DURANGO, Colo. – Two days. Two games. Two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference wins.

The Metropolitan State University of Denver volleyball team (6-4, 2-0 RMAC) completed a successful road swing Saturday night as the Roadrunners downed the Fort Lewis Skyhawks (1-5, 1-1 RMAC) in four sets (25-13, 27-25, 16-25, 25-21). Senior Santaisha Sturges (Parker, Colo./Regis Jesuit) led MSU Denver with 20 kills for her second 20-kill match of the season, leading the Roadrunners to a perfect opening weekend of 2018 RMAC play.

"Fort Lewis played a different style of volleyball that created some challenges for us tonight," MSU Denver head coach Jenny Glenn said. "We were able to adjust and win the match even though we didn't play comfortable tonight."

Sturges, a 2017 AVCA All-American, is averaging 3.32 kills per set and just over 12 kills per match through 10 matches during the 2018 campaign. She has formed a dynamic duo with fellow senior outside hitter Taylor Duryea (Logan, Utah/Sky View), who posted 14 kills Saturday for her eighth consecutive match with double-digit kills. Duryea added 10 digs in Durango for her third 2018 double-double.

The Roadrunners' middle blockers were a model of efficiency on Saturday night, hitting a combined .417 with 18 total kills (10 for junior Alyssa Kelling (Merton, Wis./Arrowhead) and eight for senior Stephanie Laraway (Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood)). Kelling is hitting a solid .293 so far this season, including .439 in her last four matches while totaling 32 kills in those contests. Kelling added 6 blocks Saturday night, while Laraway chipped in four.

The Roadrunners' setting platoon of Morgan Weatherwax (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain) and Jessa Megenhardt (Berthoud, Colo./Berthoud) was on point Saturday night, as both posted at least 25 assists. Megenhardt's 27 assists were a career-best for the sophomore. Fellow sophomore Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley) led the team in digs once again, posting 23 to surpass 20 digs for the third consecutive match and fifth time overall this season.

Set One: MSU Denver rolled, jumping out to a 6-1 lead thanks to two early kills each from Sturges and Alexis Benda (Las Cruces, N.M./Oñate). Fort Lewis couldn't make up ground, as the Roadrunner lead went to double-digits at 17-7 before two late kills from Sturges buried the Skyhawks with a 25-13 set score.

Set Two: The second frame was a much closer contest, as the two teams traded points for most of the set. MSU Denver build a 21-18 lead late, but Fort Lewis responded with a three-point run to knot the set at 22. A Sturges kill put the Roadrunners in a set-point situation, but Fort Lewis responded before MSU Denver finally put away the set in extras, 27-25.

Set Three: The Skyhawks built on some momentum from a crazy second set, jumping out to an 8-4 lead in the frame. Fort Lewis then put together an eight-point run later in the set thanks to three service aces, and MSU Denver couldn't respond as the Skyhawks won, 25-16.

Set Four: The Roadrunners jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but the teams traded points for most of the set as Fort Lewis kept the MSU Denver lead to three or less until tying the frame at 16 apiece. With things still knotted up at 20, the Roadrunners finally put together a four-point run that included two more kills from Sturges, eventually sealing the match victory with a 25-21 set win.

MSU Denver heads back home next weekend, hosting area rivals Colorado Christian (Friday at 7 p.m. MT) and Regis (Saturday at 5 p.m.). Follow @MSUDenverVB and @MSUDenverSports on Twitter for more information.