Oct. 3, 2004

Box Score

DENVER - Sparked by a career-high 15 kills from freshman Sarah Wirth (Sacramento, Calif.), the University of Denver volleyball team evened its Sun Belt Conference record with a 3-0 sweep (30-24, 30-17, 30-23) of Louisiana-Lafayette Sunday afternoon in Hamilton Gymnasium. Denver improves its overall record to 8-7, 2-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. Louisiana-Lafayette drops to 3-14, 0-4.

Denver won the first game despite being out-killed 16-13 but the Denver defense limited the Cajuns to just a .085 hitting percentage in winning 30-24. Wirth led the Pioneers with six kills in the game as Denver made just six attacking errors.

The second game saw Denver hold a 17-13 kill advantage and record its best hitting game of the match, a .395 hitting percentage with 17 kills and just two errors. Wirth had another six kills for the Pioneers in the game and freshman Alyssa Hampton (Parkville, Mo.) had four for Denver.

In the third game Denver recorded a match-high 19 kills as a team and again played some stellar team defense, limiting the Ragin' Cajuns to a .100 hitting percentage and a match-low 11 kills.

Denver recorded 55 team digs in the match and also had eight blocks.

"It was great to see us bounce back after Fridays five-game match," head coach Beth Kuwata said. "I was concerned coming in with how we would respond but I'm happy with the outcome. Sarah (Wirth) had an outstanding match. It was a focus of ours to the ball to our middles and we were able to do that today. Its something that needs to happen more for us to be successful."

Denver is next in action next Friday, Oct. 8 when it travels to Las Cruces, N.M. to take on New Mexico State at 7 p.m.