DENVER – That 3-0 sweep MSU Denver put on Colorado Mesa in Denver two weeks ago?
Don't worry, MSU Denver – now ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division II – isn't resting on its laurels.
"We played well and stayed composed, they challenged some things and we responded really well," MSU Denver coach
Jenny Glenn said of the Sept. 8 match. "That caused them to take different shots and I think that caused them to be a little more high-error.
"I assume they will be more lower-error this time around."
The Roadrunners (11-1 overall, 4-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) travel to No. 20 Mesa (8-3, 3-1) on Friday for a 6 p.m. match, then makes the long trek to Westminster (4-8, 2-2) for a 4 p.m. match Saturday.
There's no chance the Roadrunners are looking past the Mavericks, Glenn said.
"Our team knows better than that," she said. "And we know they are better on their home court."
MSU Denver has gotten used to being a focal point for every team it has played. For the past three seasons, MSU Denver has spent much of its time ranked in the national top five.
The Roadrunners were No. 1 for five weeks last season, and are on the brink again after a two-rung promotion this week.
"Honestly, we don't really talk about it," Glenn said of the national ranking. "We did a little bit last year because the media was talking about it with us, and it was more in our face. But it hasn't felt like that this year.
"We've learned a lot the last two years about how to handle it. We've told our players that pressure is a privilege."
Both outside hitter
Rylee Hladky and libero
Ashlyn Cianciulli are reigning RMAC Players of the Week – Hladky won the offensive award for the second time this season and the sixth time in her career after hitting .413 with 29 kills in two matches while averaging 5.8 points per set, and Cianciulli won the defensive honor for the third time in her career after averaging 5.5 digs per set.
"Rylee's numbers were really, really good," Glenn said. "Our offense is slowly starting to click – we've said from the beginning that it takes some time to develop more rhythm and flow. But to have those numbers (three errors in 63 attacks) when left sides typically get so many balls when we're out of system, is really hard to do."
That's where Cianciulli and others come in.
"Our back row is putting us in system so that we can take big swings," Glenn said. "Ashlyn is playing super veteran and composed, and she has a presence running our back row. She's making it look easy, which is what a good libero does – she's not making all these dramatic plays because she's always in the right place at the right time, which allows us to keep our rhythm in our offense."
