The Pioneers women’s volleyball team (5-1) defeated the University of Tennessee (3-3) 3-0 to win thePioneer Classic hosted by DU at Hamilton Gymnasium Sept. 6 in front of more than 400 fans.
The Pioneers swept the Lady Volunteers in three straight sets (25-22, 25-16, 25-18) to stretch their unbeaten streak to four matches and capture the tournament crown. The Pioneers are the only team in the four-team field to have beaten all of their opponents while not dropping a single set in tournament play.
“I think this weekend was a great example of how well a team can work together,” Head Coach Beth Kuwata said. “We have different people step up at different times in clutch situations able to score points for us and make plays. I think that is one thing that we haven’t had in the past, and that is one thing that is going on right now, and that is pretty special. I couldn’t be happier with the results this weekend and with how well our team competed.”
For the Classic, the Pioneers were led by senior Kerry Porter, who finished with 26 kills and 10 blocks. Also turning in high numbers were senior Holly Benson and junior Emmy Davidsmeyer — finishing with 25 kills apiece. Along with her performance on the offensive end, Davidsmeyer also finished the tournament with seven assists, three aces, 25 digs and six blocks.
Davidsmeyer’s all-around performance awarded her the tournament MVP, while Porter and Benson received All-Tournament Team honors.
“Working together as a team is what this sport is all about and we came together to prove that. Winning MVP is a great honor, but I think the award should go to all of my teammates because we all made the effort to come out on top,” said Davidsmeyer.
The Iowa Hawkeyes finished as runner-up with a 2-1 record during the tournament after defeating the Virginia Cavaliers 3-2 earlier in the day. The Tennessee Lady Volunteers finished in fourth place after failing to win a match during the Classic.
The Pioneers return to action next weekend in Chicago at the DePaul Invitational, where they face Ball State Sept. 12 at and the University of Texas-San Antonio and DePaul University Sept. 13.