University of Denver
8-5,1-0WCC
Pacific
4-9,0-1WCC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific | 20 | 27 | 13 | 0 |
| Denver | 25 | 29 | 25 | 3 |
Pioneers Make History with First-Ever WCC Victory
9/24/2026 8:29:00 PM | Volleyball
DENVER – The University of Denver volleyball team made program history on Thursday night, earning the first West Coast Conference victory in school history with a dominant three-set sweep of Pacific, 25-20, 29-27, 25-13, at Hamilton Gymnasium.
The historic win marked Denver's first-ever WCC match and first-ever WCC victory, moving the Pioneers to 8-5 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Denver opened its inaugural WCC campaign in emphatic fashion, hitting .262 as a team while holding Pacific to a .070 hitting percentage.
Kayla Patel led the Pioneers with a match-high 15 kills while hitting .448, while Alicia Thibodeau added nine kills and Elise Hart and Hailey Goebel each contributed six. Lily Van Hal finished with 20 assists and Ilayda Eren added 19, while Madison Winkler recorded 13 digs.
FIRST WCC WIN IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Thursday's victory will forever hold a special place in Denver volleyball history as the program's first WCC win.
"Forever, this team can say it earned Denver's first WCC win. Tonight, they got themselves a small piece of Denver history and I think that's pretty special!" said head coach Megan Pendergast.
STRONGEST SET
Denver set the tone in the opening frame, hitting .317 with 18 kills and just five errors on 41 attempts. The Pioneers built an 18-14 advantage before Pacific cut the deficit to two at 18-16. Denver responded by scoring four of the next five points to extend its lead to 22-17, then closed out the set, 25-20. Patel led the way with six kills in the frame, while Thibodeau added five.Â
LEADERS
Kills: Kayla Patel (15), Alicia Thibodeau (9)
Assists: Lily Van Hal (20), Ilayda Eren (19)
Digs: Madison Winkler (13), Kayla Patel (11)
Blocks: Elise Hart & Hailey Goebel (5)Â
NOTES
- Denver improves to 8-5 overall and 1-0 in WCC play.
- Thursday marked the first WCC match and first WCC victory in program history.
- Denver improves to 5-0 at Hamilton Gymnasium this season.
- The Pioneers recorded 50 kills and hit .262, while holding Pacific to a .070 hitting percentage.
- Denver and Pacific met for the first time Thursday night.
- The Pioneers have now won five straight at home in 2026.
UP NEXT
The Pioneers continue their inaugural WCC campaign on Saturday, hosting Saint Mary's at 1 p.m. MT at Hamilton Gymnasium. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
Ticket Information:Â
Tickets for the 2026 volleyball season are on sale now, and can be purchased here.Â
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