LUBBOCK, Texas— Led by 11 kills from senior Megan Gianinetti and a solid defensive effort, the Colorado Mesa University volleyball team began the Lubbock Christian University Chap Classic with a straight-set (25-22, 25-19, 25-14) victory over the host Lady Chaps, Thursday evening here at the Rip Griffin Center.

The victory, keyed by holding the Lady Chaps to a .049 attack percentage, allowed the Mavericks to improve to 3-2 while snapping LCU's 8-match home-court winning streak from last year.  LCU fell to 1-4 this season.

The Mavericks recorded 67 digs as a team, 27 of which came from junior libero Taylor Woods, who moved from 12th to ninth on the Mavericks' all-time career digs chart in the process.  Woods now has 1,148 in her 2-plus year collegiate career.  

Sophomore setter Samantha Ritter, named as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Setter of the Week on Monday, also played well recorded 34 assists and 13 digs to record her first career double-double.   She also figured in three of the Mavericks' five blocks.

Sophomore Reed Jacobson also made her first career start, recording seven kills and 13 digs to impress.  Fellow outside hitter MacKenzie Edwards also chipped in nine kills in the victory.

Jaden Kennedy led the Lady Chaps with six kills.

The Mavericks never trailed in any of the three sets although the first was a battle, featuring five tied scores, including at 15.  However, back-to-back miscues by LCU followed by a Hattie Gianinetti block gave the Mavericks an 18-15 lead that would eventually grow to four points at both 22-18 and 23-19.

The Lady Chaps would not go away and used a 3-0 run of their own to pull within a point at 23-22 before a Jacobson kill and Hattie Gianinetti and Ritter block gave the Mavericks the opening set.

Ritter then began the second set at the service line as the Mavericks raced to an 8-0 lead thanks to three Edwards kills, a Ritter service ace, a block by Natalee Todd and Megan Gianinetti and back-to-back hitting errors by the Lady Chaps.

Still leading by seven at 19-12 late in the set, the Mavericks then went on another 4-0 run with Naomi Pinnecoose at the service line for her first action of the season while closing out the set on another Jacobson kill.

The Mavericks also got out to a 4-0 lead in the third set gradually building that lead to six (14-8).  They then went on another 5-1 run to increase the lead to double-figures, never looking back as redshirt freshman Hailey Crane put down the match-clinching kill.

The Mavericks continue the tournament with two more matches on Friday taking on Eastern New Mexico at 11 a.m. CDT (10 a.m. Mountain) and Southwestern Oklahoma State at 3 p.m. CDT (2 p.m. Mountain).

Live streaming and statistics can be found through the Lady Chaps' tournament website, accessed by clicking here.