GUNNISON, Colo.  After playing on the road the past two weekends, Mountaineer volleyball returns to the home confines of Paul Wright Gym for a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference matches.

The two-match homestand over Western Colorado's homecoming weekend includes a Parents Night theme on Friday and an Alumnae/Title IX celebration on Saturday.

WESTERN COLORADO HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND | SEASON STATS
The Mountaineers had defeated UC Colorado Springs in 2019 and 2020 before the Mountain Lions captured last season's RMAC bout. CSU Pueblo has won the last two after Western broke a 15-match losing streak to the ThunderWolves with a 3-2 win in the September 2019 battle.

Both of Western's wins this season have been five-set marathons.

In their last outing at No. 21 Colorado Mesa University, the Mountaineers earned a first-set victory – the first set loss of the season by the Mavericks to an unranked team.

Emily Mangone and Jaeda Davis-Golliher continue to lead the Western attack. Mangone averages 3.14 kills per set (130 kills on the season) with Davis-Golliher next at 2.66 (113).

Davis-Golliher ranks fifth in the RMAC in hitting percentage (.322) and 15th in blocking at .77 per set (11 solo/29 block assists).

Setting up the Western attack with nearly identical statistics are Lexi Wilmoth and Hailee Martinez. Wilmoth has accumulated 235 set assists while Martinez has 230.

UC COLORADO SPRINGS ENTERING THE WEEKEND | SEASON STATS
The Mountain Lions are 7-9 overall and sit 10th in the RMAC standings with a 2-6 league mark. After a two-match win streak over Adams State and N.M. Highlands, UCCS dropped consecutive matches to CSU Pueblo and to No. 17 Regis University.

Led by Reilly Babcock's 27 service aces (.48/set), the Mountain Lions rank second in the league in aces with a rate of 1.73 per set (97 total).

Babcock also sits seventh in the conference in set assists with an 8.73/set mark.

Defense at the net is spearheaded by Nicole Medlin whose four solo and 56 block assists come out to an average of 1.06 per set, sixth best in the RMAC.

CSU PUEBLO HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND | SEASON STATS
The ThunderWolves are sixth in the RMAC standings with a 6-2 record and are 13-3 overall. They had a three-match win streak broken by 17th-ranked Regis in their last match. Before Saturday evening's match at Western, Pueblo will take on Fort Lewis College (5-9, 3-5 RMAC) Friday on the Skyhawks' home court.

Action at the net is Pueblo's forté so far this season. They rank third in the RMAC with a .244 hitting percentage and second in the conference on blocking at 2.35 blocks per set.

Josey Nunn and Jazzy Espinoza lead the net defense, teaming up to elevate the ThunderWolves to second in the RMAC with 2.35 blocks per set. Nunn is first in the conference individually at 1.20/set (2 BS/63 BA) and Espinoza is fifth at 1.07/set (7/52).

Four players have 100 or more kills for Pueblo, led by Payton Van Veen's 167 over 55 sets, which calculates to 3.04/set, a figure that is 11th in the RMAC.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Western homestand is a short one as it next heads to South Dakota on Oct. 14 and 15, taking on Black Hills State University then S.D. School of Mines, respectively, for two RMAC bouts.