PUEBLO, Colorado – The Angelo State volleyball team earned its fourth straight sweep of the season, defeating Colorado Sate-Pueblo 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-22) on Tuesday afternoon.
The Thunderwolves hit .185 in the match, marking the highest opponent hitting percentage ASU has given up so far this season, but the Belles also matched their season-high with 10 blocks and hit .285.
"It was a good start to the road trip for sure," Angelo State head volleyball coach Chuck Waddington said. "Baleigh Allen was really good for us today both as a blocker and an attacker. We'll have to keep working to improve our first contact as we continue to compete this year, but 5-0 is a good way to start."
ASU started the match slow, going down 5-3 early, and Waddington called a timeout with his team down 10-7. The Belles responded by scoring five of the next six points, taking a 12-11 lead on a block from Baleigh Allen and Sundara Chinn.
The block was one of six on the day for Allen, marking the second time she has had at least five in a game this season. The Katy native also added in a team-high 10 kills.
CSUP battled back and forth with the Belles for some time with neither team taking more than a one-point lead until a kill from Sophia Berg and a service ace from Makena Hanssen put the Belles up 19-16.
Berg set a new career high with seven kills in the match, while Hanssen dug seven balls and added in a pair of assists.
The Belles were able to keep the Thunderwolves at bay after that and Morgan Preston sealed the game one victory with a service ace – her eighth of the season.
Another slow start came in the second set for Angelo State, as CSU Pueblo took the first three points. ASU responded by scoring nine of the next 10 points to build a 9-4 lead. Five of the points during the run came with setter Meghan Parker at the line, as the junior added two more service aces to her team-leading total in the match.
Parker also tallied 34 assists in the match and added in 10 digs for her third double-double of the season.
The Thunderwolves pulled within one at 15-14, but the Belles stayed ahead with a kills from Audrey Fragniere and Allen.
Another short run with setter Eadara Files at the service line gave ASU some breathing room with a four-point lead and Allen close out the set with yet another kill.
For the first time all day, ASU took an early lead in the third set, going up 5-3 before quickly building a 12-6 lead on a kill from Fragniere.
Allen pushed the lead to its widest margin of five points with another kill at 16-11, but CSUP did not go down without a fight.
A 4-1 run late in the set put the Thunderwolves down by just one point before Fragniere drove in another pair of kills to put ASU up 24-22. Parker then stepped to the service line and ended the match with and ace.
The Belles will be back on the court Wednesday as the travel on to Colorado Springs to take on Colorado Christian at 6 p.m. CST (5 p.m. MST).
