Box Score

DENVER Seniors Alyssa Hampton (Parkville, Mo.) and Alyta Baris (Belvidere, Ill.) recorded career nights as the University of Denver volleyball team swept its third consecutive opponent, this time Arkansas State, 3-0 (30-15, 30-20, 30-10), to open Sun Belt Conference play on Friday evening.

 

“I’m not certain we can play any better then we did tonight,” head coach Beth Kuwata said. “I think the biggest key to our success tonight is that we never let them have an opportunity to get back into the match. I can’t think of a better way to start conference play.”

Hampton led the Pioneers (7-7, 1-0 SBC) to their best hitting percentage match of the season, .456, hitting a career-high .714 with 15 kills and no hitting errors. She added nine digs on the night. Baris also set a career high, .636, hitting 7-of-11 on the night.

Senior Kim Muller (Ballwin, Mo.) had her highest hitting percentage of the season, .615. Redshirt Sophomore Clare Maxwell (Western Springs, Ill.) recorded a game-high 35 assists, while freshman Kacie Wikierak (Crystal Lake, Ill.) had 10 of the Pioneers’ 41 digs. Denver had six blocks on the night, led by three by junior Kerry Porter (Western Springs, Ill.).

In the first game, DU allowed the Indians (4-9, 0-1 SBC) to stay in the game early, as ASU got within two at 7-5. The Pioneers then ripped off a 23-10 run to close out the game, 30-15. Denver held the Indians to the second-lowest hitting percentage of any opponent in a game this season, -.094, and forced Arkansas State into 14 errors in the game. Four Pioneers led the way as Denver hit .500 in the game, including Hampton and Benson, who hit .800 with four kills apiece. DU had its best sideout percentage of any game this season, 93 percent.

Denver came out charging in the second game, leading 9-1 to force an early timeout by the Indians. ASU matched the Pioneers with a 9-1 run of its own but could not get any closer than five. After Coach Kuwata called a timeout midway through the frame, the Pioneers turned up the heat, cruising to the 30-20 victory. Hampton continued her solid play, hitting 6-of-7 in the game to raise her hitting percentage to .833. The Pioneers hit .406 as a team in the game with four different players recording aces.

The Pioneers started the third frame with another 9-1 run before the Indians took their first timeout of the game, but DU didn’t allow the Indians back into the game, taking a 16-4 lead midway through. Denver cruised on to the 30-10 victory as the Pioneers added five aces in the game and hit .577.

The Pioneers return to Hamilton Gymnasium on Sunday, Sept. 23 at noon against SBC opponent UALR.