SALT LAKE CITY— The University of Denver women's volleyball team opened the 2018 season with a 3-1 win against Saint Mary's in its first of three games in the Utah Volleyball Classic. The Pioneers defeated SMC in four sets with scores of 25-17, 22-25, 25-15, and 25-15.

Denver holds a 6-1 record in season openers in the past seven years.

"We are excited to begin our season with a win over a very good team" said head coach Tom Hogan. "We knew we were going to have a tough match. St Mary's is a very well-coached team and they have a lot of talent. We still have a lot to work on, but we are going to take it one day and one match at a time. We look forward to tomorrow when we will have the opportunity to face two very highly ranked and competitive teams."

Pioneer Performers:
Junior newcomer Katarina Marinkovic shined for the Pioneers against Saint Mary's. Recently named to the 2018 Summit League "Players to Watch" list, Marinkovic led the team with 14 kills (.310H%) and 20 points. Marinkovic is a transfer from Seattle University where she posted 686 kills in 198 matches in two seasons.

Sophomore Lydia Bartalo also helped lead Denver to its first victory of the season with a career-high 13 kills and three service aces, eclipsing her previous marks of 10 and two, respectively.

Senior Becca Latham, also named to the Summit League's "Player to Watch" list, opened her final season with nine kills (.238H%).

Let's Talk Numbers:
The Crimson and Gold opened the 2018 season with a hard-fought match against the Gaels. They posted a total of 54 kills, (.285H%), 123 attacks, 57 digs and nine blocks.

What's Next for the Crimson and Gold:
Denver will continue into day two of the Utah Volleyball Classic on Saturday, as it takes on UC Irvine at 10 a.m. and No. 19 Utah at 7 p.m. MT. Next weekend, the Pioneers will begin their first of three home pre-conference tournaments on Friday, Aug. 31 against UC Santa Barbara.

Become a Season Ticket Holder:
Season tickets for the 2018 Denver volleyball season are on sale now and can be found by clicking HERE. Tickets for Denver's 17 home matches can be purchased for only $48.