DENVER – The University of Denver volleyball program rejoined the top of the Summit League standings with a dramatic five-set win over Kansas City on Saturday afternoon inside Hamilton Gymnasium.
The Pioneers offense was paced by Cassie Davis, who finished with 20 kills on the day while accumulating a hitting percentage of .306. Mackenzie Fidelak added 14 and Ava Reynolds chipped in with 11 as part of a balanced Denver attack. Defensively, the Pioneers had three players reach double figures in digs, including Alayna Finucan's 14, 14 from Gianna Bartalo, and 11 more from Briley Decker.
"We knew today was going to be a long day of volleyball," head coach Megan Pendergast said. "Kansas City is a great team and is having an amazing season. I am proud of the way we came out and played, I'm proud of the way we executed our game plan and the way we fought until the end. Huge shout out to both of my assistant coaches. We were extremely prepared as a team today and the student-athletes went out and executed their game plan."
Inside the Numbers:
- Cassie Davis finished with a career-high 20 kills. It marked Davis' ninth game in double figures this season.
- Briley Decker distributed a career-high 52 assists.
- Mackenzie Fidelak put down a career-high 14 kills. Saturday marked Fidelak's third game in double figures this season.
- Denver had three players in double figures in kills.
- Briley Decker had a team-high three aces in the win.
- Denver never trailed on the way to winning the fourth set 25-21.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Pioneers found themselves in an early deficit, losing the first set 25-21. UMKC grabbed the advantage for good at 21-20 in a set that was tied up three times before the Kangaroos took over in the second half of the stanza.
SET 2 | Denver tied the match at 1-1 following a 25-12 set-two win. The Pioneers grabbed the set propelled by a strong performance on the attacking end. Denver registered a .360 attack percentage with 13 kills in the set win. The Pioneers ended on a strong note, stretching their lead to its largest point in the set to finish out the stanza. The Denver offense also got a boost from three aces in the stanza.
SET 3 | UMKC responded to win set number three, putting Denver in a two sets to one hole. The Pioneers came up short in a back-and-forth battle, losing 25-22 in a set that featured five lead changes and was tied nine times. Neither team had a lead of more than four points along the way.
SET 4 | Denver then responded to win set four 25-21 to force a fifth set. The Pioneers scored first and never trailed in the set to secure the victory. Denver opened up as much as a five point lead at 23-18 before closing out the stanza, totaling 15 kills while only notching two attack errors along the way.
SET 5 | Down two sets to one, Denver powered back to win the final two sets, culminating in a 15-12 fifth-set victory, to take the match 3-2. The Pioneers took the fifth set propelled by a strong performance on the attacking end. Denver registered a .333 attack percentage with nine kills in the set win. The Pioneers opened up a 10-5 lead in the stanza and coasted to victory from there.
"Everyone played a role in this win today," Pendergast said. "I'm very proud of our performance and can't wait to get back on the court in Omaha next week."
This article created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
Up Next:
Denver will head to Omaha for a midweek match at 6 p.m. MT. The Pioneers will return home next Saturday to take on South Dakota State. First serve for Denver's Club Day is set for 1 p.m. MT.
Ticket Information:
Tickets for the 2023 volleyball season are on sale now, and can be purchased here.
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