Colorado Springs, CO (October 15, 2021) - The DeSales University volleyball team split its two matches on day one of the Pikes Peak Challenge at Colorado College on Friday afternoon/evening.

Match #1 (W/3-2 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan)
A back and forth match saw DSU take sets one, three, and five to earn a hard fought five set win in the opening match of the weekend.  In the first set DeSales had 24-19 lead only to see NWC score five straight points to tie and the Bulldogs had to fight off a few set points eventually coming out victorious, 30-28, in the first set.

NWC took the second set and DeSales shook off a tough start (trailed 7-2) in the third set to take a 2-1 lead.  Nebraska Wesleyan tied it up winning the fourth set but the Bulldogs responded hitting .300 in the fifth set to earn the win.

Four different players had double digit kills including junior Austen Brewer with 14, junior Caroline Garretson with 13, first-year Mykenah Calder with 12, and junior Delanie Zohler with 11.

Calder added a team-high 28 digs, sophomore Shannon McDevitt had four blocks, sophomore Grace Grandinetti finished with 36 assists and 16 digs, and junior McKenzie Brady had 22 digs.

Match #2 (L/0-3 vs. Cornell College)
DeSales hit just .074 for the match, dropping the first, 25-20, narrowly falling in the second set, 25-22, and dropping a back-and-forth affair in the third set that featured 11 ties and five lead changes, 26-24.

Zohler played well yet again finishing with 15 kills and .205.  Garretson added nine kills, Grandinetti had 35 assists and 13 digs, and Brady added 13 digs.

The Bulldogs take on UC-Santa Cruz and Colorado College on day two tomorrow.