Box Score DENVER Record nights for senior Kim Muller (Ballwin, Mo.) and freshman Kacie Wikierak (Crystal Lake, Ill.) pulled the University of Denver volleyball team from a one-game deficit to drop Sun Belt Conference opponent New Orleans, 3-1 (31-33, 30-26, 31-29, 30-26), Friday evening in Hamilton Gymnasium.
Muller matched her career-high of 24 kills for the second time this season, hitting .333 in the game. Wikierak had a match-high 33 to equal her career-high.
“Overall, we competed hard and never quit,” said head coach Beth Kuwata. “Holly and Kacie made great defensive plays. It was our defense and our blocking that really stepped up when we needed it to.”
Denver (18-11, 12-3 SBC) trailed by two early in the first game, but went up on the Lady Privateers (14-13, 8-6 SBC) by two in part to back-to-back UNO errors. The two teams stayed locked in battle with Denver knotting the game at 20-20 on a kill by Muller and taking the 21-20 lead on an error by UNO’s Lindsey Loyd. The two teams tied the game again at 23-23 before DU went on a 6-3 run for the 29-26 lead. UNO tied the game at 29-29 and went up 30-29 on an error by Muller. A kill by Muller tied the game at 30-30 and again at 31-31 but consecutive kills by New Orleans capped its 7-2 run to close out the game for the 33-31 win. Denver led the game in kills, hitting percentage, blocks and points but committed five service errors and 11 attacking errors in the frame.
DU trailed 4-9 early in the second game before going on a 9-3 run, giving Denver’s its first lead of the game since 1-0. The Pioneers, led by two kills and a block by Muller took a six point lead at 21-15. UNO clawed back to get within three but back-to-back blocks extended DU’s lead back to six points. DU went on to win the game, 30-26. Denver hit .213 in the frame with 20 kills and 4.5 blocks to push the block total to 9.5.
The Pioneers started out the third game by climbing to a 14-10 lead but could not extended it any further as the Lady Privateers got back into the game, taking a 29-26 lead. Trailing by three, junior Holly Benson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) notched a kill and UNO’s Dobrilla Kovacevic had an attack error to pull DU within one. After a New Orleans timeout, a block by senior Alyta Baris (Belvidere, Ill.) and junior Jacqueline Paul (Albuquerque, N.M.) tied the game at 29-29. Kovacevic recorded another attack error to give DU the one point advantage. Wikierak recorded her first game-winning kill on a feed from Benson to clinch the game for DU. The Pioneers hit .318 in the frame, committing just three attacking errors.
Leading 6-4 to start the fourth game the Pioneers went on an 11-4 run to take a 16-8 lead, capped by a kill by Benson. New Orleans got within five points but another Benson kill extended DU’s lead back to eight. Denver kept the pressure on but UNO got within two at 27-25. Denver finished off the game with two kills by Muller and a UNO attack error for the 30-26 win. Muller was 6-of-9 in the frame and Wikierak added 14 digs.
“There were a couple of key moments that turned the tide for us,” Kuwata said. “Jacqueline coming into the game and her two big blocks at the end of the third game really shifted the momentum in the game and the match for us. She won that game for us.”
Benson added 14 kills and 18 digs, while senior Alyssa Hampton (Parkville, Mo.) had 12 kills and 13 digs. Muller led all players with eight blocks, part of DU’s 13.5.
Denver’s homestand continues against Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday, Nov. 4 at Noon in Hamilton Gymnasium. DU will recognize its three seniors, Baris, Hampton and Muller, on Sunday.
