THE RUNDOWN
DBU (4-2) won in three close sets against Steel City Showcase host Colorado State Pueblo (5-1) to hand the ThunderWolves their first loss of the season. The Lady Patriots hit .350 against a ThunderWolves squad has held all other opponents to only .124.

The first set was a tug-of-war. The two teams found themselves tied, 6-6, through the first dozen points. CSU Pueblo looked to have control as they took a 15-13 lead but were forced to call a timeout when DBU pulled ahead, 18-16. Delaney Fuller, AJ Koele, and Lindsey Otero combined for 14 kills to push the Lady Patriots to claim set one.

Set number two was the cousin to the first. It featured seven lead changes like the first, and the ThunderWolves appeared like they were going to take the set by a small margin. Trailing 15-12, Abby Phillips started to turn the tide with a first ball kill that was followed by a double block by Koele and Otero, an attack error by CSU Pueblo, and another kill by Koele to put the Lady Patriots ahead, 16-15. DBU didn't trail the rest of the frame.

DBU built on its momentum in the third set. After an 8-8 start, the Lady Patriots kept the ThunderWolves in check, going on a 10-2 run. CSU Pueblo slowed DBU's pace but not enough to prevent the Lady Patriots from taking the match-clinching set. The Lady Patriots had a hitting percentage of .406 in the third set, their highest mark in third frame this year.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- For the second time this season, three Lady Patriots finished with double-digit kills (Fuller, Koele, Phillips).
- Along with having 10 or more kills in today's game, the trio also contributed defensively with at least 5 digs each.
- For the first time this season, Koele did not lead the Lady Patriots in kills. Instead, Fuller took charge with 17 daggers.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.350 - The Lady Patriots have hit .350 or better in back-to-back games.
40 - Setter Lauryn Burt dished more than 40 assists for the second game in a row.
.200 - DBU limited CSU Pueblo to hitting under .200. The Lady Patriots are a perfect 3-0 when they hold their opponents below that mark. 
 
HEAD COACH JORDAN FISH ON THE TEAM'S PERFORMANCE FRIDAY NIGHT
"It was a total team effort, and I am so proud of each player. We are really starting to gel on the court. Everyone loves each other and we were able to fire away from all angles. Excited for another tough day tomorrow."
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Patriots have two games scheduled for tomorrow. They continue play at the Steel City Showcase with games against Cal State Monterey Bay at 12:30 pm CST and Wilmington at 5:30 pm CST.
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