GOLDEN, Colo. (Sept. 1, 2017) - Texas Woman's University volleyball began the 2017 season against two tough opponents in 24^th-ranked Northern State and the host team, No. 19 Colorado School of Mines, Friday at the Oredigger Classic in Lockridge Arena, where the Pioneers fell in both matches.
 
No. 24 Northern State 3, Texas Woman's 0
 
Miri Shade posted a team-high 13 kills in her Pioneer debut while Briley Cole-Lewis also reached double figures with 10 in a three-set loss to the Wolves (25-20, 25-21, 25-20). Katy Ranes delivered 35 assists, and Erin Jones totaled 11 digs.
 
TWU started the match off well and grew the lead to 11-6 on a kill by Haley Collins, but NSU (1-0) responded with a 7-1 run to regain the advantage at 13-12. The Pioneers found themselves ahead once again on an attack error by the Wolves, but four consecutive kills gave NSU a 17-14 lead. TWU whittled a 21-16 deficit to pull within 22-20 on a block by Collins and Cole-Lewis, but the Wolves recorded the final three points.
 
Six straight errors opened set two, with five coming from NSU for a 5-1 TWU lead. A kill by Shade and block by Ranes and Courtney Noel pushed the Pioneers in front, 12-4.  With TWU up 16-9, the Wolves pieced together a 4-0 run to prompt a timeout from Head Coach Jeff Huebner. Makayla Mayfield fired a kill after the break, but an 8-0 run by NSU forced TWU into a 22-17 deficit that turned into a win for the Wolves in set two.
 
Kills by Kerstin Jenkins and Cole-Lewis put the Pioneers ahead in the early goings of set three before a pair of kills and service ace gave NSU a 7-4 edge. Successive kills by Cole-Lewis put TWU up, 11-10, as the teams traded points and the Wolves went up 21-19 until a kill by Shade had the Pioneers to within one. A pair of errors went against TWU before two NSU kills concluded the match.
 
Coach Huebner said, "Northern is a really good team with Elite Eight experience, and we played them really tight the whole way. As a group our players stuck together well, and we really learned as we played."
 
No. 19 Colorado School of Mines 3, Texas Woman's 0
 
Cole-Lewis again recorded double-digit kills with 10, but the Pioneers fell in straight sets (25-23, 25-18, 25-12) to No. 19 Colorado School of Mines. The Orediggers were efficient offensively by compiling a .453 hitting percentage in the match.
 
In the first set, TWU (0-2) seemed positioned to win over nationally-ranked CSM with a 23-19 lead, but two Oredigger kills and a bad set from the Pioneers made it a one-point game. A TWU attack error and kill by Mines forced set point before a Pioneer attack error forced the end.
 
TWU stuck close with the Orediggers in set two but were not able to secure a lead throughout. A kill by Jenkins made it a 14-12 game, but CSM added another pair of points before extending the lead to 19-13 and taking advantage of two final errors by the Pioneers to compile a 2-0 match lead.
 
TWU faced an early deficit in the third set at 6-1 and made it a four-point contest on a Shade kill at 10-6. Six straight points by the Orediggers extended the lead into double figures. A trio of kills by Cole-Lewis cut the lead to 17-10, but Colorado Mines finished the match with an 8-2 run.
 
Huebner stated, "As a team we had them on the ropes in the first set with a good opportunity to win one and learned a lot about what it means to compete at the highest level of Division II. We are looking forward to our matches tomorrow and know that if we continue to grow and progress we will be able to continue our great start to preseason."
 
The Pioneers wrap up the Oredigger Classic tomorrow with matches against Colorado Mesa at 12 p.m. and Regis at 8:30 p.m. CST.