GOLDEN, Colo.— After winning their first match of the day in convincing fashion, the Colorado Mesa University volleyball team dropped three tight sets (27-25, 25-22, 25-21) to the Rollins (Fla.) College Tars in the nightcap of the Oredigger Classic, hosted by the Colorado School of Mines here in Lockridge Arena on Friday.
 
The loss dropped the Mavericks to 1-1 on the young season, which resumes Saturday with matches against Texas Woman's and Cal State-San Bernardino at the 2-day tournament.  Rollins improved to 1-1 after dropping a 4-set decision to 13^th-ranked Wayne State (Neb.) earlier Friday.
 
Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection MacKenzie Edwards paced the Mavericks with 20 kills.  Sophomore setter Samantha Ritter had a career-high 42 assists while junior libero Taylor Woods came up 17 digs.  Sophomore outside hitter Katie Scherr also tallied a double-double, the first of her collegiate career with 11 digs and 10 kills.
 
However, the Mavericks were guilty of 29 attacking errors, nine of which came on Tar blocks.
 
The Mavericks had a chance to seize early control late in the first set, which was tied nine different times, and earned two set points thanks to a Megan Gianinetti kill to go up 24-22.  However, back-to-back hitting errors and a block reversed the lead moving Rollins in front 25-24.
 
Scherr would erase the Tars' set point before a service error and yet another hitting error gave Rollins the early lead.
 
The Mavericks would fall behind 21-14 in the second set but would tie it at 21 with a 7-0 spurt, highlighted by two Edwards kills.  However, Rollins would stop the bleeding winning five of the final six points of the set.
 
In the third set, it was Colorado Mesa that came out firing building an 11-4 lead thanks to some strong serving from Gianinetti.  However, the Tars would bounce back with a 15-6 run of their own to take a 19-17 lead.  The Mavericks would trim the deficit to just one on four different late-match occasions but could never regain full footing as the Tars won the final three points to close out the match.