GUNNISON, Colo. Though the score may lead one's thought in one direction, the fight and grit of Western Colorado's women's volleyball team had to be seen in person Saturday evening in Paul Wright Gym as the Mountaineers heartily battled Regis University in the visiting Rangers' 3-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win.

JUST THE FACTS, JACK
Final score: Regis def. Western, 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-17)
Records: Western 2-9 (1-3 RMAC), Regis 8-4 (4-0)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Regis entered the match on a six-match win streak that included four wins over teams ranked in the top 15 of the most recent AVCA Division II women's volleyball poll.
•  The first set was actually what perhaps Regis expected. A pair of 5-0 runs sandwiched around a 4-0 run built a cushion that Western wasn't going to come back from.
• The second set proved Western's mettle, however, and gave the players at least some mental momentum.
• Really, the set turned on an early 4-0 Regis run that eliminated a 6-4 Mountaineer advantage. There were a couple of 2-for-1s later in the match that prevented Western from completing any rally, but the large crowd of almost 200 was woken up by the Mountaineer play in the second set.
• And Western responded to the crowd reaction in the third.
• The Rangers broke out to a 5-2 lead but kills by Carsen Glaser and Emily Mangone cut into the deficit, and a service ace by Elizabeth Rupprecht knotted the score at 5-5.
• The scoreboard showed tie scores again at 7, 9, 10 and 11, but once more it was a string of unanswered Regis points, this one a 5-0 run to break the 11-11 deadlock, that allowed the Rangers breathing room.
• Western picked up two points to stop the run, one on another kill from Mangone and the other a Regis attack error, but the damage had been done. The Mountaineers chased, but the Rangers giddyupped away and took the third set and the match.

BEHIND THE NUMBERS

• Mangone finished the night with a match-high 12 kills to lead Western on the attack. Jordyn Todd was next on the scoresheet with 6 kills.
• Regis answered those numbers with 11 kills apiece by Amelia Davis and Halle Theis.
• Both teams recorded six service aces, but Regis registered 73 service attempts to Westerns 55, and though the Mountaineers' reception percentage of .908 was better than the Rangers' .872, the discrepancy in total number of serves helped Regis in the long run.
• Of note, though, was Rupprecht's perfect mark of 17-for-17 on serve receive
• Western has recorded double figures in total blocks twice this season and entered the evening averaging 6.4 blocks per match, but Saturday's results at the net defensively were not the same. Its only block on the night came on a block assist from Jaeda Davis-Golliher and Caroline Parker.
• Conversely, Regis finished with 9.0 blocks, led by Davis' 5 block assists.

UP NEXT
The Mountaineers begin a four-match RMAC road trip with a Friday visit to No. 19 Colorado School of Mines, then continues to Chadron State (Neb.) College on Saturday.