Oct. 17, 2003

Box Score

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The University of Denver volleyball team used a .333 attack percentage and held Middle Tennessee to four kills and four errors in the deciding fifth game in a 3-2 (28-30, 30-21, 30-27, 28-30, 15-10) win over the Lady Raiders Friday night in Alumni Gym. With the win the Pioneers improved their overall season record to 14-7, 5-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. Middle Tennessee drops to 8-14, 1-5.

Four Pioneers recorded double digits in kills, led by senior Andrea Baron's (West Vancouver, B.C.) career-high tying 20. Senior Olympia Hughes (Casper, Wyo.) had one of the finest matches of her career as she led all players with a .607 hitting percentage, recording 18 kills and just one error in 28 total chances, the second-best hitting match of her career. Freshman Lisa Hunter (St. Louis, Mo.) added 16 and junior Kelli Rudelson (Bellaire, Texas) chipped in 12 for the Pioneers.

Denver played some good defense in the match as well, holding MTSU to just a .193 hitting percentage overall and a .000 mark in the fifth game. The Pioneers also recorded 12 total blocks and had 63 digs in the match and won on the road at Middle Tennessee for the first time since the 2000 season.

"Middle Tennessee played aggressive defensively but we managed to hang in there and battle and pull out a win," head coach Beth Kuwata said. "This was a match we had to have and we got it and I'm happy about that. Tomorrow we'll need a much better effort but I am pretty pleased with how we finished up tonight.

Denver is in action again tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 18 when they take on Western Kentucky at 6 p.m. in Bowling Green, Ky.