LAKEWOOD, CO- Colorado Christian continued RMAC play on Saturday night as they hosted Mines in a pivotal early season matchup. After narrowly falling in set one, the Cougars used a highly efficient offense and excellent defense to claim the next three sets in a huge 3-1 victory. 

The first set was a back and forth affair as neither team went on any long runs to claim a big lead. Consecutive kills from Abby Newell and a kill by Renee Phillips gave CCU a 6-5 lead with a three point run, and a Savannah Overson ace gave CCU the lead at 16-15 later in the set. The teams battled to the end of the set, but Mines eventually claimed the first 25-23. 

Looking to tie the match at a set apiece, the Cougars went on a five point run led by two kills from Suzanna Conner and three from Phillips. The offense continued to hum as Abby Breeding, Phillips and Newell notched kills for a 14-11 advantage. The home team continued to press their lead to 18-13, and after Lilly Woods gave them a set point at 24-19, Breeding finished the set with a kill for the 25-21 win. 

CCU kept their momentum as the third set began with three straight points on back-to-back aces from Phillips. Conner put another ball down for a 7-2 lead, and she later tied the set at 16 as the teams battled for the lead. The Cougars managed to grab a lead after a block from Phillips and Newell and got a set point at 24-21. Conner closed the important set out with a kill for the 25-21 set win for a 2-1 set lead. 

With the victory in sight and momentum squarely with the Cougars, the fourth set was a clinical display from the hosts. Trailing 5-4, CCU went on a set changing seven point run led by kills from Conner, an ace from Overson and capped by a Woods slam. With a lead in hand, CCU continued to roll as they rattled off a six point run capped by a dominant block from Newell and Phillips for a 21-9 lead. With no doubt about the end result, CCU closed the night out with a kill from Woods for a convincing 25-11 victory in set four. 

It was a night to remember for the Cougars as they improved to 1-1 in RMAC play with their first victory over Mines since 2019. Conner and Newell led the offense with 17 and 16 kills apiece followed by 14 from Phillips. Setter Izzy Jones made history with her 53 assists, becoming just the fourth setter in program history to eclipse 3,000 career assists. Shelby Hernandez was excellent at libero with 24 digs, while Kristina House had a strong game with 15 digs. 

With a big win over their nearby rival in hand, the Cougars will now hit the road to continue RMAC competition at Fort Lewis on September 27 with first serve set for 6 p.m. MST.