UCCS lost to MSU Denver in straight sets Thursday, falling 22-25, 19-25 and 24-26 in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Power Pod matchup. The Mountain Lions rallied late in the third set to take a 24-23 lead, but the Roadrunners won the next three points to seal the match.

By the Numbers
  • UCCS: 13-8 overall, 8-2 in RMAC play; MSU Denver: 15-6 overall, 9-1 in RMAC play.
  • Payton Tompkins led UCCS with 12 kills, hitting .312, and added 8 digs, 2 aces and 1.5 blocks.
  • UCCS hit .223 with 39 kills; MSU Denver hit .290 with 46 kills.
  • Tompkins moved to seventh in UCCS career kills with 1,038 and entered the program’s top 10 in career points with 1,180.
Yes, But

UCCS showed its strongest push in the third set, taking a late lead behind four kills from Nicole Himebauch. But MSU Denver answered with two kills and capitalized on a UCCS attack error to finish the sweep.

What's Next

UCCS returns to the Auraria Event Center Friday to face Colorado State University Pueblo in another Power Pod match. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Bottom Line

The loss ends UCCS’ chance to rebound in Denver, but Tompkins’ career milestones and the team’s late third-set fight offer bright spots heading into Friday’s matchup.