but the Lady Raiders had 13. The Pioneers were hurt most by the serve, as Denver had just five service aces and 16 errors, while Middle Tennessee had 13 aces and 12 errors.

"Our hitting was much more consistent tonight but our downfall was serving," head coach Beth Kuwata said. "I think if we'd have served the ball better the outcome could have been different. But we played well defensively, I felt like we controlled the net well. We just can't be giving the other team free balls and we really need to take better care of the ball when it counts."

Three Pioneers recorded double digits in kills on the night led by junior Olympia Hughes (Casper, Wyo.), with a match-high 18. Junior Andrea Baron (West Vancouver, B.C.) had 15 and fellow junior Jen Karas (Granby, Colo.) chipped in 11 for Denver.

Denver is next in action on Sunday when they host Western Kentucky in Hamilton Gymnasium at 1 p.m.

...PIONEERS...