FORT COLLINS, Colo. - After falling to hosts Colorado State earlier in the day, the University of Denver volleyball team swept the Virginia Cavaliers in its final match of the Rams Volleyball Rocky Mountain Invitational at Moby Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers are now 2-1 on the season.

Denver started the day losing 14-25, 19-25 and 21-25 to the hosts, but rebounded with 25-16, 25-22 and 25-15 set wins over the Cavaliers.

"Our team began this weekend with two goals in mind: to maintain our composure and improve as a team with each match," said first-year head coach Jesse Mahoney. "We accomplished both of these goals with standout performances from our setter Frances Carroll and our opposite hitter Colleen King. We look forward to a competitive upcoming weekend where we will be tested by very competitive teams, and have another opportunity to move our program in a forward direction."

 

For the second straight day, junior Colleen King (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and freshman Michele Swope (Orlando, Fla.) led the Pioneers offensively as both finished with a combined 20 kills each. Against the Rams, King finished with six kills, three digs and one block, while Swope tallied nine kills, one dig and two blocks. Against the Cavaliers, King led the way with 14 kills, while Swope tallied 11 kills and three blocks.

Senior Faimie Kingsley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) rounded out the double-digit kills for the day as she registered a combined 16 kills, while also leading the way with eight total blocks. Kingsley led the Pioneers against the Rams with 12 kills and three blocks and then posted four kills and five blocks against the Cavaliers.

Sophomore setter Frances Carroll (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) posted 66 assists on the day, while senior libero Lyndi Johnson (Flower Mound, Texas) posted 20 digs through two matches. Carroll also finished the day with 13 digs and five blocks, while sophomore Kate Acker (Waukesha, Wis.) tallied 15 digs and three kills.

King and Kingsley were both named to the All-Tournament team as the Pioneers finished with a 2-1 mark. For the tournament, King finished with 30 kills, while Kingsley finished with 20 kills and 17 blocks.

Up next, the Pioneers travel to Omaha, Neb., to take part in the Bluejay Invitational hosted by Creighton University. The Pioneers begin tournament play against Kansas State on Friday, Aug. 31 at 2:30 p.m. MT. Denver then faces Syracuse at 9 a.m. MT on Saturday and then close out the tournament against Creighton at 6:30 p.m. MT.

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