DENVER - For the fourth time in five years, University of Denver volleyball head coach Beth Kuwata was able to steer her squad to victory in their home opener as the Pioneers edged Air Force (1-4) in the first game of the Denver Invitational, by a score of 3-2 (25-20, 25-22, 24-26, 22-25, 15-13).

The Pioneers advance into the second day of competition with a 2-2 record.

The Pioneers were once again led by junior Faimie Kingsley (Brooklyn, N.Y.), as she filled up the stats sheet with 19 kills and six digs, to go along with her team leading .457 attack percentage in five sets played. Kingsley seemed to carry over her dominance from the Sheraton Classic as she once again finished with double-digit blocks in a match. Kingsley posted 13 blocks for the night.

"It was definitely a thrilling and exciting match for all those in attendance," Kuwata said. "It was important for us to win the fifth set. Hopefully we ground this in our memory that we can compete and actually play to win. It was a great learning experience for our young team."

Following the second set, the Pioneers headed to the locker room looking to close out the Falcons, but were again involved in a close, competitive set that saw the two sides change leads numerous times. Despite a strong showing from the Pioneers, the third and fourth sets belonged to the Falcons as they capitalized on DU's errors and miscues.

The fifth set saw a much more focused Pioneer team as they were able to cut down on the errors and take advantage of a much higher attack percentage. Freshman Kate Acker (Waukesha, Wis.) looked solid in her home debut as she recorded six kills and nine digs, to go along with one assist and two service aces. Junior Lyndi Johnson (Flower Mound, Texas) continued her success in the digs department, recording 26 and also tallying six assists. Cawthra finished the night with 44 assists, five kills and five blocks, while senior Alyssa Bonelli (Superior, Colo.) added nine kills and three blocks

As a team, the Pioneers tallied 35 block assists, three shy of tying the record of 38 that was set against South Alabama on November 5, 2000.

The Pioneers return for the second day of the Denver Invitational tomorrow night as they take on Bryant University at 7 p.m. in Hamilton Gymnasium. The day's action begins with a 12 p.m. match between Bryant and Air Force, followed by a 5 p.m. match between Air Force and No. 13 Purdue. Visit the Denver Invitational Tournament Central page for the latest scores and recaps.

- PIONEERS -