GOLDEN, Colo.  Western Colorado volleyball opened its season on Friday against a pair of top-25 teams, forcing host and No. 11 Colorado School of Mines to extra points in the deciding third set of a 3-0 loss, following an earlier 3-0 loss to No. 22 Southwest Minnesota State.

The Mountaineers are participating in the two-day 2022 Oredigger Classic at Mines' Lockridge Arena.

THE ESSENTIALS
Scores: SW Minnesota State def. Western, 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-13); Mines def. Western, 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 28-26)
Records: Western 0-2, SW Minnesota State 1-0, Mines 1-0
Location: Lockridge Arena; Golden, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Trailing 2-0 in the match to Mines, Western played its best set of the day in the deciding third. There were 12 ties in the set – with scores deadlocked only 8 times, combined, in the first two sets – and 4 lead changes as the two squads played past the 25-point mark.
• A 20-17 deficit late in the third was eventually erased when Elizabeth Rupprecht notched a service ace to even the set a 21-21. The Orediggers, though, reached set and match point at 24-22, only to have Western get a kill from Jaeda Davis-Golliher and then an equalizing kill from Savanna Meyer that tied things up.
• Mines inched back in front with the next point, but again Western was able to stave off a match point with another Davis-Golliher kill.
• The Mountaineers earned their own shot at set point with a block from Meyer and Randi Wellhoefer, forcing Mines to call a timeout trailing 26-25. The quick break was what the Orediggers needed as they scored three unanswered to seal the set and earn the match victory.
• In each of the opening two sets it was short but dooming runs by Mines that sunk Western. Mines broke out to a nine-point lead midway through the first set but the Mountaineers used a 5-2 run to cut into that deficit, but a 22-16 the hosts took three of the next five points for the set win. Western led 14-13 in the second set when Mines reeled off a 5-0 run to take the lead in a set that they triumphed by five points.
• Similarly, Western let a few runs by SW Minnesota hamper any upset bid. A 4-0 early run and a 6-2 late one by the Mustangs sealed their six-point opening-set win, and an 8-1 mid-set run in the second iced an 11-point set two win. The Mountaineers were tied at 10-10 in the third set, but the Mustangs finished off the set and match on a monster 15-3 streak.

ADDING IT UP

• Caroline Parker (13), Davis-Golliher (12) and Emily Mangone (11) each combined to register double-figures in kills on the day.
• Setting up the attack were Hailee Martinez and Lexi Wilmoth. Martinez accumulated 25 set assists over the two matches, with Wilmoth chipping in 21 for the day. Each contributed one service ace as well.
• Rupprecht piled up 18 digs on Friday while putting up 6 assists and a service ace.
• Western's attack percentage in the opening match against SW Minnesota was a less-than stellar -.051, but the Mountaineers turned the attack around in the afternoon, finishing with a .172 percentage against Mines.

NEXT UP
The Mountaineers play a 9:30 a.m. match Saturday against Colorado Christian University then close out their stay at the Classic with a 4:30 p.m. match against Northern (S.D.) State University.