DENVER – With two double-digit kill performances from both freshman outside hitter Moni Corrujedo (El Paso, Texas) and redshirt junior outside hitter Cassie Ronda (Chandler, Ariz.), the University of Denver volleyball team came away with a 3-1 (18-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-17) victory over Air Force to commence the 2013 season at Hamilton Gymnasium on Friday.

“It was a great opening match for us,” said DU head coach Jesse Mahoney. “Air Force is really well coached, and they play a really scrappy brand of volleyball. It took us a while to get going and get comfortable, but once we did I felt like it was a really competitive match through the middle of it, and we were able to break it open there at the end and assert some physicality. It was good for us to get as many new kids on the floor as we did and mix with the old kids. I think we’ll be a better team tomorrow because we’ve got the butterflies out of our stomachs.”

Corrujedo had 10 kills, four blocks and 10 digs, while Ronda had 10 kills and four digs. The Pioneers also received support from senior middle blocker Brea Muhle (Columbus, Neb.) and senior right side hitter Colleen King (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), who each had nine kills.

Pacing the Falcons were Akokwe Clement with her match-high 13 kills and Maggie Sherrill, who had 12.

Leading the set count in the fourth frame, 2-1, the Pioneers had the momentum at their discretion and proceeded to win the final set and the match by a score of 25-17.

The match did not start out in DU’s favor as the Falcons opened the contest losing the first three points. Although the Pioneers managed to even the score at 6-6, the Falcons later led and won the first set by as many as seven.

DU started off strong in the second set. However, the Falcons overcame a nine-point deficit to tie it at 23-23. But a kill from Muhle and an Air Force attack error allowed the Pioneers to win the set and even the match at a set apiece.

The Pioneers pulled ahead of the Falcons upon winning the third set. In a similar fashion to the preceding set, the Pioneers led the majority of the period before a late-set tie (22-22). Back-to-back kills from King and another attack error from Air Force yielded DU the go-ahead set.

The Pioneer Classic rolls on at Hamilton Gymnasium on Saturday for DU, which will play a pair of matches. The day will begin with a contest against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (0-1) at noon MT and conclude with a match against UC Irvine (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. MT.

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