DENVER The University of Denver volleyball team (3-1) handed the University of Virginia (3-1) its first loss of the season, defeating the Cavaliers 3-0 on the first day of the Pioneer Classic hosted by Denver at Hamilton Gymnasium.

 

In the first home contest of the season, the Pioneers showed up to protect their home court by winning in three straight sets 25-23, 25-17 and 25-23.

 

“It may sound a bit odd, but the set that I was the most pleased with was the third set even though we found ourselves behind,” said Head Coach Beth Kuwata. “It was important for us to be down in that set and then come back the way we did because it taught us a great lesson. We really worked hard to pull that one out and I am very proud of the team’s performance tonight.”

 

Denver was led by senior Holly Benson’s (Colorado Springs, Colo.) 12 kills and 13 digs, while setter Clare Maxwell (Jr., Western Springs, Ill.) tallied 32 assists for the evening. The Pioneers’ blocking performance was the best of the season as they notched 20 block assists compared to the Cavaliers’ six. Both Kerry Porter (Sr., Western Springs, Ill.) and Emmy Davidsmeyer (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the team with six and five blocks, respectively.

 

“Our blocking, in particular Emmy’s blocking, was phenomenal,” Kuwata said. “It was part of our game plan tonight and I was very pleased with how well we executed on that point. Blocking was the key to our match and I couldn’t be happier with the performance that was left out there on the court tonight.”

 

In the first set, the Pioneers grabbed the lead early and continued to build their cushion as the set continued. However, with the score in favor of the Pioneers 20-15, the Cavaliers started on a 9-4 run to pull within one point of Denver,24-23, putting the pressure on. The Pioneers rallied to steal the final point of the set as Davidsmeyer notched her fourth kill of the set on a pass from Maxwell.

 

The second set found Denver on the flip side as the Cavaliers jumped out to an early advantage, leading the Pioneers 7-3. After a critical timeout called by the Denver coaching staff, the Pioneers returned to the court ready to get back on top. Denver strung together an 8-4 run to tie the score at 11 all, taking the lead 12-11 on a Cavaliers service error. With momentum behind them, the Pioneers closed out the set on a 13-6 run to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

 

After a brief intermission, the Cavaliers came out again in set three with something to prove, taking on early 4-0 lead to start things off. The action was close between both teams throughout the set as they found themselves deadlocked six more times, until finally the Pioneers pulled ahead with the score tied 16-16 on an attack error by Virginia. Capitalizing on back-to-back kills, Denver gained the advantage and closed out the final set of the match on a 7-6 run.

 

In the first match of the Pioneer Classic, the University of Iowa Hawkeyes (2-2) gifted the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers (3-1) with their first loss of the season, 3-1 at Hamilton Gymnasium. (25-18, 27-25, 22-25, 25-22)

 

Tournament action will continue on Saturday morning as the Lady Volunteers take on the Cavaliers at 10:30 a.m., followed by the Pioneers’ match against the Hawkeyes at 12:30 p.m.

 

After a rest and recover period, the teams will meet again at Hamilton Gymnasium at 5 p.m. as the Cavaliers will play their last match of the Classic against the Hawkeyes. The Pioneers will close out tournament play with a 7:30 p.m. match against the Lady Volunteers.

 

At the conclusion of the Classic, the MVP and all-tournament team selections will be announced and presented with awards, as so voted on by the tournament coaches.

 

Parent’s Weekend continues on during the Pioneer’s second match on Saturday as parents and family will be recognized throughout the match. At the conclusion of the final match against Tennessee, senior Jacqueline Paul (Albuquerque, N.M.) and sophomore Brittany Adams (Lakewood, Colo.) will be available for autographs.

 

Tickets for each day are $8 for adults and $4 for children and senior citizens.

 

For more Pioneer Classic and DENVER volleyball ticket information, please contact the Ritchie Center Ticket Office at 303-871-2336.Please note that all volleyball ticket business will take place in the Ritchie Center West Box Office located on our west concourse / underneath the gold tower. This central location will be a one-stop shop for all ticket sales, will call and any other ticket needs. You can access the west ticket office by entering the Ritchie Center from the west steps as well as the north or south entrance and proceeding to the west concourse.

 

For the most up-to-date information and scores during the Pioneer Classic, visit the Pioneer Classic Central page located on the Denver Pioneers’ Web site.

 

 

- PIONEERS -