DENVER – When Ember Canty got another shot, she was ready for it.
 
MSU Denver needed the redshirt freshman move back into the starting lineup on Oct. 25, after she had played in only four sets over the previous 10 matches.
 
Yet, in the seven matches since then, she has merely averaged 1.2 blocks per set, a rate that ranks among the best in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in that stretch.
 
Canty had started earlier in the season at right-side hitter, but took a step back when Avaline Lai returned to the lineup. Canty has since come back as a middle blocker.
 
"It was what best for the team, and it was working," Canty said of the 10-match stretch in which the Roadrunners were 9-1. "It wasn't 'Poor me,' I was excited for the team and happy for our success, whether I was on the court or on the bench cheering."
 
As the Roadrunners (19-6 overall, 14-2 and second in the RMAC) prepare for matches Thursday and Friday at Chadron State (14-10, 8-8) to wrap up the regular season, Canty's contributions have been vital.
 
"She's done a great job of adjusting quickly," Metropolitan State University coach Jenny Glenn said. "There's a lot of intricacies to the middle blocker position, a lot of assignments, and you can't just fake your way through it. She's doing a great job of keeping it simple and executing."
 
Canty's highlights include having six blocks (one solo) in a win over CSU-Pueblo, five against Colorado School of Mines and a career-high eight in Saturday's win over Black Hills State.
 
And yet, despite the impact she's been able to have early in her career, it wasn't until after her senior season of high school volleyball that Canty really got the opportunity to consider playing the sport in college.
 
"Our school (Centauri) was known for basketball, and I got a lot more (recruiting) interest in that sport," Canty said. "But my love was volleyball. If I was going to do it in college, I wanted it to be something I loved. Basketball is something in my family, but it wasn't my love."
 
Finally, Glenn saw Canty play in a showcase.
 
"We were still looking for a middle and I saw her play in the all-state game," Glenn said. "Here was a good athlete with good size. So we contacted her and got her on campus."
 
While redshirting last season, Canty literally got up to speed.
 
"It gave her the opportunity to catch up to the speed of the game, especially as a middle, where things are happening really fast," Glenn said. "She trained hard all year last year, and she was a great teammate and contributor, even though she redshirted."
 
Said Canty: "I kind of expected to redshirt my freshman year, just because the speed of my high school wasn't really there. I knew the first year would be a growth year, which it was, and it helped me a lot."
 
How much has she grown on the floor?
 
"Seeing the growth from where I was when I first came in last year to now, I don't even know who I was last year," Canty said. "That has a lot to do with the coaches working with me, whether it was after practice or before, putting in the time. I'm thankful for that."
 
Canty said she expected to redshirt her freshman year and that her goal after that was to take whatever opportunity was presented to her and run with it.
 
So she's sprinting to the finish heading into this week's matches.
 
Beyond this weekend, the Roadrunners have already clinched home-court advantage for the first round of the RMAC Tournament on Tuesday, and then hope to qualify for the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 20^th consecutive season.
 
"We understand that each match is important, and we need to bring our 'A' game," Canty said. "Chadron is fighting to be in the RMAC (Tournament), but we need to win because we have a bigger-picture goal beyond the RMAC. So we have to focus on the first match Thursday, and then turn it over and be able to adjust to the changes that will be made on Friday."
 
Said Glenn: "We're going to play a team that is highly motivated. We'll have to go into their territory and put two complete matches together, which I'm confident we can do. We want to play teams that are playing well leading up to the RMAC Tournament, so it's a perfect situation for us."