GOLDEN, CO- The Cougars played for the second straight night in Lockridge Arena on Friday night as they took on CSU Pueblo in a neutral site pod match. Led by a balanced offense and strong defense, CCU took the victory 3-1 over the Thunderwolves. 

The first set was a back and forth affair throughout as each team grappled for control. Trailing 14-11, CCU allowed a five-point run that gave CSU Pueblo the momentum in the set, and they closed out the set with a 25-19 victory. 

Intent on leveling the match at a set apiece, the offense for the Cougars got going after trailing by four early. Libby Goodman put one down for a kill as CCU grabbed a 7-5 lead. Losing 11-9, Colorado CHristian went on a pivotal five-point run led by a Suzanna Conner ace and Renee Phillips kill to gain the 14-11 advantage. Later a seven-point run that featured three aces from Alli Douglass nearly put the set away, and the Cougars tied things with a 25-21 set win. 

With control of the match up for grabs, it was Colorado Christian who asserted themselves and took the 2-1 set lead. With the set tied at 18 apiece, a huge five-point run led by three Goodman kills put CCU up 23-18. Douglass closed the set out with a kill for a 25-21 victory. 

With the victory in sight, the Cougars came out hot in set four as they snagged an 8-4 lead with a Conner kill. The Thunderwolves climbed their way back to tie the set at 17, but yet again another late run was the difference for CCU. Conner was huge with a kill and ace, and Phillips notched a kill as part of a momentum swinging four-point run. CSU Pueblo came back again to tie it at 22, but Colorado Christian buckled down with a Goodman kill and a pair of untimely attack errors from the Thunderwolves to claim the set and the match 25-22. 

Goodman paced the offense with 21 kills, followed by Conner with 12. Krista Traynor continued to shine in her fourth collegiate start, notching 41 assists on the night. Douglass and Savannah Overson tallied double digit digs with 10, and Phillips was dominant at the net with eight blocks. 

The Cougars are back in action on November 1 as they head to Chadron State in a big RMAC matchup with the Eagles at 6 p.m. MST.