mfreter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

Five volleyball teams from four different states came to Grand Junction this past weekend to compete in the Holiday Inn Crossroads Classic. Texas Women’s University, Fort Hayes State, Western State, Oklahoma Panhandle State, No. 24 Grand Canyon University, and the CMU volleyball team all participated in the three-day, 13-game annual regional tournament.

The Mavericks opened up their home season against Grand Canyon, a game that looked bleak for the Mavs until a comeback forced the match into the final set, where they fell to the Antelopes. Senior outside hitter Kelly Regimbal lamented the loss, but applauded her team for their outstanding play.

“I think we struggled the first couple of games, but after that we really put up a fight,” Regimbal said. “It was a hard loss because we were expecting to win, but overall I think we played pretty well.”

Despite the loss, the Mavericks finished the tournament in dominant fashion. They swept their next match against Fort Hayes State 25-20, 25-13 and 25-17 on Friday night, and followed that performance with another impressive win by defeating Texas Women’s University in four sets (25-21, 18-25, 28-26, 25-23).

The final match of the tournament proved to be the most dominant as the Mavs swept Oklahoma Panhandle State 25-12, 25-12, and 25-16 to cap off the successful weekend with a 3-1 record. Senior Megan Rush averaged 15 digs and two assists per game and was selected to the All-Tournament team. According to Regimbal, this year’s seniors are motivated and have a stronger mindset, which has been key in their early success.

“Over the spring and over the summer we worked hard for this season because four of us are graduating,” Regimbal said. “We didn’t want our season to end the way last year did, so we had a little bit of motivation.”

While the Crossroads Classic was a showcase for volleyball, it also had a much deeper meaning for the Mavericks. After their win over Oklahoma Panhandle State, the team presented a photo of the team sporting pink ribbons for the mother of teammate, Christian Otzen. It was their way of showing their support for Otzen’s mother, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a display that showed the character of the team and of the program.

The Mavericks will open up RMAC play against New Mexico Highlands Friday at 7 p.m. in Brownson Arena.