CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M senior Currie Marusak registered a career-high 23 kills on Thursday night to send the #20 Lady Buffs to the NCAA South Central Regional Semifinals with a four-set win (25-19, 25-19, 21-25, 25-20) at the Auraria Event Center in Denver, Colorado.
 
WT opened the first set with efficient play, quickly securing a lead with kills from Emma Becker and Taytum Stow, both facilitated by Hannah Pemberton. The team maintained momentum, expanding their advantage to 7-2 with contributions from Bromli Watson and Currie Marusak. Despite a brief rally by CSU Pueblo that tied the score at 10, the Lady Buffs regained control with a series of effective attacks, including a service ace by Landri Jay.
 
The set continued with WT capitalizing on opponent errors and consistent kills from Marusak, who frequently connected with Watson. The Lady Buffs extended their lead to 21-14 before CSU Pueblo attempted to narrow the gap. However, decisive plays by Marusak and a final block by Stow and Becker secured the set for the Lady Buffs, closing at 25-19.
 
West Texas A&M gained momentum early in the second set with a series of kills, beginning with Parker Gladhill and Emma Becker contributing to an early 2-0 lead. CSU Pueblo responded, but the Lady Buffs maintained pressure with crucial blocks by Taytum Stow and Bromli Watson, extending the lead to 5-3.
 
As the set progressed, the Lady Buffs continued to outpace their opponents, with Currie Marusak and Parker Gladhill adding key points, pushing the score to 13-5. Hannah Pemberton's assists were instrumental in sustaining the offensive efforts, and the team built a commanding 19-7 advantage. Despite a late push by CSU Pueblo, which included a series of kills by Caelyn Gunn, the Lady Buffs held firm. The set concluded with a decisive kill from Parker Gladhill, securing a 25-19 victory.
 
The third set began with WT attempting to regain momentum after a tightly contested start. Emma Becker and Taytum Stow combined efficiently to challenge CSU Pueblo's defense, keeping the score close through the early exchanges. Currie Marusak capitalized on key setups from Kaycee Cavanaugh and Bromli Watson, helping the Buffs maintain a narrow lead midway.
 
As the set progressed, CSU Pueblo capitalized on the Lady Buffs' attack errors to pull ahead. Despite several successful plays, including a notable block by Casey Loewer and Stow, the visitors edged out the set. CSU Pueblo managed to close the set with a 25-21 advantage.
 
CSU Pueblo took an early lead in the fourth set, capitalizing on attack errors by WT to go up 3-0. Emma Becker answered with a kill to put the Buffs on the board. Taytum Stow added a pair of kills, helping the Lady Buffs draw even at 6-6 after a block by Currie Marusak and Parker Gladhill. WT found momentum with a series of kills and opponent errors, taking a 10-8 lead. CSU Pueblo managed to tie the score at 10-10 with a service ace, but the Lady Buffs quickly regained control. Casey Loewer and Emma Becker contributed key points, extending the lead to 15-12.
 
The Lady Buffs kept pushing, with Marusak delivering multiple kills to maintain the edge. Despite a late push from CSU Pueblo to close the gap to 23-20, WT secured the set 25-20 with a decisive kill by Taytum Stow, closing the match.
 
Currie Marusak recorded 23 kills and 17 digs, accumulating a total of 25 points. Taytum Stow was efficient on the attack with 13 kills and no errors on 22 attempts, while also contributing six blocks. Emma Becker matched Marusak with 17 digs, showcasing her defensive capabilities. Hannah Pemberton facilitated the offense with 29 assists, helping to orchestrate the team's attack.
 
Elena Stankovic played a crucial role for CSU Pueblo with her impressive setting, recording 38 assists across four games, and also contributed defensively with five total blocks. Finja Schul was a significant presence at the net, leading the team with seven total blocks and adding four kills. Caelyn Gunn provided offensive support with 14 kills on 43 attempts, while also contributing three assists and one block assist. Taylor Cary added versatility to the lineup with 10 kills and two service aces, accumulating a total of 12 points.
 
The Lady Buffs face the top-seeded and #10 Roadruners of MSU Denver in the semifinal round on Friday night with first serve set for 8:00 p.m. CT in Denver.