DENVER - The University of Denver volleyball team locked in its 12^th Summit League victory in a sweep against Omaha (28-26, 25-19, 25-20) on Friday night.

The Pioneers began the night honoring Taylor Joachim, Katie Mahoney, Andrea Eddy and Amanda Green, their 2019 senior class.

Denver improves to 20-7 overall and 12-3 in Summit League action. The Mavericks fall to 16-13 and 9-6 in Summit League play.

"We played our most complete match tonight of the season," said head coach Tom Hogan. "Omaha is a very well-coached and high-level team, and we needed our most complete game to defeat them. I'm really proud of the progress and growth our team has made to this point, and I can't think of a better way to honor the senior class tonight than with a sweep and our best match of the season." 

The Pioneers jumped out to an early lead, going on a 5-0 run to go up 7-2. Omaha answered the Pioneers strong start with a pair of runs to tie things at 10. Riding on its momentum, Omaha grabbed a 15-12 lead but the Pios used a 4-0 run to regain their lead at 19-18. The squads exchanged points down the stretch, seeing a series of seven tie scores. With the Mavericks up 26-25, Denver fought back, fending off a set point in order to keep themselves alive. A. Green took matters into her own hands, closing out the set with a service ace to give the Pios a 28-26, set one victory.

A pair of kills from Lydia Bartalo began the second set for the Pios. The two squads battled back-and-forth deadlocking things at 13 midway through. Knotting the score once again at 18, Denver used a 4-0 run to force an Omaha timeout, holding a 21-18 advantage. A pair of kills from Bartalo and Kalea Fobert ended things, giving the Crimson and Gold a 25-19, second set victory.

Denver jumped out to an early five-point lead to open set three. Omaha threatened midway through going on a 5-0 run but A. Green was quick to answer, slamming a pair of kills to put the Pios on top at 17-14. Silencing the Mavericks offensive attack late in the set, DU used a kill from Bartalo and a block assist from Fobert and Tina Boe to secure the sweep.

The Pios out-hit the Mavericks, .351-.158 through three sets. Bartalo led the Denver offense with a team-best 15 kills and an attack percentage of .591. A. Green also added a double-digit kill performance, recording 11 in the match. Anderson notched a team high 18 assists while Brianna Green led the blocking efforts with seven in the match. Macy Carrabine, Bartalo and Anderson all chipped in six digs.

DU will head to Macomb, Ill. to close out Summit League play on Sunday. "We now turn all of our focus and attention to Western Illinois as we prepare our team for the conference tournament next week," stated Hogan. The Pios will face the Leathernecks at 11 AM MT on Sunday. 

DENVER TICKET OFFICE:
Tickets for volleyball games during the 2019 season are on sale now and can be purchased here.

SHOP PIONEERS:
Get dressed for Game Day! Get your Pioneers gear at ShopPioneers.com, the official online store of University of Denver Athletics.
 
DONATE: 
Fans interested in making a donation to the volleyball program can do so by clicking here. Your contribution will make a direct impact on the success of YOUR Pioneers. Thank you in advance for your unwavering support of our student-athletes and their quest for excellence.   
 
- Our Journey, Our Time –
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 17 of Denver's NCAA Division I sports.
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Volleyball on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Volleyball on Twitter