Denver, Colo.- The Metropolitan State University of Denver volleyball team (20-7) defeated Colorado School of Mines (24-4) in five sets in the semifinals of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament.
 
The Roadrunners were led by Santaisha Sturges (Parker, Colo./Regis Jesuit H.S.) with 19 kills and 17 digs.  Taylor Duryea (Logan, Utah/Sky View High School) finished the night with 17 kills.  Alyssa Svalberg (Aurora, Colo./Grandview H.S.) finished the night with 53 assists.
 
The energy was high in the gym Friday evening as the match began.  Colorado Mines took a 5-3 lead to begin the first game but a kill from junior Taylor Duryea (Logan, Utah/Sky View High School) and Stephanie Laraway (Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood H.S.) would tied the set up early.
 
 The two sides went point for point for the following several points, until the Orediggers were able to take a 11-8 lead but three attack errors from Mines would tie the game back up at 11.  The Roadrunners to their first lead of the set off a kill from junior Santaisha Sturges (Parker, Colo./Regis Jesuit H.S.) at 13-12.
 
The rest of the set continued to go back and forth, with the Orediggers slightly breaking away at 19-16. The largest lead came for the Orediggers at 23-19, but the Roadrunners were able to cut the lead 23-22 following two kills from Sturges and block from senior Vasati Fiatoa (Las Vegas, Nev./Bonanza H.S.).
 
After an Orediggers timeout the Roadrunners tied the game up at 23, but Mines went on to score the final two points, taking the first set 25-23.
 
MSU Denver took at 4-2 lead to begin he second game of the match, but the Orediggers went scored the next five points to steal a 6-4 lead.
 
The remainder of the set consisted of several tied scores and lead changes, but the Roadrunners had a major spark to go on a run to take a 20-15 lead.
 
The Roadrunners held the Orediggers to just four more points to win the second game 25-19.
 
The third set was another great battle between the two sides.  The Orediggers took a 15-11 lead over the Roadrunners and would maintain that lead despite the Roadrunners bringing the score to within one at 19-18.  However, the Orediggers would only allow the Roadrunners to score one more point to take the 25-19 third set win.
 
MSU Denver got off to a great started in the fourth set, taking an early 10-5 lead over Mines. The Roadrunners maintained the lead with the larges lead coming at 13-7.
 
Mines made a comeback to bring the score to within two, but the Roadrunners were able to take the fourth set 25-19 forcing the match to a fifth set.
 
Sturges score the first point of the fifth set for the Roadrunners but the Orediggers would answer back and take an early 4-2 lead. A kill from Fiatoa and service ace from senior Alyssa Svalberg (Aurora, Colo./Grandview H.S.) would tie the game back up at 4.
 
The shadowing plays resulted in both sides exchanging points. The Roadrunners took its first lead since the first point with a Sturges kill, taking a 12-11 point lead. Following the ninth tied score of the set, Sturges took another lead for her team at 13-12 and an attack error lead to match point for the Roadrunners.  
 
MSU Denver scored the final point of the set and advanced to the RMAC tournament championship at Regis on Saturday, November 18 at 7 p.m.