GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - No. 20 Metropolitan State University of Denver was upset 25-22, 25-20, 32-30 by Tarleton State on Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Grand Junction, Colorado. The third-seeded Roadrunners ended their season at 23-7, while No. 6 seed TSU improved to 24-7. TSU will face the winner of Colorado School of Mines and Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday in the South Central Region semifinals.
 
The Roadrunners were led by 10 kills from Kylie Haun (Simpsonville, S.C./Hillcrest H.S.) and 13 digs from Savannah Garcia (Platteville, Colo./Valley H.S.). Michaela Smith (Littleton, Colo./Regis Jesuit H.S.) added nine kills and Lauren Quijano (Wildomar, Calif./Elsinore H.S.) had eight.
 
The team's offense struggled to find a rhythm, hitting .155 in the match with 23 attack errors, aided by a strong TSU front row that totaled 10 team blocks. MSU Denver was also strong on the blocking front, as Quijano and Kylee Hoagland (Mead, Colo./Skyline H.S.) each had a part in five of the team's 10 blocks.
 
MSU Denver dug itself a nine-point hole late in the first set. The Roadrunners fought back to fight off set point five times before the TexAnns won 25-22. The Roadrunners were strong defensively, holding TSU to a .031 hitting percentage.
 
Things started slowly again in the second set as Tarleton State got out to a 6-1 lead. The Roadrunners pulled within one point twice, but dropped the frame 25-20 after TSU hit .318.
 
The Roadrunners took their first lead of the match when Smith started off the third set with a kill from the left side. The third set went back-and-forth the entire way. MSU Denver fought off match point three times before the TexAnns were able to put together consecutive points to win 32-30.
 
MSU Denver says goodbye to five seniors in Quijano, Garcia, Hoagland, Betty Van Lith (Eagle, Idaho/Eagle H.S.) and Julia Dorsey (Auburn, Calif./Placer H.S.).