GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – In a battle for the Western Slope, the Colorado Mesa Volleyball team took home bragging rights Saturday afternoon in Brownson Arena, taking down the Western Colorado Mountaineers in four sets.

It was an offensive battle with each team putting down 43 kills, the effects of tough serving felt by both sides with nine services aces a piece. Defensively, the Mavericks held the advantage in digs 52-49, to go along with seven blocks to the Mountaineers, four.

Sierra Hunt was the hot hand finishing with 11 kills to lead the Maverick offense, Tye Wedhorn chipped in another 10 kills, hitting .381. Sabrina VanDeList handed out 34 assists on the afternoon, matching her season best with another four service aces.

Kerstin Layman snagged 13 digs, Allison Waller adding nine to go along with three service aces.

Western Colorado opened the match with a service ace, and used that momentum to take a 3-point lead at 9-6. That lead would hold for the remainder of the opening set with the
Mountaineers going up be as many as 10, on their way to claiming the first set 25-18.

Roles would be reversed in the second set with the Maverick finding their groove. A kill by Erin Curl put the Mavs up 18-10, forcing the Mountaineers to call a timeout. First to 20 the Mavs ran away with the set, 25-15, to even the match.

Set three saw a series of runs on both sides of the net. The Mavericks built up a six-point lead, overshadowed by errors to tie the set at 15.

A Mountaineer service error gave way to a Maverick block, ace and back-to-back kills from Sydney Leffler. It was Leffler once again to put it down to claim the set, 25-17.

The fourth and final set was all CMU. An early lead would only grow, leaving the Mountaineers in the dust on the way and taking the match with a 25-15 set.

Jaed Davis-Golliher paced the Mountaineers offense with 12 kills, Emily Mangone with 10. Delaney Ochsner finished with a match high 18 digs, adding three services aces.

After enjoying consecutive weekends at home, the Mavs hit the road heading up to South Dakota to tussle with Black Hills State (Oct. 7) and South Dakota Mines (Oct. 8) to continue conference play. Games are slated for 7 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.