GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. --- The South Dakota Mines Volleyball team was facing a tough challenger on Saturday night when they battled a 12-4 Colorada Mesa Mavericks team.
After a sweep over Westminster on Friday night, the Hardrockers were not able to carry their momentum over, falling in three sets, to split the weekend.

In the first set, Colorado Mesa jumped out to a 5-2 lead, before the Hardrockers would battle back to tie it up at 6 thanks to kills by Dejah Behrend and Victoria Zagorski. The two teams would battle point-for-point over the next several minutes until the set was tied at 16, when the Mavericks took over, scoring 9 of the last 10 points to take the set 25-17.

The second set started with the Mavericks earning the first three points, before the Hardrockers would tie it up at 3 and then take the lead 4-3, in part due to Sydney Crites serving up back-to-back aces. The two sides would battle until Colorado Mesa took over mid-set. With the Hardrockers leading 11-10, the Mavericks would score 5 straight, then moments later, 6 straight to take a 22-12 lead. Colorado Mesa would go on to win the set 25-14.

In the third set, Colorado Mesa took over early, scoring 6 in a row to give them a 10-4 lead. They would keep the Hardrockers at arm's length throughout the set eventually winning it 25-14, to win the match 3-0.

Leaders
Jacey Koethe had 8 kills to lead the Hardrockers…Kiley Metzger was in double-figures in assists for the fourth straight match with 11…Addie Stanley had 11 digs.

Looking Ahead
The volleyball team continues their road trip next weekend taking on Fort Lewis College Friday night, then Western Colorado on Saturday evening.

About South Dakota Mines
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 11 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.