GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University volleyball team begins a 4-match home-stand this weekend hosting nationally-ranked Regis University on Friday night at 7 o'clock in a top-of-the-standings clash before taking on Chadron State College, Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.
 
2-0 Start times four
 
The Mavericks defeated rival Western State Colorado in their home and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference-opener last Tuesday and then went on the road to win at Westminster on Friday.  Both victories were in straight-set sweeps.  The Mavericks have now started RMAC play 2-0 in each of the last four years.
 
Home, Sweet Home
 
The Mavericks have won each of their last five home-openers dating back to 2013 and have gone 39-8 (.830) at home in Brownson Arean over that span.  The Mavericks have posted a winning record at home in each of the last five seasons.  This upcoming 4-match home-stand, which also includes Sept. 29 and 30 home dates with Adams State and Fort Lewis, respectively, is the longest of the Mavericks' 2017 season.
 
Top of the Standings Tussle
 
Friday's match against Regis will feature two of the top teams in the early Rocky Mountain Athletic conference standings.  Both Colorado Mesa and Regis are 2-0 in RMAC play while Regis, ranked 14th nationally, holds down the conference's best overall record at 10-1.  CMU's 8-2 overall mark is currently the second best in the conference.  Colorado Mines (8-3 overall), Adams State (6-5) and Colorado Christian (4-6) also sport 2-0 conference marks after the opening weekend of conference play.  However, either Colorado Mines, which hosts Colorado Christian on Tuesday night, will move to 3-0.  Colorado Christian then hosts Westminster on Thursday.
 
One streak continues, one comes to an end
 
Friday's match will also see one of the RMAC's two longest winning streaks of the season come to an end.  The Mavericks have won six straight matches, the longest streak of the entire season in the RMAC while Regis will enter Brownson Arena as winners of five straight.
 
Defense continues to shine
 
The Mavericks' defensive abilities have continued to pave the way to their early success this year.  The Mavericks are holding opponents to a combined .119 attack percentage, the best mark in the RMAC and the 27^th best nationally.  Junior libero Taylor Woods leads the RMAC in digs per set (5.00) and is second in the loop with 185 total digs.  The 2-time Preseason RMAC Defensive Player of the Year, Woods has been in double figures in all 10 of the Mavericks' matches, reaching 20 in all four of their victories at the Lubbock Christian Chap Classic. 
 
"Newcomer" Serving her way to the top
 
Senior Megan Gianinetti tallied seven service aces in the Mavericks' first two RMAC wins last week and now has a RMAC-leading 21 on the season.  She also leads the RMAC in service aces per set (0.57) and ranks 20^th nationally in total service aces.  Gianinetti did not have a single service ace in her first three seasons with the Mavericks but was not a regular server, attempting just three total serves.
 
Scouting the Rangers
 
Regis moved up seven spots to No. 14 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association' Top 25 Poll after occupying the No. 21 spot last week.  They went 3-0 during the week claiming a non-conference road win at then No. 20 Colorado Mines (now No. 23) on Wednesday before opening RMAC play with 3-1 home wins over MSU Denver and UCCS over the weekend.  Earlier in non-conference play, the Rangers went a perfect 4-0 at the Colorado Mines Oredigger Classic to begin the year before finishing 3-1 at the Colorado Premier Challenge, which they co-host with MSU Denver annually.  That tournament brings together 12 of the perennial powers of NCAA Division II Volleyball each year.
 
The Rangers' leading hitter is sophomore outside hitter Kelsey Green, who has 140 kills, a 3.26-per set average that ranks her eighth in the RMAC.    Freshman Caitlyn Burroway is second on the team with 115 kills and leads the squad with 143 digs, one more than junior defensive specialist and libero Kristina Schell.  The Rangers are also talented in the middle with 6-foot-4 sophomore Nikki Kennedy, a transfer from the University of Denver, and 6-foot-2 Kristen Hornung both hitting over .350 and averaging more than a block per set.  Hornung paces the RMAC and ranks 16^th nationally with her 1.33 block per set average and has been the RMAC's Defensive Player of the Week in each of the last two weeks after Kennedy earned the first weekly honor on Sept. 4.
 
Scouting the Eagles
 
Chadron State will enter the week with 3-7 overall and 0-2 RMAC records.  The Eagles, who play at Western State on Friday, have dropped five of their last six, falling to UCCS and MSU Denver over the weekend in their first two home matches.
 
The Eagles' Dominika Senkerikova, a native of the Czech Republic, leads the team with 87 kills while Aijahnae Springs is right behind with 75.  Defensively, Emily Bruce has 139 digs.
 
Series Histories
 
The Mavericks and Rangers have seen a lot of each other in recent years, playing eight times in the last three years alone.  The last of those meetings was in a RMAC Tournament Quarterfinal on Nov. 15 of last season, just three days after the Rangers closed out the regular season with a win in Grand Junction.  Regis won all three of last year's meetings and have won five of the last eight overall although the Mavericks had won four straight at home prior to last year's set-back.  One of those wins was in the 2014 RMAC Tournament semifinals.
 
The Mavericks had dominated the series with the Eagles, winning every year dating back to and including 1996.  The Mavericks have not even lost a set at home against the Eagles since 2003.
 
Up Next
 
After this week's two matches, the Mavericks will remain at home to face Adams State and Fort Lewis on Sept. 29 and 30, respectively.  Both of those matches begin at 7 p.m.