Oct. 5, 2003

Box Score

DENTON, Texas - The University of North Texas volleyball team used a .396 hitting percentage - the highest that Denver has allowed in a match all season - and won the final three games for a 3-1 victory over the Pioneers Sunday afternoon at The Snake Pit. The Pioneers dropped their first Sun Belt Conference match of the season and fall to 12-6 overall, 3-1 in conference play. North Texas improves to 12-10, 3-1.

The Pioneers captured the first game despite North Texas holding a 21-18 kill advantage. Denver recorded a .533 attack percentage in the game and made just two errors in winning, 30-28. But the Mean Green bounced back in game two, recording a .471 hitting percentage to Denver's .278 for a 30-27 win to even the match at a game apiece.

The third game saw North Texas hold a 22-15 kill advantage and commit just five errors in a 30-26 win. The fourth game was all North Texas as the Pioneers recorded just a .179 hitting percentage with six errors as UNT won going away, 30-21.

The Pioneers had three players finish with double digits in kills, led by senior Andrea Baron's (West Vancouver, B.C) team-high 19. Freshman Lisa Hunter (St. Louis, Mo.) and senior Olympia Hughes (Casper, Wyo.) each had 12 for the Pioneers, who lost for the just the second time in their last six matches.

Four North Texas players recorded at least 10 kills led by Corina Marginas, who led all players in the match with 26 kills, a .488 hitting percentage and 16 digs.

"I think the biggest key for this match was that we didn't block Marginas very well," head coach Beth Kuwata said. "Our blocking and defense was a little below average today. In order for us to gain momentum we have to block and play good defense and we didn't do a good job controlling the net or playing floor defense this afternoon."

Denver is next in action next Friday, Oct. 10 when they take on Arkansas State at 7 p.m. in Hamilton Gymnasium.