CANYON, Texas – #11 Concordia-St. Paul defeated #5 West Texas A&M in straight sets at the Auraria Event Center on Saturday, with scores of 25-20, 25-17, 25-21 to conclude the Colorado Premier Challenge in Denver.
 
The opening set saw a tightly contested battle as the teams exchanged points early. Sharlotte McClintock's kill at 5-5 initiated a three-point streak for the visiting team, with Bromli Watson providing crucial assists, contributing to WT taking a 9-7 lead. Despite a late surge from Concordia-St. Paul, highlighted by Kelsey Cooper's decisive kill, the Lady Buffs kept pace with contributions from Kaycee Cavanaugh and Currie Marusak, ultimately falling short 25-20 in a hard-fought set.
 
The second set saw Concordia-St. Paul gain an early lead, with Reagan Hickey setting the pace through multiple assists leading to key points, including a kill by Kaelyn Snoozy at 7-10. The Lady Buffs responded with a series of strong plays, including a block by Taytum Stow and a crucial kill by Currie Marusak at 6-7, with assists from Casey Loewer. However, Concordia-St. Paul's offensive momentum persisted, as they capitalized on a series of attack errors from WT, ultimately securing the set 25-17 despite late efforts from Emma Becker and Watson.
 
In the third set, the Lady Buffs began with a brief lead after a service ace by Hannah Pemberton at 4-2 and a block from Stow at 5-2, but Concordia-St. Paul quickly closed the gap. Marusak contributed key kills at the 8-6 and 9-7 marks, supported by assists from Watson, keeping the team competitive. Despite efforts from Cavanaugh and the team's resilience late in the set, CSP pulled ahead decisively with a run to secure the set 25-21.
 
Stow led the defensive effort for the Lady Buffs with six total blocks, including three solo. Marusak contributed offensively with eight kills and added five digs in the match. Watson facilitated the offense, recording 23 assists over three sets. Cavanaugh displayed versatility by posting six kills, nine digs, and two blocks.
 
Concordia-St. Paul's Cooper led the offense with a .467 hitting percentage, contributing nine kills on 15 attempts with only two errors. Setter Hickey was instrumental in the team's play, recording 44 assists with no errors, maintaining a perfect setting percentage. Snoozy was a force at the net, tallying 13 kills on 31 attempts for a .355 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, Ellie Sieling added depth with her contribution of nine kills, three assists, and 11 digs, leading to a total of 10 points. Makenna Nold also made a significant impact, leading the team with 14.5 points, including 13 kills and adding a service ace.
 
The Lady Buffs return to The Box next weekend for Lon Star Conference crossover action as they take on UT Tyler on Thursday night followed by a Saturday showdown with Angelo State.