Volleyball | 11/3/2016 10:47:00 AM

GUNNISON – With only four matches remaining, Western State Colorado University women's volleyball team will host conference-leading MSU-Denver and UCCS this weekend for matchups that will play huge rolls in the conference tournament qualifying. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. in Paul Wright Gymnasium.
 
The Mountaineers are currently tied with Colorado Christian for seventh in the conference. They are one game back from UCCS and Adams State who are tied for fourth, and a half game behind Regis University in sixth. Western holds the tiebreaker over both Christian and Regis currently, with matches still to be played against both fourth-place teams.
 
The Mountaineers are led by Tori Gaherty, who became the first Mountaineer since Erin Osleson in 2008 to tally more than 300 kills in a season. Right behind her is Jordan Eatwell with 257 kills and Molly Hothan with 223. Hothan is currently sixth in the conference in hitting percentage, while Gaherty is ninth in kills per set.
 
Also for Western, Allison Walker is seventh in the conference with 9.86 assists per set.
 
Defense has been the key for Western, as the team is averaging the third-best opponent hitting percentage in the conference. Much of this is due to the front work of Avery Burkholder, who has 73 total blocks, and the backcourt play of Amanda Maestas. Maestas is 10^th in the conference in digs per set, and has 397 digs this season.