DENVER, Colo. – The 2022 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament begins Thursday, Nov. 10, as the tournament’s top seed, Metropolitan State University of Denver, is set to host all three rounds of tournament play inside Auraria Event Center in Denver, Colo.
Thursday’s action begins with a quarterfinal matchup between No. 2 seed Regis and No. 7 seed South Dakota Mines at noon MT, followed by No. 3 seed Colorado Mesa taking on sixth-seeded Colorado Christian at 2:30 p.m. MSU Denver will then square off against No. 8 seed Fort Lewis at 5 p.m., followed by No. 4 seed Colorado School of Mines against No. 5 Colorado State University Pueblo at 7:30 p.m.
This year’s RMAC Volleyball Tournament will be a clash of the titans as four of the field’s eight teams enter ranked in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Top-25 poll. MSU Denver enters as the nation’s No. 1 team. No. 14 Regis, No. 17 Colorado Mesa and No. 22 Colorado School of Mines will look to unseat the Roadrunners throughout the weekend.
No. 1 Seed MSU Denver:
The No. 1 nationally ranked Roadrunners locked up their second consecutive regular-season title and the rights to host the RMAC Tournament after closing the season with a perfect 18-0 conference record. Head coach Jenny Glenn boasts a well-rounded squad that features reigning RMAC Player of the Year Rylee Hladky. Hladky enters the tournament leading the Roadrunners’ offense while ranking second in the conference in kills (296) and kills per set (3.52). Ashlyn Cianciulli paces the MSU Denver defense, which ranks fourth in the country for limiting opponents to a .112 hitting percentage.
The Roadrunners will play Fort Lewis in the quarterfinal round of the RMAC Tournament with opening serve set for 5 p.m. MSU Denver and Fort Lewis have met twice this season, where the Roadrunners picked up a 3-1 win (Sept. 10) and a 3-0 victory (Oct. 29).
No. 2 Seed Regis:
The Rangers claim the No. 2 seed in the RMAC Tournament after completing their conference slate with a 16-2 record. The trio of Mara LeGrand, Halle Theis and Amelia Davis have set the tone of the Rangers’ offense, which ranks 26th in the nation with a .254 team-hitting percentage. LeGrand leads her squad by averaging 10.32 assists per set to pace a potent offense that has captured wins in six of its last seven matches. Theis, Davis and Nadine Burbrink have proven to be a three-headed monster on the Rangers’ attack, racking up 284 kills, 278 kills and 242 kills, respectively, this season.
The Rangers will face off against No. 7 seed South Dakota Mines Thursday at noon in the opening round. Regis and South Dakota Mines met just once this season, a 3-0 sweep in favor of the Rangers (Sept. 23).
No. 3 Seed Colorado Mesa:
Colorado Mesa claims the No. 3 seed at the tournament after concluding conference play with a 15-3 mark. The Mavericks have been consistent and efficient behind outside hitter Sierra Hunt, who leads her squad and ranks second in the conference with 3.55 kills per set. Hunt has recorded double-digit kills in 17 of her 25 matches on the year. Setter Sabrina VanDeList orchestrates an effective offense for the Mavs and ranks fifth in the nation with 11.36 assists per set.
The Mavericks are matched up with the sixth-seeded Cougars in the opening round of the RMAC Tournament and will hit the court on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Thursday’s meeting between the Mavericks and the Cougars will mark the third of the season as Colorado Mesa enters the match 2-0 on the year against CCU after claiming a pair of sweeps in regular-season play.
No. 4 Seed Colorado School of Mines:
Fourth-seeded Mines enters the RMAC Tournament with a 15-3 conference record after opening its conference schedule with an 8-2 mark. The Orediggers’ defense, led by Elle Duis’s 16.13 digs per set, has stifled opposing offenses to a .190 hitting percentage for the year. Drew Stokes paces the Orediggers offense with 11.96 assists per set, which stands second in the nation ahead of this weekend’s tournament. Behind Stokes, Colorado School of Mines ranks first in NCAA Division II in assists per set (14.09) and kills per set (15.14).
The Orediggers will compete with fifth-seeded CSU Pueblo in the opening round of the RMAC Tournament with first serve slated for 7:30 p.m. Thursday’s match will mark the second meeting of the season between the two teams. Colorado School of Mines holds the upper hand heading into the matchup after cashing in with a 3-1 win (Oct. 21).
No. 5 Seed CSU Pueblo:
The ThunderWolves enter the conference tournament after closing RMAC play with a 12-6 record. Redshirt freshman Payton Van Veen has been a catalyst for the ThunderWolves this season as she enters the postseason leading her squad with 274 kills for an average of 3.01 kills per set. Jazzy Espinoza is another weapon for the Pack and leads the conference, while ranking 11th nationally, with a scorching .400 hitting percentage on the season.
No. 6 Seed Colorado Christian:
The sixth-seeded Cougars enter the RMAC Tournament after closing the regular season with a 10-8 conference record, splitting results in their final four conference matches. Libby Goodman quietly leads the RMAC in total kills (356) and kills per set (3.79) through her 94 sets this season. Izzy Jones has been the primary reason for the Cougars’ offensive success and ranks fourth in the conference in total assists (923) and assists per set (9.82).
No. 7 South Dakota Mines:
No. 7 seed South Dakota Mines enters the RMAC Tournament after closing the regular season with wins in five of its last eight matches to secure an 8-10 conference record. Jacey Koethe, a two-way player for the Hardrockers, powers both sides of the ball with 95 blocks and a conference-best 4.34 points per set. The Hardrockers rely heavily on a defense that stands second in the conference with 1,532 team digs.
No. 8 Seed Fort Lewis:
The Skyhawks claim the tournament’s No. 8 seed after stamping a crucial win over New Mexico Highlands on the final day of regular-season play. Fort Lewis enters the postseason with momentum behind freshman Ella Butler, who ranks second in the RMAC with .51 service aces per set, and Alexis Hobie, who stands second in the conference with 9.6 attacks per set. The Skyhawks will put their two-match win streak to the test against top-seeded MSU Denver and will look to Hobie to lead the way as she ranks first on the FLC roster with 258 kills and 3.23 kills per set this year.
Fans can follow along with tournament action on the
RMAC Tournament Page, which houses links to the tournament bracket and live stats. Tickets and merchandise are available for purchase and can also be found on the tournament page. All seven tournament matches will be broadcast live on the
RMAC Network.