Staying strong is the focus for Colorado State Volleyball as the team added another win to its streak, defeating Fresno State 3-0 (25-13; 25-13; 25-11) in a match that featured fans dressed in costumes. The event, dubbed “Volloween,” echoed last year’s celebration but showcased a largely new roster.
Maria Brun, Halle Jameson, and Riley Simpson were key contributors, combining for 24 kills. Brun led with 10 kills and three blocks, while Jameson and Simpson each added seven kills. Jameson described the teamwork among them: “It’s really fun,” she said. “I just feel like we have a lot of trust in each other. And when I’m back row, I know Maria and Riley are up there and they’re going to get a lot of kills. So, I want to get them a pass. And then when Maria’s back row, I know she’s going to perform for me. I just think we have a lot of trust in each other. And it’s good that we have so many different options of attackers.”
Coach Emily Kohan used the opportunity to try different lineups during the first set after building an early lead. Setter Zosia Szczotkiewicz and Jazen DeBina both saw playing time; DeBina finished with two kills and a block.
Kohan noted the unity within the squad: “Yeah, the team really loves each other,” she said. “You’ll watch the bench celebrations, and I think it shows that they’re celebrating for their teammates that are out on the court doing some of those things. And regardless of what the lineup is, I think our team is stuck together. One of our core values is unity, and we have stayed as a unit throughout the season.”
Erin Debiec contributed with strategic tips at the net, providing variety in attack options for CSU.
Eve Wilson praised Debiec’s play: “Erin is a very smart player,” Wilson said. “She’s so fun to play with. She’s always two steps ahead, so she’s very smart. Especially when she gets both of our hitters going.” Wilson recorded three blocks and five kills herself as five Rams players tallied at least five kills.
On defense, Colorado State held Fresno State to only 18 kills while nearly every player recorded at least one dig—a sign of improved balance compared to earlier in October.
Reflecting on their progress over the month, Kohan said: “This is our last game in October, so our pre-game speech was to get better in October,” she said. “I think for a lot of teams, October is hard, and you just kind of survive through it. So I thought that was great that if you look at our New Mexico game, which was our first October game, to now, we’ve gotten a lot better in a lot of different ways.”
CSU has not played any five-set matches during its current five-game winning streak; its last two victories were sweeps.
Jameson highlighted their approach late in games: “It’s just knowing we have to keep playing hard and not give them a chance to come back in,” she said. “Because when you’re playing really hard teams if you give them an inch of room they’re going to come back and fight against you.So you have to fight the whole game and be ready the whole time.”
Kohan emphasized wanting her players both competitive spirit and enjoyment: “I want them to be competitive,” Kohan said.”I want them to enjoy it but you also want them to smile through this right? They’re still 18- to 22-year-old kids if we’re going to call them that.And so I think they do enjoy it.I mean they’re here to play volleyball,and they’re competitive and want to win.But yeah they’re smiling a lot of the time.”
Looking ahead one match away from facing Utah State—undefeated in conference play—CSU recognizes challenges remain as they seek continued improvement.
Wilson summed up their mindset: “We’re definitely not satisfied,” Wilson said.”And I think kind of the same thing with the Wyoming game;we have some revenge still.So we have a lot of work to do for this team so we’ll come back and win.”
