MATCH STATS
- Colorado State def. Northern Colorado 3-0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-15)
- Colorado State moves to 2-1; Northern Colorado moves to 1-2
- Box Score
- CSU Recap / Northern Colorado Recap
The Rams hit the road for a short 30 mile drive to Greeley for a Tuesday contest against Northern Colorado, coming home with a two-match win streak under their belts heading into a home tournament against Cincinnati, Florida State and TCU.
Colorado State picked up the sweep with help from a .265-.100 lead in hitting efficiency, seven blocks and seven aces. The Rams also boasted a 47-30 lead in kills, while holding the Bears to two blocks and one ace.
Redshirt sophomore outside Breana Runnels just missed a double-double with a match-high 13 kills and a team-leading nine digs. Junior middle Paulina Hougaard-Jensen added 12 putaways while hitting at a team-best .460 clip. Redshirt junior middle Kirstie Hillyer notched eight kills and four blocks.
Senior outside Kortney Lockey and redshirt sophomore middle Lauren Hinrichs paced Northern Colorado with nine and eight putaways respectively. Hinrichs hit at a match-best .500 clip (8-1-14), while sophomore outside Taylor Muff turned in six kills and 10 digs. Junior libero Taylor Els was tops on defense with 14 digs.
The Rams served up three aces and picked up six more points on kills (18-12) in a Set 1 win. After a tie at 7-all, CSU pulled away with a 5-1 run, including an ace by Katie Oleksak and two Jessica Jackson terminations. A Hougaard-Jensen kill pushed the margin to five at 18-13 and Colorado State held the advantage at 23-18 after a pair of Hillyer putaways. The Bears scored four in a row, three on kills, to pull within one at 23-22. An Olivia Nicholson kill gave CSU set point at 24-22, but the stanza was far from over. A service error and hitting error out a timeout erased what was left of the Ram lead at 24-all. A Runnels putdown and Bear miscue finally capped the 26-24 victory.
Colorado State was the more efficient team in Set 2, outhitting Northern Colorado .316 to .174, while also added three aces and two blocks in a 25-20 win. The teams were level at 12, before the Rams scored six straight including two kills by Runnels and two Nicholson aces. More offense from Hougaard-Jensen and Jackson and a Bear hitting error made it an eight-point game at 21-13. A kill and an ace by Hougaard-Jensen and a Hillyer putaway put CSU on the hill at 24-16. The Rams let down their guard, however, allowing Northern Colorado four straight points, including two Muff kills, to cut the lead it half at 24-20. Runnels again came through in the clutch to end the set.
Northern Colorado could not get out of its own way in the third set, hitting -.125 as five CSU blocks piled up and the team gave away five more points on hitting errors. It was close early on as the teams tie at 6 and stayed within a point until a an 8-0 run turned an 8-7 lead into a 16-7 advantage. Jackson was all over the stat sheet with three kills and three blocks in the rally. Trailing 18-8, Northern Colorado made a comeback bid with a 4-1 run, including three Lockey putaways, but only closed the margin to seven at 19-12. Another 3-0 push, including two CSU miscues, had the team within six at 21-15, but it was all Rams from there. A block and an ace by Runnels and a Bear hitting error set up the final blow from Jackson.
Colorado State moves to 23-6 in the all-time series with the sweep, including 18-straight wins dating to 1982, 13 via 3-0 scores.
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