GREELEY, Colo. – The second day of the Northern Colorado Classic was a test for the Hampton University volleyball team on Saturday, as Wyoming won the early match 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-16) and UC Davis beat the Lady Pirates 3-1 (25-19, 17-25, 25-19, 25-14) in the evening.
 
"We definitely faced a challenge this weekend," head coach Karen Weatherington said. "It was a big test of our ability to make adjustments when facing tough teams on the road."
 
Senior Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Strakova had 18 kills against Wyoming, hitting .317 for the match. Senior Marija Kocevska (SkopjeKarpos, Macedonia) hit a team-best .462, recording six kills and no errors in 13 attacks.
 
Senior Kitija Megne (Kuldiga, Latvia) had 30 assists and a team-high eight digs.
 
"I have to give Kitija and Vendy credit for stepping up big this weekend," Weatherington said. "They both enjoy the challenge of big-time competition and responded very well on the court."
 
The Lady Pirates hit .263 for the match (38 kills, 12 errors in 99 attacks), but Wyoming hit .448 (52 kills, nine errors in 96 attacks), held a 5-1 edge in aces, and led 5.0-3.0 in total team blocks.
 
A kill from senior Sonja Maksimovic (Belgrade, Serbia) tied the first set at 4-4, before Wyoming went on a 6-2 run to take a 10-6 lead. Wyoming later led the first set 18-10, before the Lady Pirates (5-8) went on a 5-2 run to cut the lead to 20-15 after a kill from Strakova.
 
But Wyoming scored five of the next eight points to take the first set 25-18.
 
Megne and Kocevska teamed on a block early in the second set to give the Lady Pirates a 5-3 lead, before a 7-3 run gave Wyoming a 10-8 lead. Junior Allysa Medina (Menifee, Calif.) had a kill on the next rally to cut the lead to 10-9, before Wyoming went on a 6-1 run to take a 16-10 lead.
 
A kill from Maksimovic later in the set cut Wyoming's lead to 17-12, but Wyoming closed the set on an 8-4 run to take the second set 25-18 and go up 2-0 in the match.
 
That momentum carried into the third set, in which Wyoming hit .500, though Hampton led 4-1 early in the set after a kill from Strakova; in fact, she scored three of the Lady Pirates' first four points of the third set.
 
Kocevska and Medina teamed on a block to give Hampton a 6-3 lead, but Wyoming answered with a 7-1 run to take a 10-7 lead. Wyoming later led 16-10, before a kill from Strakova – then Wyoming scored the next four points to go up 20-11.
 
A kill from Kocevska cut the lead to 22-15, but Wyoming scored three of the next four points to take the set and the match.
 
Strakova recorded her seventh double-double of the season in the nightcap against UC Davis, recording 19 kills and 12 digs. Freshman Mallory Beard (Chino Hills, Calif.) had a team-high 13 digs as the squad's libero.
 
"I was impressed with our defense and Mallory's debut at libero," Weatherington said. "That gives us more depth by allowing Allysa to move back into an attacking role."
 
Megne had 40 of Hampton's 45 assists.
 
The Lady Pirates held a 10-8 lead in the first set against UC Davis, before UC Davis went on a 9-3 run to take a 17-13 lead. UC Davis later led 20-16, before a kill from Maksimovic slowed the momentum and cut the lead to 20-17.
 
But UC Davis closed the set on a 5-2 run.
 
The Lady Pirates hit a team-best .268 (15 kills, four errors in 41 attacks) in the second set, and they led 7-3 after a kill from Medina. UC Davis fought back and cut the lead to 10-9 with a 6-3 run, but the Lady Pirates went up 13-10 after Strakova and Kocevska teamed on a block.
 
An ace from freshman Summer Humes (Los Angeles, Calif.) gave Hampton a 17-13 lead.
 
UC Davis scored the next point, cutting the lead to 17-14, but the Lady Pirates scored the next four points and took a 21-14 lead on a kill from Maksimovic. A 3-1 UC Davis spurt cut the lead to 22-17, but the Lady Pirates scored the last three points and tied the match at 1-1 after Medina clinched the second set with a kill.
 
The Lady Pirates led early in the third set, going up 8-4 after a kill from Megne. But UC Davis went on a 12-5 run to take a 16-13 lead, before Hampton scored the next four points, taking a 17-16 lead after a kill from Kocevska.
 
UC Davis scored the next two points, going up 18-17, before the Lady Pirates scored back-to-back points to go up 19-18. But UC Davis scored the last seven points of the set to take the frame 25-18 and go up 2-1 in the match.
 
A block from Kocevska gave the Lady Pirates a 6-4 lead early in the fourth set, before UC Davis went on a 10-2 run to take a 14-8 lead. The Lady Pirates scored the next two points to cut the lead to 14-10, but UC Davis closed the set on an 11-4 run to take the set and win the match.
 
UC Davis held an 18.0-4.0 edge in team blocks and 6-3 in aces.
 
"The experience has been a formidable one," Weatherington said. "We have been road warriors and remained a cohesive unit. I couldn't be more proud of this team and the way they fared facing the toughest schedule in program history.
 
"We are seasoned and strong and ready for the competition ahead."
 
The Lady Pirates open MEAC play in Holland Hall on Friday, taking on Norfolk State at 6 p.m. For more information on Hampton University volleyball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.