Denver, Colo.- The Metropolitan State University of Denver women's volleyball team (3-3) played two game at the Colorado Premier. In the first match of the day for MSU Denver, the Roadrunners fell 3-0 to No. 6 Angelo State (6-0). In the second match of the day the Roadrunners beat Florida Southern (2-4) in five sets.
In the first game against Angelo state the first match started as a strong fight from both sides with each team leading by no more than one point through to the ninth point when the Roadrunners went up 9-7 on a kill from junior
Stephanie Laraway (Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood H.S.). Following, an attack from junior
Santaisha Sturges (Parker, Colo./Regis Jesuit H.S.) extended the lead to 10-7.
Angelo State came back to tie the set up at 12. The remainder of the set went point by point until the Lady Belles took a 20-17 following two Roadrunner attack errors.
MSU Denver was able to get the score back within one, but Angelo State would go on to score the next three points to run away with the set 25-21.
The second set started out much like the first with a hard fought battle between the two sides. The Lady Belles started to break away taking a 14-10 lead over the Roadrunners, but two solid kills from senior
Vasati Fiatoa (Las Vegas, Nev./Bonanza H.S.) cut the lead to two.
The Lady Belles fought back to take a five-point lead at 20-15 but the Roadrunners continued to fight back bring the score back within two at 20-18.
MSU Denver was unable to make a comeback as the Lady Belles ran away with the third set with a score of 25-17.
Sturges led the Roadrunners offense with nine kills. Junior
Taylor Duryea (Logan, Utah/Sky View High School) added six kills for her team.
In game two of the day the Roadrunners got off to a slow start going down to the Moccasins 4-1 early in the first set. A kill from Fiatoa started a three point run for MSU Denver to bring the score to 4-3. But the Mocs kept the offensive pressure going on a 8-2 run to take a seven point lead at 15-8.
Florida Southern didn't let down taking the first set by a score of 25-16.
Despite a strong start from Florida Southern in the second set the Roadrunners put up a great effort to stay in the game. Laraway scored a huge point to tie the set up at seven breaking the Mocs series of leads.
The Roadrunners were able to maintain a 1-3 point lead throughout most of the set until Florida Southern tied the set up at 19 a piece. The Mocs then went on to take the lead at 21-20.
The remainder of the set proved to be exciting as the score was tied at 22 and 24. The Roadrunners then went on to score the next two points and take the second set 26-24.
Fiatoa and Sturges both had six second set kills for the Roadrunners.
Florida Southern led the third match but MSU Denver kept the score in reach and would tie the game at 15 off a Mocs service error.
Following a four-point lead by Florida Southern the Roadrunners made a terrific comeback to tie the set up at 24 for the second straight set.
A kill from Laraway gave the Roadrunners an advantage at 26-25. Sturges followed up with a set winning kill, taking the third set 27-25.
The Mocs came back with a vengeance, dominating the fourth set to win 25-16 sending the match to a fifth set.
The final set was neck and neck with the Roadrunners having a slight advantage until the Mocs stole the lead at 10-9. Laraway and Sturges once again came up big for their team posting the next two kills to take a 12-10 lead.
The Roadrunners then scored the next three to end the set with six straight points taking the match 3-2.
Sturges ended the match with a season high 21 kills with Massey adding 15 and Laraway with 14. Svalberg ended the night with a career high 57 assists.
The Roadrunners will return to action tomorrow for the silver bracket match against No. 3 Lewis at home at 11:30 a.m.
