GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado volleyball team gets its 2020-21 season underway Saturday as the Mountaineers host MSU Denver at 11 a.m. and Adams State at 5 p.m. at Paul Wright Gym. The Roadrunners and Grizzlies will face off at 2 p.m.

MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THIS SEASON | 2019 SEASON STATS
Western is coming off a season that saw it go 11-15 overall and 7-11 in RMAC play in head coach Jessica Fey's second season - a strong nine-win leap overall and a six-win jump in RMAC play from the 2018 season. The 11 victories is also the most wins for the program since 2010.

Five players return from that team in seniors Hanna Hendrickson (an All-RMAC honorable mention setter in 2019 - averaging 7.71 assists per set) and Lyria Brook (averaged 2.46 digs per set in 2019) and sophomores Jordyn Todd (All-RMAC Honorable Mention as a freshman after leading the Mountaineers at 2.78 kills per set while she was second on the team at 3.24 digs per set), Emily Mangone (1.98 kills per set) and Elizabeth Rupprecht (80 sets played - averaged 1.08 digs per set).

The Mountaineers will feature seven players who didn't play last season for Western in a match. This includes Nebraska Wesleyan transfer Nicole Gonzales and Briar Cliff transfer Elizabeth Koch, redshirt freshman Elyse Fitzpatrick and freshmen Kaia Ghosh, Alex Galicia, Caroline Parker and Savanna Meyer.

MSU DENVER HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Roadrunners, who took second in the RMAC after going 23-8 overall and 16-2 in conference before falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, are off to a 3-0 start with wins against Fort Lewis (3-0), Colorado School of Mines (3-1) and at Black Hills State (3-0). Rylee Hladkey has led the attack at 3.5 kills per set while Avaline Lai (2.6), Kayla White (2.4) and Ember Canty (2.0) are averaging more than two kills per set. Joli Sadler (6.0 aps) and Jessa Megenhardt (5.7) do the majority of the setting, Mikayla McClinton is averaging a team-high 1.4 blocks per set while Ashlyn Cianciulli leads the team at 4.6 digs per set.

MSU DENVER HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Grizzlies are 0-1 on the season, falling in three to Fort Lewis at home on Jan. 28. Natalie Gallegos led the team with six kills while Chasey Blach had five. Bailey Scholosser led the team with 19 assists while Mackenzie Swanson had a team-high 15 digs. Shannon Mulkey had four blocks in the loss.

Last season the Grizzlies went 9-18 overall and 6-12 in RMAC play.

LAST SEASON VERSUS MSU DENVER, ADAMS STATE
The Mountaineers fell to MSU Denver on the road last season, 3-0, while Western swept Adams State in its lone matchup in 2019.