GOLDEN, Colo. – Western State Colorado University women's volleyball team closed out the 2016 Orediggers Classic with a 5-set victory over Dallas Baptist University and a 4-set loss to No.6-ranked Wayne State College Saturday in Golden. The women finished the tournament with three wins, led by Tori Gaherty who was named to the 2016 Oredigger Classic All-Tournament team.
 
The Mountaineers came off the first day with two wins, and pushed it to a third early in the afternoon with a five-set victory over Dallas Baptist (23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 20-25, 15-13). Gaherty went for her third-straight 14 kill performance, joined by Molly Hothan's 14 kills. Hothan had a team-high .429 hitting percentage in the match. Jordan Eatwell and Hannah Sauer added in nine kills apiece. Eatwell led the team with three aces, while Gaherty had a pair.
 
Setter Allison Walker had her fourth career 50 assist performance with 52 total assists in the match. She also had four kills.
 
Defensively, Amanda Maestas set a new career-high in digs with 31. Her performance was six assists more than her previous best. She was joined by Tori Gaherty with 16 digs and Logan Franek with 10 digs.
 
Despite ending in a loss, the second match of the day one of the best for the Mountaineers. Western had not won a set against a top-10 nationally ranked team since playing Nebraska Kearney in October of 2003. Saturday evening the Mountaineers took the sixth-ranked team in the nation to four sets after a 25-23 set victory in the second.
 
Eatwell took lead against Wayne State College with 18 kills. Gaherty closed out the tournament with 11 kills, leading the team with a total of 53 kills. Joining them in double-digit kills was Avery Burkholder with 10. Gaherty also had a pair of aces, her ninth of the tournament.
 
Walker dished out 44 assists in the match, as well as 10 digs. Maestas led all with 24 digs, while Gaherty had 11 and Franek had 10.
 
The Mountaineers have not opened a season with three straight wins since the 2001 NCAA semifinalist team. They are just the third team since the 2001 season to open with a 3-1 record.