DENVER – One more MSU Denver weapon resurfaced in the first round of the NCAA Division II south Central Regional.
 
The service ace.
 
The No. 1 Roadrunners ripped 11 aces, tying the season high set in their first match of the season, and cruised to a 3-0 win Thursday night over CSU Pueblo at the Auraria Event Center.
 
"We haven't been getting the aces that we normally get," MSU Denver coach Jenny Glenn said. "We found some good hand contact and we got some balls to drop and move on them. It was nice to have that back tonight."
 
Setter Amela Qershia matched her career high with four aces. And Mikayla McClinton, Rylee Hladky and Delaney Eckhardt each had two aces as the Roadrunners advanced to a 7:30 p.m. semifinal match Friday against Colorado Mesa.
 
MSU Denver came into the match averaging 1.66 aces per set, its lowest since 2018 and an 11 percent dropoff from last year's team.
 
"We've been emphasizing in practice that we have to go after serving," Qershia said.
 
Said Glenn: "I thought the biggest difference was the serve-and-pass battle. We broke that open a few times and that gave us a little bit of breathing room.
 
Meanwhile, Ember Canty slammed a season-high 12 kills on .688 hitting and teamed with fellow middle blocker McClinton for 15 kills on .636.
 
The offensive production from the middle blockers is another developing element of the Roadrunners' attack.
 
"I thought our middles did a really nice job of providing for us offensively as the match wore on and that was a difference maker," Glenn said.
 
Said Canty: "Our passers were doing a great job of getting us in the box so the setters could use us. And Amela specifically was finding me in good opportunities."
 
With All-American Rylee Hladky – named region player of the year for the second year in a row earlier in the day – kept somewhat in check (eight kills), and right-sides Kelsey Gordon and Kaylee Corsentino slightly less effective than their recent run, the mashing from the middle was more than merely menacing.
 
"That's the beauty of this team – somebody is always stepping up," Glenn said.
 
MSU Denver improved to 29-1 overall with its 23^rd straight victory – the third-longest winning streak in program history – in winning relatively easily at 25-20, 25-20, 25-19. It was definitely much easier than two weeks ago, when CSU Pueblo pushed the Roadrunners to five sets on its home floor.
 
"We're glad to get it done in three," Glenn said. "The last time we played this team it lasted almost three hours. One of our goals was to win in three and we did a good job being efficient that way. We played from behind a little bit in most of the sets, but we stayed composed."