COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – No. 1 MSU Denver clinched its second straight RMAC regular-season championship on Friday night with a 3-0 victory at UCCS.
It is the Roadrunners' seventh RMAC regular-season title since joining the league in 1996 and the third in
Jenny Glenn's seven seasons as head coach. Including past conference affiliations, it is MSU Denver's 12
th regular-season title since starting the sport in 1968.
"I'm proud of Team 54 and the way we have attacked the conference schedule," Glenn said. "We are celebrating a regular-season conference title tonight as well as celebrating the consistent drive and work ethic that has brought us to this point."
With its 18
th straight win, the Roadrunners improved to 24-1 overall and 17-0 in the RMAC. MSU Denver had already clinched the top seed for next week's RMAC Tournament, and now has captured the outright regular-season title.
The Roadrunners, who completed an undefeated 18-0 run through league play last season, will try to repeat that feat Saturday in a 7 p.m. match at CSU Pueblo.
Also Friday, the Roadrunners won their 39
th straight regular-season league match, dating to the 2020 season, tying the conference record set by Nebraska-Kearney from 2003 through 2005. The record would belong solely to MSU Denver with a win Saturday.
In Friday's match, the Roadrunners won by set scores of 25-19, 25-14, 25-20.
Kaylee Corsentino and Riley Anderson each had nine kills as MSU Denver hit a savory .311.
MSU Denver recorded eight blocks, including four solos – two each by Anderson and
Mikayla McClinton. McClinton,
Rylee Hladky and Amela Qershia each had two of the Roadrunners' eight service aces, while Qershia set a team-high 22 assists and
Ashlyn Cianciulli had a team-best 13 digs.
UCCS (12-13 overall, 7-10 RMAC) had a 6-0 run in the third set to produce a 13-13 tie, and forged ties at 16, 17 and 20 before MSU Denver put it away with the final five points of the match.
"We played a solid match on the road tonight," Glenn said. "We were consistent in the passing lanes and put pressure on UCCS with our serve. I'm proud of the team for how we responded late in the third set to finish the match."