Complete Release (PDF)

This Week:
The No. 16 Metro State volleyball team will host two conference matches this weekend. The Roadrunners will face Colorado Christian at 7 p.m. on Friday and UC-Colorado Springs at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Both matches will be played in the Auraria Event Center.

Scouting the Opponent:
Colorado Christian: The Cougars are 2-7 overall and 0-2 in the RMAC entering this weekend. They opened the conference season with 3-0 losses to UC-Colorado Springs and No. 9 Nebraska-Kearney. Kelly Clausen (6-0, MB, Jr.) is the top offensive player, averaging 3.13 kills. Kim McCalmont (6-1, OH, Fr.) averages 2.35 kills. Cassidy Burke (5-9, DS, Fr.) is the top defender, averaging 3.14 digs. As a team, CCU averages 9.77 kills and hits .119.

UC-Colorado Springs: The Mountain Lions are 6-4 overall and 1-1 in the RMAC entering this weekend after sweeping Colorado Christian last Tuesday on the road and falling to No. 9 Nebraska-Kearney 3-0 on Saturday. UCCS has a very balanced offensive attack with just two players averaging over two kills/set, led by Sonja Johnson (5-9, OH, So.) at 2.36 and Andrea Brodie (6-0, RS, Jr.) and 2.29. Laura Brodie (6-0, MB, Fr.) is the only player on the team with over 90 attack attempts hitting over .200 as she has a .349 hitting percentage and 1.97 kills per set. Kendall Utz (5-7, DS, Jr.) leads the team with an average of 3.51 digs. Nicole Pederson (6-1, MB, So.) leads the team with a 1.06 block average as the Mountain Lions average 2.14 blocks per set as a team. They have a .177 hitting percentage for the season, averaging 11.36 kills.

All-Time Series Records:
Colorado Christian: Metro State holds a 32-7 overall record against CCU all-time and has won the past 18 matches between the two schools. CCU has won a total of just four sets during that span (since 2000).

UC-Colorado Springs: Metro State leads the all-time series 27-4, including a perfect 14-0 at home. Metro State has won the past three meetings between the schools, including 3-0 and 3-1 decisions last season.

Colorado Premier Challenge:
Metro State went 3-1 at the 2009 Colorado Premier Challenge to win the Silver Division championship. It was the best finish for Metro State at the Premier since going 3-1 and taking third place in the Gold Division in 2005. Senior setter Gabe Curtis (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley H.S.) earned all-tournament honors for the second time in her career.

Hendricks Hits Two Milestones:
Head coach Debbie Hendricks reached her 200th win at Metro State on Saturday, Aug. 29 against No. 16 Florida Southern. She is in her 10th season at the helm of the Roadrunners volleyball program.

On Saturday, Sept. 5, she won her 400th career match in a 3-2, come-from-behind thriller against No. 3 West Texas A&M. She became the 20th active NCAA Division II coach to reach 400 career wins.

Finally Ranked:
The Metro State volleyball team is ranked No. 16 in the latest NCAA Division II American Volleyball Coaches Association top-25 poll. The Roadrunners were ranked No. 14 last week, but dropped two spots after splitting two conference road matches. Their No. 23 ranking on Aug. 31 was the first national ranking for Metro State since the being ranked No. 25 on Sept. 5, 2005. Metro State has received votes four times since then (Sept. 12, 2005; Aug. 21, 2006; Nov. 13, 2006; Nov. 20, 2006).

Roadrunners Update:
The Roadrunners are 8-2 overall and 1-1 in the RMAC entering the weekend. Last weekend, they fall 3-2 on the road to Colorado Mines before sweeping Chadron State on Saturday. Gabe Curtis (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley H.S.) continued to be steady at setter, averaging 10.50 assists per set. Emily Greenhalgh (Conifer, Colo./Conifer H.S.) had an excellent weekend offensively, averaging 3.62 kills to lead the team. Amy Watanabe (Littleton, Colo./Heritage H.S.) averaged 5.25 digs on defense.

Bri Morley (Parker, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) enters the weekend leading the team in kills for the season with an average of 3.69 per set, while hitting .266. Greenhalgh is second with a 3.06 average. Curits is averaging 10.94 assists, while Watanabe averages 4.56 digs. Complete individual and team rankings in the RMAC are listed on page 4.

RMAC Players of the Week:
Bri Morley (Parker, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Aug. 31. In four matches at the St. Mary's Invitational, Morley led Metro State with 4.08 kills/set, a total of 53 kills in 13 sets. She hit .370 (53k-9e-119a), while adding 17 digs and four blocks. She led the Roadrunners and their opponent in kills in each of the final three matches at the tournament.

Gabe Curtis (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley H.S.) was named RMAC Setter of the Week on Sept. 7 after finishing third among all setters at the tournament in assists per set, averaging 11.64 assists, a total of 163 in 14 sets played. She added eight kills, two service aces, 27 digs and six total blocks as well. Her setting helped the Roadrunners to a .200 hitting percentage (192-84-540) in four matches.

Amy Watanabe (Littleton, Colo./Heritage H.S.) earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 7 after placing third among all players at the tournament in digs per set, averaging 4.93 digs, a total of 69 in 14 sets. She also had three assists, three aces, two kills and only two receiving errors all weekend. Opponents hit only .171 against Metro State (152-68-490).

The three players of the week have already surpassed last season's total of one RMAC player of the week (Watanabe, Defensive POW, Oct. 13, 2008).