DENVER The University of Denver volleyball team closed out the first day of the Pioneer Classic with a 3-0 loss (25-30, 25-30, 24-30) to Long Beach State on Friday evening.

“When we play the opponents we have scheduled this weekend we have to bring our A-game,” said head coach Beth Kuwata. “This morning we had our A-minus game but tonight we couldn’t seem to get anything going. We needed to be near-perfect tonight and a majority of the team wasn’t.”

Denver was led by junior Holly Benson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) who had a team-high 14 kills. Sophomore Clare Maxwell (Western Springs, Ill.) led the team with 26 assists, while freshman Kacie Wikierak (Crystal Lake, Ill.) had a team-high 14 digs. Senior Kim Muller (Ballwin, Mo.) led the Pioneers with three blocks.

DU (4-7) led early in game one, but LBSU (4-4) quickly rallied, tying the game three times before taking the lead, 12-11 on a kill by Naomi Washington. Denver would get within one point but the 49ers were too aggressive, accumulating 16 kills in the frame. Trailing 29-22, with Wikierak serving the Pioneers rattled off four straight points to close Long Beach’s lead to four before falling, 30-25.

In the second frame, the 49ers got out to an early seven-point lead before Denver climbed back to within four on a ball handling error by LBSU’s Nicole Vargas to cut into Long Beach’s lead, 10-6. After LBSU went on a 6-1 run, the Pioneers clawed their way back into the game, getting within two, 20-18, on a Benson kill. The 49ers climbed back out to a four-point lead until DU closed the gap again. Trailing 25-22, Denver tallied points on a kill by Alyssa Hampton (Parkville, Mo.), block by Kresson Vreeman (Raymond, Minn.) and Muller and LBSU’s Alexis Crimes hit her return long to tie the game, 25-25. The 49ers ripped off the next five points to win the frame, 30-25. Both teams had problems hitting in the game, as DU hit .049 and LBSU hit .103.

The Pioneers and 49ers kept it close out of intermission, tying the game seven times. DU tied the game at 12-12 on a kill by junior Kerry Porter (Western Springs, Ill.) but Long Beach recorded seven unanswered points to take a 24-17 lead. Denver would get within five on a Benson kill, but could not close the gap and lost 30-23.

The Pioneer Classic continues on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. as Washington State takes on Long Beach State. Long Beach State and Ohio start the evening session at 5 p.m. and Denver closes out the tournament at 7:30 p.m. against Washington State. The Pioneer Classic all-tournament team will be announced at the conclusion of the tournament.