DENVER -The University of Denver volleyball team took the Bryant Bulldogs (2-4) to five sets on the second day of the Denver Invitational Friday night in Hamilton Gymnasium. Despite the Pioneers' (2-3) late rally, they were unable to withstand the Bulldogs, losing the match 26-24, 25-18, 18-25, 24-26, 10-15.

This is DU's first loss in the Denver Invitational since 2007 when they fell in three sets to Wichita State.

"I'm hoping that with each and every one of these matches that we are learning to play to win and to aggressively pursue victory," said head coach Beth Kuwata. "We just have to understand that after playing in two consecutive five set matches we will gain some valuable experience and move forward."

DU saw strong performances from its upperclassmen, but was still unable to solidify their second straight victory. The Pioneers were again paced by junior Faimie Kingsley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who led the team with 15 kills and a .385 attack percentage. Junior Lyndi Johnson (Flower Mound, Texas) once again led the Pioneers in digs with 16 while Julia Cawthra (Lakewood, Colo.) tallied 45 assists.

DU took advantage of two straight blocks and 4-1 run to get off to a hot start in the first set. The Pioneers held the lead the entire set and were able to withstand a late run by the Bulldogs to win on two straight errors.

The second set saw a highly competitive contest as the two teams traded leads three times. The Pioneers were finally able to gain control and take advantage of Bryant's nine errors and recorded three service aces to go on a 10-2 run. DU again recovered from a late flurry by the Bulldogs to take their second straight set.

The fourth set, which included seven lead changes, saw the Pioneers record 15 kills while the Bulldogs committed five errors. Redshirt-freshman Cassie Ronda (Chandler, Ariz.) gave DU a late push with two of those kills, and although the Pioneers seemed to control the set up to that point, Bryant was relentless and secured the victory after scoring two straight on an attack error and a kill.

The momentum seemed to be going the Pioneers way in the fifth set as sophomore Alex Turgeon (Cherry Hills Village, Colo.) brought some energy to the Pioneers with a key block. The set seemed evenly played going into the midway point as both sides returned kills to keep it close, but DU was unable to take advantage of Kingsley's two late kills, and fell in a heartbreaker.

In today's earlier matchups, the Air Force Academy Falcons were able to defeat the Bryant Bulldogs in four sets 25-21, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22. Air Force finished the invitational going 1-2 after losing their Friday match with the Pioneers. In the evening match, the No.13 Purdue Boilermakers defeated the Air Force in three straight sets.

The Pioneers continue tournament play Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Hamilton Gymnasium as they take on the Boilermakers in the final match of the Denver Invitational.

Saturday's action begins with Bryant taking on No. 13 Purdue at 1 p.m., and ends with DU taking on the Big Ten foe. Visit the Denver Invitational Tournament page for the latest scores and recaps. Also visit DenverPioneers.com for the most comprehensive coverage of the DU volleyball team as well as all of DU's athletics programs.

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