Colorado State volleyball team proud of standout season

MINNEAPOLIS – There wasn't a crushing sadness weighing on the CSU volleyball team.

Surely the Rams Sweet 16 loss in the NCAA tournament to Texas hurt.

A 3-0 sweep at the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis wasn't how Colorado State University saw its season ending.

But shortly after the match ended players stood tall with a look of pride as much as dejection as they talked about the defeat and the season.

"This hurts. It's not the way we wanted to end the season," outside hitter Marlee Reynolds said. "Looking back we don't have anything to be disappointed about. We rose to the occasion several times playing big teams."

The Rams went 31-3 in 2014, finishing with the second-most wins in program history and a .912 winning percentage was also the second-best mark in team history.

In nonconference play CSU faced six teams that eventually made the NCAA tournament, beating five of them.

When it came time for NCAA tournament action the Rams earned the right to host first- and second-round matches.

They beat the University of Denver in the first round then took out the University of Colorado in a five-set thriller.

Then CSU hit the wall that it just can't seem to scale.

For the 10th time in program history the Rams made the last 16. For the 10th time that's where the trip ended.

But the players didn't talk much about what they were unable to accomplish, rather what they did do.

"We won another Mountain West championship and we got to host the first two rounds," Reynolds said. "In all it was a really good year."

The MW title was CSU's sixth in a row.

Now the Rams look to next year. The team graduates three players: Reynolds, middle blocker Kelsey Snider and setter Deedra Foss, who finished with the fifth-most assists in school history and was named MW Player of the Year in 2014.

At outside hitter the Rams look to be in good position after Jasmine Hanna's impressive freshman season. At middle blocker Alexandra Poletto had a strong freshman season and Acacia Andrews has experience.

Incoming freshman Kirstie Hillyer and Jessica Jackson could also compete for playing time.

Crystal Young, a transfer from Blinn College, will replace Foss.

The Rams also return longtime starters Adrianna Culbert and libero Jaime Colaizzi and consistent contributors Cassidy Denny and Kaitlind Bestgen.

At a later time they will look at why they couldn't get past the Sweet 16. But with the sting still fresh it was more about reflection.

"It was a great season for us. We played a lot of big times and got big wins," Foss said. "I couldn't have asked for a better senior year.

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle at twitter.com/Kevin_Lytle and at facebook.com/KevinSLytle.

2014 season recap

Recod: 31-3

Finish: Lost in Sweet 16 to Texas

Notable: Won sixth-straight Mountain West title…Reached Sweet 16 for 10th time in program history and first since 2009…Finished second in program history in both wins and winning percentage.