CHADRON, Neb. – Last season, Chadron State welcomed the No. 2-ranked MSU Denver Roadrunners to the Chicoine Center and won the first set over a team that would go on to be undefeated in the RMAC. This year, the No. 12 Roadrunners did not allow a similar opening, controlling the match from first serve and beating the Eagles in three sets – 25-15, 25-19, 25-11. 

The Eagles (4-13, 1-6 RMAC) have still never beaten MSU Denver volleyball in program history as the Roadrunners (14-3, 6-1 RMAC) finished off their fifth consecutive sweep over the last two weeks.

Mataya Ward hit nine kills and a .300 hitting percentage and Bella Adams finished with seven kills while hitting .278. Freshman setter Jillian Donovan recorded a double-double with 21 assists and 10 digs, leading the team in both categories.

The Eagles had difficulty building momentum because the Roadrunner offense was simply too hard to stop. MSU Denver finished the match hitting .443 offensively and did so consistently, finishing with 16 or more kills and a .430 percentage or better in all three sets. MSU Denver finished with a 6-2 edge in both aces and blocks and compiled 50 total kills against only seven attack errors. 

MSU Denver started the match with an ace and built a 7-3 lead early after a second serve found the floor. A 5-0 run including four kills built the Roadrunner advantage to 18-9 before Bella Adams halted the run with a kill. 

The Eagles tried to stay in the set with a 4-0 run, as kills from Jillian Donovan and Mataya Ward followed by back-to-back aces from Gibson Beckler cut the lead to 20-14, and after an MSU Denver kill, a Roadrunner service error gave the serve back to CSC. The Roadrunners answered with two kills and two aces, however, to take the first set 25-15.

That momentum continued into the second, with MSU Denver building a 7-1 lead. The Eagles performed well offensively in the set, hitting 13 kills against four errors and finishing with a .273 percentage in the frame, but the Roadrunners hit at a .450 clip and Chadron State could not cut the lead to less than four before MSUD took the set 25-19.

Another fast start occurred for the visitors in the third set, with MSU Denver winning six of the period's first seven points. Trailing 22-9, the Eagles followed an attack error with a Bella Adams kill to climb up to their final tally of 11, but the Roadrunners won the final three points of the match. Chadron State did not hold a lead at any point during Saturday's match. 

The Eagles host another of the RMAC's top teams Saturday night, welcoming UCCS (15-2, 6-1 RMAC) at 6 p.m. The Mountain Lions defeated Regis in four sets Friday night in Denver.