DENVER, Colo. – Competing in one of the deepest NCAA Division II tournaments in the country which features seven top-25 teams, the Saint Leo volleyball team split its opening two matches of the Colorado Premier Challenge. The Lions picked up a 3-1 victory over Colorado Christian before falling 3-0 to No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State.
 
The split keeps Saint Leo's record even at 3-3 on the year while CCU fell to 2-5 and the Mustangs improved to 4-2.
 
The Lions used a dominating defense against Colorado Christian as they out-blocked the Cougars 13-2 while holding CCU to a .128 hitting percentage. Senior Dallas Jasper led the suffocating attack with six blocks while junior Annabella Arcari added five stops. A total of six Lions had three or more blocks in the match.
 
"It took us the first set to calibrate and find our rhythm," said interim head coach Erik Peterson on the victory over CCU. "I think we settled in really well and executed our game plan. Our defense stepped up tremendously and we were able to keep four of their attackers below .100 which really allowed our transition offense to flourish. We had a nice lead in the fourth set and they made us earn it."
 
Junior Victoria Omoregie and sophomore Ashley Quero each chipped in 10 kills on the offensive side of the net while three others had six kills each. Senior Reggie Van Devender and freshman Cassandra Kamien split time at setter with Van Devender dishing out 24 assists and Kamien handing out 12. Freshman Payton Bellano continued her strong libero play with 18 digs in the victory.
 
The tables turned in the nightcap against nationally-ranked Southwest Minnesota State as the Lions struggled to find the offensive punch. The Lions compiled a negative hitting percentage as a team and were only able to pick up three blocks as a team. Quero (6), Omoregie (5) and Arcari (5) led the offensive attach while Bellano tallied the lone double-digit dig performance with 12.

"I have to give the Mustangs credit, they showed up to compete," continued Peterson following the match with Southwest Minnesota State. "We had the opportunity to reflect, learn and grow. We're looking forward to getting back at it tomorrow."
 
Saint Leo finished second in its pool due to the 1-1 record and will move on to play in the "Silver" bracket on Saturday. The Lions will take on either No. 10 Regis, No. 21 Missouri Western or Angelo State at 1:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon.   
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo volleyball, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com.  Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.