CHADRON, Neb. – Mar. 10, 2021 – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference volleyball match between Chadron State College and MSU Denver, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been moved ahead to Thursday at 7 p.m. due to inclement weather. No spectators are being admitted to the match in Denver.
 
The CSC volleyball team now sits at 2-6 in RMAC play, 3-7 overall, as they take on the Roadrunners who are ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division II at 7-1 in the conference and 8-1 overall.
 
The Roadrunners were handed their first loss of the season on Mar. 4, having a seven-game win streak snapped by then-No. 4 Colorado Mesa. They lost the match 3-1.
 
MSUD has played 31 sets this season and have only lost five in total.
 
Part of what has made the Roadrunner offense so lethal has been the combined effort of sophomore outside hitter Rylee Hladky of Gillette, Wyo. with 92 kills, junior outside hitter Avaline Lai of Boulder, Colo. with 86 kills, and senior outside hitter Kayla White of Montgomery Ala. also with 86 kills.
 
Conroe, Texas native Ashlyn Cianciulli, a sophomore DS/L, has 135 digs and averages 4.50 per set in tandem with Hladky with 116 digs and 3.87 per set have made the defense solid. Hladky is the niece of former CSC basketball player Bubba Hladky ('97).
 
Sophomore Ember Canty of Sanford, Colo. and sophomore Mikayla McClinton of Raytown, MO. Have 29 and 27 block assists respectively.
 
After splitting a weekend pod in Golden, Colo. last weekend, the Eagles are looking for a win. CSC has lost six of its last seven matches after opening the season at 2-1.
 
Due to the number of teams competing in Division II, several of Chadron State's RMAC opponents have been ranked nationally. The match on Thursday will be the sixth such contest this season for CSC, having won one of those at then-No. 23 Black Hills State.
 
CSC is fifth in the league for total blocks with 1.95 per set. Chandler Hageman, a senior, and Rhiannon Nez, a freshman, are the top blockers for the Eagles which will be necessary to help mitigate the Roadrunner offense. The pair have combined for 66 total blocks this season.
 
Senior Karli Noble, who has seen action in 39 sets this season, has 157 digs and averages 4.03 per set, a team high. She ranks seventh in the league.
 
Following the matchup with MSU-Denver, the Eagles will play a pod in Durango, Colo. on Saturday, Mar. 20. Match one at Fort Lewis will begin at 11 a.m. and match two against Colorado Christian will begin at 2 p.m.