DENVER - The University of Denver volleyball team orchestrated a comeback victory against SBC West Division leader Arkansas State 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-16) Sunday afternoon in Hamilton Gymnasium.

 

"This was definitely a huge win for our program," head coach Beth Kuwata said. "We are finally playing to win and learning to play consistently throughout the entire match. I'm extremely proud of our girls, but we still have some work to do."

DU's win was its first against ASU since 2008. Sunday's match saw the Pioneers (12-15, 9-6 SBC) dominate in nearly every statistical category, including kills, blocks and attack percentage.

Redshirt-freshman Cassie Ronda (Chandler, Ariz.) led the Pioneers, recording 13 kills and five blocks. Senior Alyssa Bonelli (Superior, Colo.) also had a solid-match as she tallied 11 kills and four blocks. Junior Faimie Kingsley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) also got in the mix with 10 kills and a match-high nine blocks.

Junior Lyndi Johnson (Flower Mound, Texas) led the Pioneers in digs with 17, and redshirt-senior Julia Cawthra (Lakewood, Colo.) again facilitated the offensive production to the tune of 41 assists.

The first set saw a closely played contest between both the Pioneers and the Redwolves. Despite recording 12 kills and 14 digs, ASU edged Denver with a solid array of attacks. The second set saw a completely different DU squad. The Pioneers recorded a .257 hitting percentage and held the Redwolves to a dismal .000 percentage. The Pioneers' defense was solid in the second frame, as they recorded 12 blocks and 11 digs, tying the match as the two teams went into the intermission.

The Pioneers endured another tightly played set in the third. Solid attack percentages and a barrage of kills highlighted the contest, but Denver was able to pull out the victory 25-23. The fourth set saw a dominant overall performance from the Pioneers, as they recorded another solid .333 hitting percentage, and held the Redwolves to a .038 percentage. DU seemed to use the momentum from the previous set as it completely erased all signs of an ASU comeback, defeating the SBC West Division leaders by nine points.

Next up, Denver prepares for its final match of the season as it welcomes North Texas to Hamilton Gymnasium Friday, Nov. 11. First serve is set for 6 p.m. MT. The Pioneers will be honoring Cawthra and Bonelli in a pre-match ceremony to celebrate their careers at DU.

Visit DenverPioneers.com for the most comprehensive coverage of Denver volleyball, as well as all of DU's 17 athletic programs.

-PIONEERS-