The Mavericks went 1-1 as they couldn’t quite outplay two of the best teams in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) this last weekend.
CMU (9-6) was led by sophomore Kerstin Layman with 36 digs in both games and junior Ara Norwood led the team in assists with 45 as the Mavericks scored 121 points in both games.
On Friday, Oct. 4, the Mavericks played the best team in the conference Metro State University Denver and got swept 3-0. The Mavericks had a .088 hitting percentage and 21 errors in the game.
In the first set, the Mavericks scored the first point, but the Roadrunners answered as both teams went back and forth trading the leads. With both teams at 17, the next few points were going to decide the set, and the Roadrunners did just that by going on a four-point run to take control and win 21-25.
The second set was all MSU-Denver, they came out on a 10-3 run to control the set, and they didn’t take their foot off the gas pedal. The Mavericks couldn’t get any momentum in this set and by the time the Roadrunners had scored their 20th point, CMU only had six.
The third set looked like it was going to mirror the second as the Mavericks went down 3-11, but they brought themselves back into the game by believing in the next play mentality. CMU traded points with the Roadrunners back and forth but unfortunately lost the final set 19-25.
In the second game of the weekend, the Mavericks were looking to bounce back as they traveled to Chadron State College in a tough RMAC matchup. CMU had 70 kills but 34 errors as they squeaked out a 3-2 win.
The first set was an incredible display of heart from both teams as they traded points back and forth, but the Mavericks took control with a big five-point run to go up 20-15. The Eagles tried to get back into the set with an inspired three-point run but with the Mavericks won the set 25-19.
In the second set, the Eagles scored the first point, and they tied the game at four. In the blink of an eye, CMU went on a game-changing eight-point run to take clear control of the set. The Mavericks continued to dominant the set with multiple runs, and they closed it out when it counted to win again 25-18.
The third set was when the Eagles started to get their feet under them, and they didn’t allow the Mavericks to gain more than a three-point lead. CMU held the lead until their 18th point in what could’ve been the final set, but the Eagles stayed right with them as they needed extra points. CSC took the lead at 25 before the Mavericks scored their final two points before the Eagles won the set 28-26.
In the fourth set, the Mavericks took an early 7-2 lead, but the Eagles clawed their way back into the game to tie the game at 14. CMU went up 19-17, but CSC went on an 8-2 run to win the set and even the game 2-2 to go into the final set with a ton of momentum on their side.
The fifth set was started strongly by both teams, but the Eagles took the lead 6-4. The final set was incredibly tight as both teams gave it their all to grab the win as both teams tied the game a combined seven times. The Mavericks were very poised in the closing points, as they went on a three-point run to win 15-12.
CMU had 102 and 67 assists as the whole team contributed to the win. The Mavericks were led by redshirt junior Kasie Gilfert again in kills as she had 27 through in both games.
The Maverick’s next game will be Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. against Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, Colorado.
