GOLDEN, CO- The Cougars began their season on Friday as they headed to nearby Mines for the Oredigger Classic. CCU battled hard in two matches on the day, ultimately falling to Washburn 3-0 and Grand Valley State 3-1 in the nightcap. 

GAME ONE VS. WASHBURN
The Cougars came out firing with three straight points to start the game, highlighted by an ace from Savannah Majeski and a Suzanna Conner kill. The teams battled back and forth from there as Renee Phillips and Connelly Kilgore got in on the attack with kills to make it 8-7. The Ichabods went on a run midway through the set though, eventually claiming it 25-20. 

Abby Hess started off set two with a kill, and a kill and ace from Conner had her team up 5-3 early. Kilgore and Janelle DeBoer comboed for a block to stretch the lead to 9-5, but Washburn hung around and came back to take a narrow lead. Phillips hammered two kills as the teams battled to a 16-16 tie. A late run once again from the team from Kansas saw them pull away for the 25-19 set two victory. 

The third set was not as close as the previous two as Washburn took an early lead and held it. The Cougars battled but found themselves trailing 16-6. Newcomer Sierra Crist provided a spark with consecutive kills, but the Ichabods held on for a 25-18 win for the sweep. 

Kilgore paced her team with 11 kills, followed by Phillips with eight and Conner with six. Krista Traynor dished out 32 assists, and libero Kristina House had 14 digs. 

GAME TWO VS. GRAND VALLEY STATE
The nightcap featured a showdown with the Lakers that proved to be a very evenly matched contest. Trailing 11-8, CCU tied things off a DeBoer kill and a block from Phillips and Crist. The teams battled back and forth as neither side took too big of a lead, but the Cougars stepped up late in the set with back-to-back kills and a block as they sealed a 25-21 set win. 

Grand Valley State took a big lead early in the set 7-2, but a five-point rally at 16-8 sparked by DeBoer and Kilgore kills and a block from the duo to close the gap to 16-13. Trailing 18-14, the Cougars took off with seven straight points, as errors began to pile up for the Lakers trailing 21-18. Traynor put her team in position to win the set with a kill to make it 23-21, but four straight from GVSU gave them a back and forth 25-21 set win. 

The third set was another back and forth affair as a DeBoer kill had CCU up 11-8 before GVSU came back for a 15-14 lead. A run from the Cougars keyed by a Hess ace and kills from Traynor and Kilgore put them ahead 19-15. Unfortunately, a big swing occurred from there as the Lakers scored eight straight to go ahead by four. A late three point run was not enough as GVSU held on for the 25-23 win to go up two sets to one. 

The Lakers streaked to a 6-1 lead, but CCU fought back to tie things at 14 apiece off a DeBoer kill. Traynor and Phillips combined for a block to take an 18-17 advantage. With the game tied at 19 apiece, GVSU went on another late four point run to go ahead 23-19, and they would close the match with a 25-22 set win.

Kilgore once again led the attack with 11 kills followed by Conner with nine and Phillips with eight. Traynor tallied 27 assists, and House picked up 18 digs for her team. 

CCU will close play at the Oredigger Classic on September 6 as they take on Valdosta State at 10 a.m. MST and close the tournament against Davenport at 2 p.m. MST.