Around the Mountain West Volleyball

The CSU women’s volleyball team remains the leader in the

Mountain West after another weekend of conference play. The Rams

defeated BYU and Utah this weekend to keep their perfect record of

9-0, 18-4 overall. For her efforts in the Rams’ victories, outside

hitter Andreya Downs was named Mountain West Conference Volleyball

Player of the Week. Downs posted a match-high .478 hitting

percentage against Utah and hit .353 against BYU. For the week, the

6-foot-3 sophomore averaged 3.0 kills, .57 assists, .14 digs and

1.43 blocks per game, while hitting .425.

Here’s a look at how the other teams matched up.

Air Force Academy (13-9, 35):

In a mid-week non-conference game against the University of

Denver, the Falcons beat the Pioneers in four games. In the fourth

game of the match, the Falcons only allowed Denver 11 points.

Senior outside hitter Delavane Diaz led all players with 25 kills

in the match. Diaz also scored seven service aces and 10 digs.

Sophomore middle blocker Kristin Hamlett had 17 kills and junior

outside hitter Molly White had 10 kills.

The Falcons faced conference rival New Mexico on the road Friday

and won their second straight match. Diaz reached double figures

again with 17 kills and junior middle hitter Lamecca Jefferson

added 13.

AFA goes on a Utah road trip with stops against BYU and Utah on

Friday and Saturday.

Brigham Young University (16-6, 6-3):

After defeating the Wyoming Cowgirls Friday, BYU was treated to

its second loss against CSU on Saturday. Two Cougars had 10 kills

and three more had eight. The team had 57 kills and 21 blocks

against Wyoming, but CSU defeated the Cougars in three games and

held BYU to eight blocks. BYU had nine service errors and only one

ace.

The Cougars return home for matches against New Mexico and Air

Force on Friday and Saturday.

San Diego State University (13-10, 4-4)

Playing UNLV at home on Friday, San Diego State won in four

games.

Senior middle blocker Megan Schauermann hit .579 with 12 kills.

Senior middle blocker Aspen McPartland led the team in kills with

13 and digs with nine. Senior setter Sara Engstrom put up five

service aces and completed four of five hitting opportunities.

With the win, the Aztecs evened their conference record at

.500.

This week the Aztecs welcome CSU for a Thursday night game and

Wyoming comes to town on Saturday.

University of Nevada-Las Vegas (9-11, 2-6):

The Rebels are 6-1 at home this season, after a Monday night

non-conference win over University of Northern Arizona. The

four-game match was the third match in four days for the

Rebels.

Senior outside hitter Leiana Oswald continued to impress with 20

kills and 18 digs in the match. Senior middle blocker Sheila

Ocasio-Clemente added 19 kills.

Three players had double figure kills for UNLV in the Friday

night match against SDSU, though it was on the end of a losing

effort. UNLV took SDSU to four games before taking their sixth

conference loss.

UNLV faces the University of Nevada in Reno, Nev., on Tuesday

followed by Wyoming on Thursday.

University of New Mexico

The Lobos extended their losing streak to 16 matches with losses

to New Mexico State and Air Force.

In a match that went to five games, the Lobos almost pulled an

upset against in-state rival NMS (19-4), losing game five 15-7.

Sophomore middle blocker Chelsea Sondrup scored a double-double

with a career-high 14 kills and 12 digs.

Against Air Force the following night the Lobos lost three

straight games, hitting .202 as a team and committing 13 service

errors in the process.

Next, the Lobos head to Utah for matches against BYU and

Utah.

University of Utah (13-7, 7-2)

The Utes were on the road to face Wyoming and CSU last weekend.

They pulled off a five-game match against Wyoming on Saturday and

fell in four games to CSU.

Senior middle blocker Kim Turner had a career-high in kills with

23 to lead the Utes to victory against Wyoming. The first four

games of the match were decided by four points or less.

Utah sophomore outside hitter Shelly Sommerfeldt hit .385 with

18 kills against the Rams. As a team the Utes hit better than CSU

.214 to .160, but could not win the match.

Utah returns home to face Air Force on Friday and New Mexico on

Saturday.

University of Wyoming (14-9, 3-5)

The Cowgirls lost both of their weekend games against BYU and

Utah at home in Laramie, Wyo.

BYU beat the Cowgirls in four games and Utah beat them in

five.

Junior opposite hitter Sara Maytorena had 23 kills and hit .317

for the Cowgirls while two other players hit double figures. Four

Cowgirls had double figures in digs in the match against BYU.

Maytorena followed up the BYU match with 22 kills and 11 digs

against Utah. Four players had double figures in kills in the

loss.

The Cowgirls play UNLV on Thursday and San Diego State on

Saturday.