(DIXIE STATE NCAA POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE)

Dixie State saw its 2018 season come to a disappointing end as the Trailblazers were stopped in three sets by Colorado Mesa in the first round of the NCAA Women's Volleyball South Central Regional first round Thursday afternoon inside the Tarleton State Wisdom Gym.

DSU, which claimed a share of the RMAC regular season championship in its first season in the conference, finished the season with a 22-6 overall record. The 22 wins also tied the program's NCAA-era record for overall victories.

The two teams battled back-and-forth in an opening set that featured 13 ties and seven leads changes, before the Trailblazers reached set point at 24-23 after a Megan Treanor kill. However the Mavericks (24-6) countered with three-straight kills of their own to wrestle the frame away, 26-24, to go up 1-0 in the match.

CMU breezed to a 25-17 win in set two thanks to a 15-7 spurt that broke a 10-10 tie and held a commanding 13-8 advantage midway through the third stanza. Dixie State would mount a rally, rattling off five-straight points as part of an 8-1 run to bolt out to a 16-14 lead. The two side then traded points until the Blazers reached set point at 24-23, and again at 25-24. But as was the case in the opening frame, the Mavericks managed to stave off both points and eventually clinched the set and the match, 28-26, to move on to the second round.

Treanor finished with a match-high 12 kills to go with 16 assists to post her team-best 12^th double-double of the year, while senior Hannah Doonan tallied seven kills, nine digs and three blocks in her final collegiate match. Sophomore Jordyn Nelson also notched a double-double with 16 assists and 13 digs, and senior Malary Marshall collected a match-high seven total blocks (one solo) with two kills in her final college match.

Dixie State was held to a .157 hitting percentage, finishing with 37 kills 115 attacks (with 19 errors). DSU's defense limited CMU to a .178 percentage thanks to 11.0 team blocks and 57 digs, including a match-high 17 for senior Sid Brandon.