Concord Falls in Day Two at Colorado Mines Tournament

GOLDEN, Colo. – The Concord University volleyball team was defeated by Missouri Western and 17th-ranked Colorado Mesa in its final games at the Colorado Mines Volleyball Classic Saturday.
 
Game 1: Missouri Western 3 – Concord 0 (16-25, 17-25, 18-25)
 
Set 1
The Griffons grabbed a quick lead in the first set before kills from sophomore right side Natalie Brown and sophomore middle hitter Jasmine Anderson. Then, a 5-0 CU scoring run was spearheaded by sophomore outside hitter Chloe Thompson and Brown to bring the score to 14-10 in favor of MWU. Concord rattled off another four-point rally late in the frame, but Brown's three kills were not enough to spark the comeback, 25-16.
 
Set 2
Senior middle hitter Kyndra Pilant got the second game started with two kills while sophomore outside hitter Meg Williams added another kill early in the set. Freshman defensive specialist Haley Sweeney served her first career ace to give the Mountain Lions a 4-1 edge. Anderson swung for her third kill of the match to quiet an MWU run as CU trailed 9-5. Thompson logged the final three kills in the set, but the Maroon and Gray found itself in an 0-2 hole, 25-17.
 
Set 3
Brown (kill) and Thompson (ace) got Concord on the board in the third frame, but trailed 12-8 near the midpoint. A pair of kills from Williams and a kill from sophomore setter Declyn Tooze brought CU within five, 19-14. That was as close as the Mountain Lions would get, as the Griffons completed the sweep 25-18.
 
Match Stats
Brown led all Concord players with six kills along with a block. Thompson notched five kills and added nine digs on the defensive end. Freshman setter Paige Richmond led all CU setters with 15 assists and seven digs. Pilant and Williams also finished with five kills each.
 
Game 2: #17 Colorado Mesa 3 – Concord 0 (21-25, 17-25, 16-25)
 
Set 1
After finding themselves in a 5-1 hole to start the second game, Pilant and Williams closed the CMU gap to 6-4. Williams added another kill and two errors from the Mavericks brought CU within one, 8-7. Thompson swung for her first kill of the match then followed with a block alongside Pilant to knot the game 9-9. A subsequent kill from Brown kept the scoring even. Thompson and Pilant collaborated for another block during a 3-0 Mountain Lions run, but fell short 25-21.
 
Set 2
Pilant and Thompson's third block of the game got the second set started, but Colorado Mesa seized control to lead 9-2. Thompson hit for three kills in a four-point swing as Concord got within five, 12-7. However, Thompson's four kills in the frame were not enough to fend off the Mavericks as they led 2-0, 25-17.
 
Set 3
Pilant and Williams got Concord on the board and kept the third set at bay, 3-3 early on. Swings from Thompson, Williams, and Pilant kept CU within reach, 11-7. Then, freshman right side Maddie Stull logged her first career kill followed by a kill from freshman setter Rylee Wise to trail 15-10. Thompson added two more kills in the final points of the game as well as an ace from sophomore defensive specialist Allie Davis, but CMU prevailed 25-16.
 
Match Stats
Thompson led Concord with 11 kills on 24 swings and only two errors (.375) for the match. Pilant hit for six kills on 10 swings and one error for a .500 hitting mark. Pialnt also recorded seven total blocks. Wise capped 14 assists followed by Richmond with 11. Davis was the only Mountain Lion to reach double-digit digs with 11.
 
CU heads to Mount Olive, N.C. for four games at the Mount Olive Invite next weekend beginning with Shaw Friday at 10:00 a.m.