DENVER— The University of Denver women's volleyball team defeated McNeese State in three sets in its first of two Denver Classic matches on Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Gymnasium. The Pioneers posted set scores of 25-12, 25-14 and 25-21.
 
Denver is 4-1 for the 2018 season and this match marks their first sweep of the campaign.
 
Newcomers See Court Action:
Freshman Graceyn Tippens, Mara Abernethy and Michelle Feliciano all received playing time against McNeese State. Tippens tallied five kills, Abernethy had one kill and Feliciano posted one assist.
 
Junior Katie Mahoney also appeared in her second set for the Pioneers, posting three kills for the Crimson and Gold.
 
Lethal Latham:
Senior Becca Latham led the Pioneers with 15 kills, (.684 hitting percentage), two digs and two blocks.  Latham has tallied 60 kills in 22 sets for Denver, averaging 2.73 kills per set.
 
All-Around Effort:
Other notable student-athletes for Denver were Katarina Marinkovic who tallied nine kills, Olivia Novotny who led the defense with 11 digs and Ellie Anderson who contributed six assists.
 
Let's Talk Numbers:
Denver posted a total of 49 kills (.435 hitting percentage), 45 assists, and 32 digs against McNeese State. In 22 sets the Pioneers have averaged 12.82 kills per set, 11.86 assists, 12.95 digs and 1.98 blocks.
 
The Crimson and Gold out-blocked the Cowgirls two to one, and posted five service aces to their one.
 
Tournament Update:
The Pioneers are 2-0 in the Denver Classic, having defeated UC Santa Barbara in five sets on Aug. 31.
 
What's Next for DU:
The Pioneers will look for a sweep of the Denver Classic as they compete against Sacramento State (3-3) at 7 p.m. on Saturday night.  Tonight's final match of the Denver Classic will be broadcast live on Altitude. The Hornets are also a perfect 2-0 in the 2018 Denver Classic. Denver will host the Pioneer Showdown Sep. 7-8 and the Denver Invitational Sept. 14-15 to complete their non-conference action.