DENVER – The No. 1-seeded MSU Denver volleyball team punched its ticket to the RMAC Tournament championship Saturday with a thrilling five-set victory over No. 5 South Dakota Mines on Friday night at the Auraria Event Center, winning 20-25, 25-23, 25-17, 19-25, 15-9.
MSU Denver will take on Colorado Mesa for the RMAC Tournament title tomorrow night inside the Auraria Event Center at 5 p.m.
The victory extended the Roadrunners' winning streak to 14 consecutive matches and marked their 10th straight victory over the Hardrockers. MSU Denver improved to 22-6 overall and will now have a chance to claim another RMAC Tournament title on its home court.
Freshman Kami Scott and sophomore Brooke Gennerman paced the Roadrunners offensively with 19 kills apiece. Scott delivered a career-high 19 kills while hitting an efficient .316, recording just seven errors on 38 attempts. Gennerman also finished with 19 kills, adding nine digs and two block assists.
MSU Denver responded after dropping the opening set, taking a tightly contested second set 25-23 to even the match. The Roadrunners found their rhythm in the third, hitting an impressive .500 with 17 kills and just one error on 32 attempts to take a 2-1 advantage.
South Dakota Mines answered with a fourth-set victory to force a decisive fifth set, but the Roadrunners took control when it mattered most. MSU Denver recorded 10 kills against just two errors in the final set, hitting .381 to close out the 15-9 victory and secure its place in the championship.
The Roadrunners' defensive presence at the net proved to be a major difference, as they finished with 16 total blocks, including two solo blocks and 14 block assists. Junior middle blocker Mayah Pridgett once again led the defensive effort with one solo block and four block assists, while Trynity Martin added one solo block and three block assists. Pridgett also contributed seven kills while hitting .316.
MSU Denver's defensive effort extended beyond the net, with Megan Hagar leading the team with 27 digs. Freshman Hayden Liebsack added 22 digs to go along with nine kills and two service aces. GabriElle Brewer orchestrated the offense with 32 assists, while Addi Schreurs contributed 14 assists off the bench.
The Roadrunners finished the night with 67 kills, a .223 hitting percentage, eight service aces and 92 digs. MSU Denver also limited South Dakota Mines to a .209 hitting percentage and just two service aces.
With the semifinal victory, MSU Denver advances to Saturday's RMAC Tournament championship match at 5 p.m. at the Auraria Event Center.
