RAPID CITY, S.D.  The opening two sets saw Western Colorado battle the host Hardrockers of South Dakota School of Mines, but the home team took both sets then rolled through a third set to sweep the Mountaineers, 3-0, in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference volleyball action at the King Center.

The Hardrocker victory earned the team a split with Western, which won an RMAC-opening match against Mines, 3-2, on September 9.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: S.D. Mines def. Western, 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-13)
Records: Western 2-17 (1-11 RMAC), S.D. Mines 8-12 (5-7)
Location: King Center, Rapid City, S.D.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Western had perhaps its strongest opening to a match this season, racing out to a 7-1 lead in the opening set.
• Carsen Glaser set the Mountaineers up for that run with a kill to open the scoring, and Randi Wellhoefer added a quick second point with her first kill of the night. The Hardrockers ended that short string only to have Emily Mangone begin a new one.
• An attack error by S.D. Mines then made it 4-1 and a pair of kills by Jaeda Davis-Golliher were sandwiched around another Mangone kill to provide that 7-1 advantage.
• Mines, though, would fight back to finally pull even at 15-15, then outscored the Mountaineers 10-4 to break the tie and take the first set.
• Western never led in the second set but played the Hardrockers even through most of the opening points, squaring the set at 8-8 on an SDM attack error
• Mines inched in front, 16-13, and later only led 19-14 before scoring three unanswered points to build a cushion that Western was unable to overcome.
• The third set opened with a service ace by Western's Jordyn Todd, but that would be the last lead of the night for the Mountaineers as Mines pulled away from a narrow 10-9 lead to close the set with a 12-point win that clinched the match.

DATA POINTS

• The Western attack, which finished with a .071 hitting percentage, was paced by Mangone, Davis-Golliher and Maggie Olson who each finished with six kills.
• Mangone finished with seven points, adding a solo block to her attack total. Next were Olson, Davis-Golliher and Glaser, each with six points for Western.
• Western's two-setter system saw both Hailee Martinez and Lexi Wilmoth finishing with identical 10 set-assists totals.
• Three Mountaineers reached double-digits in digs, with Mangone's 12 leading Elizabeth Rupprecht (11) and Wilmoth (10). Mines, however, pushed four players into double figures as Anna Thomas led the quartet with a match-high 20 digs.
• Paisley Gibson of Mines led all attackers, finishing the win with 16 kills while also adding a solo block for a 17-point night.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Mountaineers return home for their next two matches, taking on Colorado Mesa University on Friday, October 21, followed by Westminster College on Saturday in a pair of RMAC matches.