GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Several big statistical nights helped the Colorado Mesa University Mavericks to overcome a feisty Western Colorado University team in a 4-set volleyball victory on Saturday night in Brownson Arena.
 
The Mavericks now have their third separate 3-match winning streak of the season and improved to 11-3 overall while defeating the Mountaineers (4-11) for the 23^rd straight time since 2012.
 
Saturday's match, decided by a 25-22, 21-5, 25-16, 25-13 margin, was a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Regional Pod tussle but did not count in the conference standings, unlike CMU's 3-0 home win over the Mountaineers just 15 days earlier.
 
Maverick setter Sabrina VanDeList recorded 57 assists and added 10 digs for her second double-double of the week and the fifth of the season in the victory while Sierra Hunt and Sydney Leffler recorded 19 kills apiece from the right side and outside hitter positions, respectively.  Hunt's total, which came on .441 hitting, was good for a second-straight season-high while Leffler hit .353 while also tallying 14 digs and five blocks to register her second straight and third double-double of the campaign.  Leffler's 14 digs also allowed her to match her season and career-high.
 
Middle Nicole Martin also added 13 kills and five blocks while hitting .480 as well.
 
Maverick libero Allison Waller also recorded 21 digs as CMU finished with a 70-52 advantage in that category while finishing with a 65-44 edge in total kills.  Their 65 kills are also a team season-high.
 
The visitors were led by 13 kills from Seyun Park, who hit .414 on the night after recording 11 kills in the opening two sets, when the Mountaineers were out-playing the Mavs for large stretches.
 
However, Park was held to just two kills in the final two sets as the Mavericks were able to dominate the latter stages of both en route to the victory.
 
The Mountaineers led by large margins in the first half of both of the opening sets taking a 10-4 lead in the opening frame before the Mavs rallied back to take a 12-11 lead thanks to an 8-1 run that featured a pair of Martin blocks and kills from Leffler and Stormi Tadlock.  The set would be tight for the rest of the way and was tied at 21 before a Mountaineer service error triggered a 4-1 set-capping run as the Mavs took the 25-22 win on a Leffler kill.
 
The Mountaineers also built a 12-7 lead in the second set and led 19-13 later in the frame before the Mavs would claw back within 22-20 before a CMU service error helped the visitors even the match at 1-1 overall by scoring three of the final four points.
 
After an extended intermission, where four current Maverick indoor players were recognized alongside their 2022 AVCA Small College Beach Division II National Championship teammates, the teams were quite even as the third set was tied at 7 before the Mavs were able to open up a 12-8 cushion. 
 
The Mavs would continue to add to the lead and used kills by Hunt, Hahni Johnson and Tadlock to double their lead to 17-11 before cruising to the win.

Johnson, a redshirt senior from Anchorage, Alaska who is a 2-time beach all-American, played as the Mavs' No. 2 outside hitter for much of the match and recorded six of her now eight career kills.  She is normally a defensive and serving specialist and VanDeList's setting back-up.
 
She, VanDeList, Hunt and Leffler were all a part of the Mavs' national title-winning beach team and received commemorative rings during the intermission.
 
The fourth set was also tight early on and was tied at 7 before the Mavs were able to open a 13-10 lead.  They then went on a massive 12-3 match-ending run that saw Leffler record three consecutive kills to finish the match while allowing her to tie Hunt for match-high honors.
 
The Mavs finished the fourth set hitting .433 and hit .304 in the match as a whole.
 
The Mountaineers hit .375 in the second set victory but were held below .200 in the other three sets and the overall match at .193.
 
CMU is now 6-1 at home this season heading into another home weekend, which will see the Mavs host CSU Pueblo and Adams State next Friday (Oct. 11) and Saturday (Oct. 12), respectively.