Match 1 Information
Score: Colorado Mesa 3, Lubbock Christian 1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-17)
Records: Colorado Mesa (2-0, 0-0 RMAC), Lubbock Christian (0-1, 0-0 Lone Star)
Location: Lockridge Arena – Golden, Colo.

Match 2 Information
Score: Colorado School of Mines 3, Lubbock Christian 0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-23)
Records: Colorado School of Mines (3-1, 0-0 RMAC), Lubbock Christian (2-2, 0-0 Lone Star)
Location: Lockridge Arena – Golden, Colo.

Highlights
Lubbock Christian University opened the 2019 season with a pair of losses Friday, falling to Colorado Mesa 3-1 and Oredigger Classic host Colorado School of Mines 3-0 at Lockridge Arena in Golden, Colo. Each opponent is coming off NCAA Division II regional tournament appearances and they co-championed the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference last season. LCU opens their season with a new head coach and seeking answers to replace last season's team leaders in kills, blocks and digs. They had several returning members Friday aiming to fill those voids. Avery Moore led the team with 19 kills in the combined two games, with Hannah Thomas supplying 15 digs and Morgan Schwarz producing six blocks. LCU did return their leaders in aces and assists in Bradi Marshall and Maddie DeGuire, and the tandem produced as advertised. DeGuire and Marshall are each co-leading the tournament in aces with four. Marshall also produced 61 assists.

How It Happened

Colorado Mesa Match

Set One:
DeGuire produced two of her four aces on the day in the opening set of the season. It was much needed for the Lady Chaps, who were up against a feast-or-famine Mavericks squad. CMU had a 16-8 advantage in kills during the set, but suffered 12 attack errors. DeGuire's second set had LCU up 20-12 in the set, but the Mavericks stormed back. Maddi Foutz and Kasie Gilfert each had four kills in the set for CMU and they helped the Mavericks cut LCU's lead to 22-17, sparking Lady Chaps interim head coach Mandy Polk to call a timeout. The Lady Chaps would use another timeout up 24-21, but Moore's fourth kill in the set provided the Lady Chaps a 25-21 set win and a 1-0 match lead.

Set Two:
Marshall missed out on a double-double in the match, but nearly had one in the second set alone, contributing 10 assists and seven digs in the set. LCU had a 20-19 late in the match, but they were unable to escape another late scoring surge by the Mavericks. The Mavs closed the set on a 6-2 run, which included the fifth lead change of the set en route to the 25-22 set win (set featured the score tied on 11 occasions). LCU had 13 kills (four by Ashley Vanfleet), but CMU produced 18, with a whopping eight by Katie Scherr.

Set Three:
The Mavericks strong finish in the second set carried over into the third set of play. They opened the set with a 6-1 lead. Karley David-McLeroy followed a CMU serving error with an ace to help LCU go on a 3-0 run and they cut the deficit to 15-11. The four-point deficit is as close as LCU would get, as CMU eventually closed the set on a 4-0 run for a 25-17 set win. The Mavs had a .419 attack percentage in the set, producing an 18-8 kill advantage over the Lady Chaps. Kasie Gilfort hammered eight kills in the set for CMU. The Lady Chaps managed only two digs in the set.

Set Four:
LCU bounced back from a 7-4 deficit with a 6-2 run for a 10-9 lead. A kill by Hannah Thomas provided LCU a 12-11 lead, but it would be the final lead for the Lady Chaps. A 6-1 run by the Mavericks regained the Mavs lead and they led 17-13. They outscored LCU 8-4 the rest of the set to claim the set 25-17 for the match win. Vanfleet led LCU in the set with four kills.

Inside the Numbers:
3-0 – CMU improved to 3-0 all-time against LCU. All three meetings have come within the past four seasons.
24 – Ashley Vanfleet (13) and Avery Moore (11) combined for 24 kills in the set to lead LCU.
27-14 – The loss places LCU 27-14 all-time in season openers and they have dropped their second consecutive opener.
29 – CMU combined for 20 attack errors over the first two sets, as LCU combined for 7 over the same course. They finished with 29 attack errors.
32 – LCU had their lowest dig total (32) since opening the 2018 season with 26 against Rockhurst.
66 – The Mavs produced 66 kills (Kasie Gilfert with 16). Combine the match to last season's final match (60 by St. Edward's) and it marks the first time LCU opponents have produced at least 60 kills in consecutive matches since Sept. 9, 2016. Colorado was involved in that sequence in 2016 as well.


Colorado School of Mines Match

Set One:
LCU battled back from a 5-2 deficit, early in the opening set, with a 4-1 rally led by a pair of kills from Thomas. The rally placed LCU with a 6-5 lead, which was their only lead of the entire match. The Orediggers used a 16-kill performance in the set (.375 attack percentage) to take a 25-16 set win to start the match. Abby Tiesman led CSM with five kills in the set, which was one shy of the Lady Chaps entirety in the set (6).

Set Two:
Thomas attempted to march the Lady Chaps back in the second set, producing five kills in the set, but the Lady Chaps were left chasing the Orediggers early in the match. They jumped out to a 6-1 lead over the Lady Chaps quickly in the set. Trailing 20-12, LCU went on a 9-3 run, but the deficit was too much to overcome in the 25-21 set loss. LCU bounced back from a .000 attack percentage in the opening set to 11 kills (Marshall assisted on all 11 kills) and a .269 mark in the second set. Meanwhile, CSM produced 17 kills and a .438 attack percentage in the set. Amanda Donais (five kills) led a group of five Orediggers, who produced at least three kills in the set.

Set Three:
Tiesman was a force early for CSM, tallying five kills in the Orediggers 10-0 run to open the set (Tiesman finished the set with six kills). The Lady Chaps responded with a 6-1 run and cut the deficit to 11-6. Jalee Sims served an ace to tie the match at 19-19, but LCU was unable to take the lead and eventually fell 25-23. Thomas and Moore each had five kills in the set and LCU had 17 kills during the set (.375 attack percentage in the set). The mark was topped by 20 from CSM.

Inside the Numbers:
1 – The win was the Orediggers first over LCU. The two teams were meeting for the first time since Sept. 11, 1981.
12 – Hannah Thomas finished the match with 12 kills, which was two less than her career high (14).
14 – Abby Tiesman (CSM) led all players with 14 kills and finished with a .591 attack percentage.
30 – LCU had another low with 30 digs in the match.

Up Next:
The Lady Chaps remain in Golden , Colo. Saturday, facing Colo. Colorado Springs and Fresno Pacific to conclude their opening weekend of action.