GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — For the first time in nearly two years, the No. 5 ranked MSU Denver Roadrunners dropped a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference match, falling 3-1 at No. 24 ranked Colorado Mesa on Friday night. The Roadrunners had won 20 straight RMAC matches dating back to Oct. 21, 2023, when they fell to CSU Pueblo on the road.

Both losses came at the hands of a team coached by Austin Albers. Albers, now the head coach at Colorado Mesa, was also the coach of CSU Pueblo when MSU Denver last lost a conference match.

MSU Denver (8-2 overall, 1-1 RMAC) started strong with a 25-19 win in the opening set, but Colorado Mesa (7-3, 3-0) responded by taking the next three sets 25-19, 25-9, 25-21. The loss also snaps the Roadrunners' four-match winning streak.

Alyssa Boyte led the Roadrunners with 13 kills on an efficient .524 hitting percentage. Boyte's 13 kills marks a season-high for the sophomore. Karyna Werley added 11 kills and 22 assists for a double-double. 

Annika Helf chipped in eight kills and three service aces, and Megan Hagar contributed nine kills and 10 points. Defensively, libero Mia Accomazzo collected 21 digs.

Colorado Mesa hit .336 as a team, led by 17 kills from Sadie Scoville, while the Roadrunners were limited to a .154 hitting percentage.

MSU Denver faces a quick turnaround, heading to Salt Lake City for a 5 p.m. match tomorrow evening at Westminster for a chance at redemption.