Grit, determination, speed and accuracy — all the qualities of a great volleyball team and also all the qualities that Colorado State volleyball possessed in its biggest rivalry match of the year.
The Rams were a monster in the game against Colorado, that had yet to be unleashed prior, and destroyed a team that had a 9-0 record with a 3-0 sweep (25-21, 25-18, 25-17).
“I’m really proud of my team, honestly all of them,” Kekua Richards said. “They put in a lot of work this week, coming from that game from Notre Dame; we’ve been working hard every single day at practice, so I’m super, super, super proud.”
Right out of the gate, it was a scrappy match, with both sides of the court swinging away and digging even the hardest of hits. But that’s when the Rams went full throttle. Moby Arena was shaking with energy from fans as CSU sailed to success, all areas looking pristine, and the rest was history.
It’s nothing new when the Rams’ offense continuously delivers kills, but they have been lacking the most in defense in the back row. In CSU’s latest match, ND realized early on that the Rams lacked the hustle to win, prompting them to keep tipping — something CSU almost always failed to return.
Then CU attempted to exploit that same weakness by tipping, but the coverage was there as CSU didn’t let the same mistake be the reason they lost yet again.
“We played a very specific type of defense to stop the tips today, and that obviously worked,” head coach Emily Kohan said. “They’re going to go watch that film and be like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna have to go into the deeper corners a little bit more.’ And so again, it’s going to be a game of cat and mouse with what defense we play depending on what offense they’re going to try to roll out.”
The Rams were just one off from getting 40 digs — 12 more than the Buffs. And in those 39 digs came great coverage, especially when the ball was blocked and displayed significantly better hustle, chasing the ball even when it was shanked into the stands.
Every player was increasing the team’s momentum, but the sparks in the back row were none other than Delaney McIntosh; Halle Jameson; and Aine Doty, racking up a combined total of 22 digs.
Passing well, too, was Maria Brun, who’s a consistent piece of the puzzle for the Rams, no matter where she is. But now, especially in recent games, Jameson is creating that same name for herself, especially with those line drive hits that the block never sees coming.
“This is one of the most balanced offenses we’ve seen — probably since 2019,” Kohan said. “There wasn’t one person that had to carry the whole match. And that’s what makes it hard to defend, too. … (Erin Debiec) did a really nice job distributing the ball and getting everybody going right.”
Despite this being Debiec’s first year of real court time, she has been dishing out assists similar to the quality of what the Rams saw last year with Emery Herman. In fact, this entire team was playing like fifth-year stars that dominated their way through the Mountain West Championships, continuing the legacy of those before them.
For players like Richards, who have been with CSU for multiple years, she knows how much weight this rivalry carries. When the Rams won the Golden Spike last season, it was the first time they had won the trophy since its introduction in 2019, but now CSU has set the momentum to keep the coveted trophy in Fort Collins.
“I know my previous middle blockers, (Naeemah Weathers) and (Karina Leber), are probably super proud of me right now,” Richards said. “It’s super awesome to have that feeling.”
Richards not only made her mentors proud but put up great numbers in the process, with seven blocks throughout the night, continuing to assert her dominance as one of the best blockers in the nation.
Right there blocking in the air with Richards was Eve Wilson, who was second for the Rams in blocks at four, showing her tenacity after a quiet performance the past couple of games. Wilson still holds the highest kills for the team at 100, and she chose the perfect rivalry game to start showing off her talent again.
And that’s exactly what Kohan wanted from her, too, going into this game.
“I want us to just keep growing and getting better,” Kohan said. “I think we can get Eve Wilson going a little bit better, and they were really focused on her, but their game plan is going to be a little bit different. And we’re going to have to go in tomorrow and watch some film and try to make our own adjustments.”
Yet one adjustment that Kohan didn’t make Thursday was bringing in multiple players who didn’t start — similar to what she did in the 2024 season — with overall little substitutions in the game itself.
Especially in this nonconference portion of the season, Kohan has been testing out different players and rotations, but it seems like those who are coming together most are beginning to set their place in stone as conference season is fast approaching.
“The ones we started with tonight started off super strong, and there was no reason to really take them out,” Kohan said. “And even when we were up by a lot, I was like: No, I’m gonna let this one roll and let the people who’ve done their jobs sit out there for the celebration.”
But as the Rams exit Moby on a high note they have to keep in mind that the fight is far from done.
CSU now turns around and in less than 24 hours and will fight the Buffs once again at the CU Events Center, which will determine if CSU will continue to host the Golden Spike trophy or if it will find a new owner under the gold and black.
“I believe in us as a team that we will be able to bring that energy,” Brenna Rowland said. “(We want to) keep doing what we were practicing — that’s our biggest thing: show up, play clean volleyball, play our game and we will be just fine. But it’s going to be harder tomorrow, and I’m ready to work for it.”
Reach Sophie Webb at sports@collegian.com or on social media @sophgwebb.
