Box Score

GUNNISON, Colo. - The No. 21 Metro State volleyball team defeated Western State 25-23, 25-20, 25-21 on Friday evening in Gunnison, Colo.  The win was the second road win in as many nights for Metro State after defeating Adams State on Thursday, and improved the Roadrunners to 15-6 overall and 8-4 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.  The Mountaineers dropped to 3-17 overall and 3-9 in the RMAC.

Gabe Curtis (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley H.S.) had another solid evening at the setter position, dishing out 43 set assists with no ball handling errors, while adding five digs and three kills.  Her 43 assists were the second-most this season in a three-set match after she totaled 47 against Western Oregon on Sept. 4.

Bri Morley (Parker, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) led Metro State with 15 kills and Emily Greenhalgh (Conifer, Colo./Conifer H.S.) pitched in with 13 kills.  Anna Mapes (Chaska, Minn./Chaska H.S.) and Julie Causseaux (Dumas, Texas/Dumas H.S.) each had eight kills.  Gabriella Barsante led Western State with eight kills.

Amy Watanabe (Littleton, Colo./Heritage H.S.) had a match-high 18 digs.

The Roadrunners hit just .187 (48-25-123) on the evening, their lowest hitting percentage in a win this season.  However, they held WSC to a .073 (29-21-110) hitting percentage.

Metro State trailed 16-13 in the first set, but ran off six straight points to lead 19-16 after three kills by Greenhalgh with Lisa Jones (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo East H.S.) serving.  WSC battled back to tie the score at 23-23, but Morley put down a kill and Greenhalgh blocked Rachel Weakland's attack to help the Roadrunners squeak by in the first set with a two-point win.

The second set was similar early on.  Metro State led 14-11, but made four straight unforced errors, including a pair of attack errors, to trail 15-14.  However, the Roadrunners bounced right back with four in a row to force a timeout with Metro State leading 18-15 as Greenhalgh sparked the run with two more kills.

The score in the second set was tied at 20-20, but Metro State finished with the final five points, three coming off Morley kills to take the second set.

The third set was also a constant battle throughout.  The Roadrunners had a brief four-point run after trailing 10-9 with three more kills coming from Morley.  WSC tied the set at 16-16 and again at 17-17, but the Roadrunners answered with three straight points, a pair coming from Morley and the final coming from Causseaux to lead 20-17.  The Mountaineers did not come within two points the rest of the evening and Greenhalgh and Mapes finished the night with kills for Metro State.

Metro State will wrap up its three-match road trip this weekend at Colorado State-Pueblo on Saturday evening at 7 p.m.