Volleyball drops two at Colorado Premier

     DENVER, Colo. (Sept. 5) -- With the difficult task of facing two nationally ranked teams in a matter of hours, the Cameron women's volleyball team set out to turn heads in opening-day action at the Colorado Premier Challenge. But although the Aggies showed flashes of brilliance, two losses sent Coach Kim Vinson's squad to Saturday's Bronze Division bracket in the 12-team event.
     Cameron dropped a 3-1 decision to 10th-ranked North Dakota State, then fell in straight sets to No. 15 Metro State, slipping to 2-4 on the season.

#10 North Dakota State 3, Cameron 1
     Cameron won the first set against North Dakota State and looked to be on the way to a first-round upset. But the Bison rallied to win the next three frames, turning the Aggies away with a 3-1 victory. The Aggies took the first set in convincing fashion, winning 30-19. But NDSU rallied to win the final three sets, 30-27, 30-24, and 30-23. The loss dropped Cameron to 2-3 on the season, while NDSU improved to 5-1.
     “We started off very focused and very relaxed and we played well,” Vinson said of her team’s effort in the opening frame. “But as the match progressed, we started thinking too much and began to be more inconsistent.”
     Cameron appeared to pick up right where it left off in the second set , building an early 12-6 advantage. But six straight points by the Bison swung momentum in North Dakota State’s favor. NDSU raced to a 21-17 lead on a series of kills by Jenny Gronner-Roisum before Cameron rallied behind three late kills from Kosick. The Aggies forced a tie at 24-24 and fought off one game point with a kill from junior Nicole Reinhart before succumbing, 27-30.
     With the momentum on their side, NDSU continued to recover from its first-set lull. Aided by Cameron miscues, the Bison ran up an 18-9 advantage midway through the set. The Aggies again staged a late rally, capped by a Jennifer Landry kill that pulled Cameron within three at 23-20. But a pair of service errors put NDSU back in control and despite late kills by Taran Turner and Morgan Meyer, the Bison took a 2-1 match lead with a 30-24 third-set win.
     The fourth set began with the teams trading points. Cameron went up 10-7, but four straight NDSU points gave the Bison an 11-10 advantage. The Aggies held a pair of slim leads later in the game, but an 8-0 North Dakota State run midway through the set turned a 16-15 Bison lead into a commanding 24-15 advantage. From there the Bison, who dropped their first match of the season with a 3-1 loss to 21st-ranked Northern Colorado on Wednesday, closed out the set and the match with a 30-23 win in the fourth frame.
     Kosick led the Aggie offensive effort once again, posting a match-high 22 kills on 52 attempts. Meyer added 15 kills and freshman setter Vicki Ibarra registered 41 assists. Cameron out-hit the Bison .170 to .152 in the match, but four NDSU players recorded double-digit kills, led by 15 from senior middle hitter Nicole Rieck.

#15 Metro State 3, Cameron 0
     Against Metron State, the Aggies fell behind early and never fully recovered. The Aggies lost by scores of 26-30, 28-30, 25-30, falling to 2-4 on the season. Metro State improved to 3-2.
     Cameron overcame a 15-10 deficit midway through the opening set, but couldn't overcome a six-kill, no-error effort from Metro's Shawna Gilbert in losing the first set.
     The second game went back and forth, with ties at every point from 15 to 20. Metro State opened up a three-point lead at 21-24, however, and held off a late Aggie charge to win the second frame and put the Aggies in a two-game hole.
     Cameron continued to battle in the third set, however. Strong offensive efforts by Meyer and junior middle blocker Nicole Reinhart helped the Aggies take a 12-9 lead early in the set. But after Metro State rallied to tie the score at 15-15, the teams began another point-for-point exchange. Cameron led 20-18 before Metro State used an 8-2 run to take a 26-22 lead. Cameron threatened to extend the match with a 3-0 run late in the frame, but Metro State scored four unanswered points to win the set and the match.
     "We definitely had missed opportunities in both of these matches get the confidence that we are a good team," Vinson said. "But hopefully those chances will continue to present themselves and we'll begin to take advantage of them."
     Kosick again led the Aggies with 16 kills and 12 digs. Meyer added 14 kills and Reinhart produced five blocks. Metro State was led by Jessy Roy's 17 kills, as the Roadrunners outhit the Aggies .255 to .188.
     Cameron will compete in Saturday's Bronze Division. The Aggies (2-4) will face an undetermined opponent at noon (MT). A win in the noon match would send the Aggies to the Bronze Division championship match at 5:00, while a loss would put Cameron in a 2:30 matchup to determine third place in the division.