COLORADO SPRINS, Colo.— After winning the first set, 25-19, the Colorado Mesa University volleyball team fought off a pair of set points to take the second, 29-27.  The Mavericks then scored each of the final six points of the 25-23 third set to escape the Gallogly Events Center with a thrilling 3-set sweep of the UCCS Mountain Lions in an important Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference match here on Friday night.
 
Led by 18 kills by MacKenzie Edwards, the Mavericks improved to 17-6 overall and to 11-4 in the RMAC.  UCCS, which entered the night with a chance to tie the Mavericks for fifth place in the RMAC, fell to 12-11 overall and to 9-6 in the RMAC, two full matches behind.
 
The Mavericks, who remain just a match behind Colorado Christian for a top-4 spot, which would mean a home RMAC Tournament quarterfinal match, have now won five consecutive matches by 3-0 scores but were truly tested by the Mountain Lions.  UCCS was down 24-21 down in the second set but roared back to tie it before committing a service error, which gave the Mavericks a second set point opportunity at 25-24.
 
However, UCCS would score the next two points to earn a set point of their own. 
 
Maverick senior Hattie Gianinetti then put down a kill to thwart that Mountain Lion opportunity and did the same with UCCS leading 27-26 before she teamed with sophomore setter Samantha Ritter to end the thrilling set, the longest of CMU's entire season, after UCCS had committed an error.
 
The third set was a battle throughout and featured 12 total ties, including the 11^th at 18.  The Mountain Lions then scored three straight points and went on a 5-1 run to take a 23-19 lead.  However, Edwards put down three successive kills and another after a Taylor Woods service ace to give the Mavericks a 24-23 lead and their first match point.
 
CMU would capitalize on the chance as Ritter and Natalee Todd registered a match-ending block, one a season-high 12 the Mavericks would have.
 
Ritter led the way in that category with a career-high six while Gianinetti and Alyssa Chutka finished with five blocks each.  Three of Chutka's were solos.
 
The Mavericks also had some back-row standouts with Woods finishing with a match-high 18 digs.  Katie Scherr recorded 12 while Edwards had 11 to record her tenth double-double of the campaign.
 
Ritter finished with 38 assists as the Mavericks out-hit UCCS .146 to .103.
 
Hattie and Megan Gianinetti also contributed offensively with seven kills each.
 
Taylor Hamilton had nine kills and seven blocks to pace UCCS.
 
The Mavericks, ranked tenth in the initial NCAA Division II South Central Regional Rankings released Wednesday, will look to continue their winning streak, the longest current streak in the RMAC, on Saturday when they head to Denver and the Auraria Events Center to take on MSU Denver at 5 p.m.  The Roadrunners, receiving votes in the national poll, are ranked fifth in the region and will enter Saturday's match with a 17-7 overall and 14-2 RMAC records.  They have won four straight and 14 of their last 15.