GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - No. 22 Metropolitan State University of Denver upset No. 4 Colorado School of Mines 26-24, 22-25, 29-27, 26-24 on Friday to advance to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament championship game. The Roadrunners improved to 23-5 overall and will face the winner of Regis University and Colorado Mesa on Saturday at 7 p.m. Mines fell to 25-3.

Lauren Quijano (Wildomar, Calif./Elsinore H.S.) and Kylie Haun (Simpsonville, S.C./Hillcrest H.S.) led the Roadrunners offensively with 18 kills each, but it was the defense led by 31 digs from Savannah Garcia (Platteville, Colo./Valley H.S.) that pulled the team to victory. MSU Denver held Mines to a .160 hitting percentage in the match. Brandi Torr (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva H.S.) and Haun joined Garcia in double figures in digs with 15 and 13, respectively. Torr also had 48 assists.

The Roadrunners hit .293 in the first set and scored the last three points to earn a 26-24 win. Facing set point, Quijano put down back-to-back kill and Garcia served an ace for the win.

Despite jumping out to a 4-1 lead, MSU Denver dropped the second set 25-22.

The third set was back-and-forth. After trailing 13-10, Mines built a 22-18 lead. The Roadrunners scored four straight points to lead 24-23. The Orediggers came back and held set point twice before MSU Denver scored three straight to win the set 29-27.

In the fourth set, it was the Roadrunners holding a 22-18 lead and Mines rallying back. With the score tied 24-24, Haun put away a pair of kills to give MSU Denver a 26-24 win to end the match.