COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The MSOE women's volleyball kicked off the 2025 season, heading out to the Rocky Mountains, playing in the Pikes Peak Challenge, hosted by Colorado College. The Raiders dropped their opening two matches to University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Colorado College, both who are receiving votes nationally.
RESULTS
MSOE RAIDERS – 0
RV Wisconsin-Stevens Point – 3
MSOE RAIDERS – 0
RV Colorado College - 3
HOW IT HAPPENED
- vs. Wisconsin-Stevens Point
- After Abby Balkema helped knock in the first two points for MSOE (0-2, 0-0 NACC), Stevens Point (1-0, 0-0 WIAC) rattled off a 4-0 to take a quick 6-2 lead in the opening set. The Raiders began to trickle into their deficit until a 5-0 run capped by a block from Ana Knutson and Emma Schattschneider tied up the set at 14. After a pair of runs from both sides, the Pointers took a 22-18 lead to eventually take it 25-22.
- The Pointers found themselves in the driver's seat over the next two sets, taking a 14-6 lead, eventually growing it to 21-9. A run of errors helped cut the Raiders at set point until a kill from the Pointers ended it 25-15. The Raiders held things tight in the third after a pair of service aces from Morgan Borchardt kept thing knotted up at 14, but the Pointers closed on an 11-4 run to end it.
- Schattschneider led things for the Raiders, totaling eight kills and three blocks, along with having five digs. Borchardt added ten assists while Maddie Abel had six and Katie Taticek led with six digs.
- vs. Colorado College
- Colorado College (1-0, 0-0 SCAC) took the hot hand from the jump, going on an 8-0 run to lead 9-2. After Katie Moser made both a kill and then a service ace to cut it to 10-5, the Tigers went back to run, going 10-3 to lead 20-8. The Raiders made a short run to hopefully get back into it, kick-started by a kill from Balkema to make it 21-14, but the Tigers finished with ease 25-15.
- The Tigers once again kicked things on a big run, leading 9-3. A string of errors helped cut things to 16-10 and later 19-13 after an ace from Natalie Martinez, the Tigers weren't fooled at all to win 25-15. The Raiders opened up with a new spark in the third, leading 4-2 after another ace from Martinez. After the Tigers took over just a few points later, they exploded on a 10-0 run to lead 20-7 and then didn't look back to seal it 25-12.
- Gillian McDaniel led with three kills, while Annabella Visak, Alyssa Rusch, and Ashley Murphy each had two. Abel had five assists with six digs, while Joelle Harrington added four and Martinez led things at the service line having three aces.
WHO'S ON DECK
The Raiders will close out the Pikes Peak Challenge tomorrow, August 30
th, when they play #22 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
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