The Mavericks volleyball team swept another top Summit League team, the Denver University Pioneers, in a home match Wednesday. This was the sixth straight Summit League victory for the Mavericks making them the winningest team in the Summit League. The Mavericks handed the Pioneers their second Summit League loss, but they are still at the top of the conference with the Mavericks.
The battle between Summit League heavyweights included the Summit League Offensive Peak Performer of the Week and the Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week. Piacenza, Italy native Eric Fava’s Maverick defense did just enough to stave off Freshman Briley Decker’s Pioneer offense. Fava was unable to maintain the 5.14 digs per set that got her the award as she only had six digs throughout the match, but she did lead the team with a perfect hitting percentage.
McKenna Ruch and Shayla McCormick once again led the offense with 12 kills each. They both lead the non-defensive Mavericks with a .500 and .346 hitting percentage, respectively. Ruch and McCormick also lead both teams in points, giving the Mavericks the ability to keep winning sets despite a lower hitting percentage.
The first set saw the Mavericks take an early lead and never really let go. Their five point lead was taken down to a one point lead, but the Mavericks never lost control and finished the set strong with a 25-22 victory.
The second set gave way to a slow start, but once the Mavericks got their feet under themselves, they didn’t look back for the rest of the match. A dominant third set allowed the Mavericks to take home their fifth straight win against the Pioneers. The two teams face off again in early November as the Mavericks will be looking for a series sweep for the third straight year.
The Mavericks are staying at home to face the North Dakota Fighting Hawks Saturday, Oct. 14 as they look to take a more commanding lead atop the Summit League standings. After a slow 0-9 start to the season, the Mavericks are just three games away from clawing their way back to .500.
