The University of Denver volleyball team is set to compete in the quarterfinal round of the Summit League tournament as the fifth seed. The Pioneers will face fourth-seeded North Dakota State University (NDSU) on Sunday at 5 p.m. MT in Brookings, South Dakota.
Denver holds a 21-8 all-time record against NDSU and secured a 3-1 victory in their most recent encounter on October 30, 2025, at Hamilton Gymnasium. In their last postseason meeting, Denver also defeated NDSU 3-1 during the opening round of the Summit League Tournament in Kansas City on November 24, 2024.
The winner of this match will advance to play top-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the semifinals on Monday night.
Head coach Megan Pendergast has guided Denver to two consecutive semifinal appearances, with losses to Omaha in 2023 and South Dakota State in 2024. The Pioneers have won four out of the last ten tournament titles but are seeking their first Summit League Tournament championship since 2019 and their first under Pendergast.
Denver’s offensive lineup features four players averaging at least two kills per set: Ava Reynolds, Genevieve Lewis, Jamia Johnson, and Alicia Thibodeau. Reynolds, Lewis, and Johnson have each surpassed their kill totals from last season. Kate Perryman and Thibodeau have both recorded over 100 kills this season, with Perryman reaching this milestone for the first time in her career.
Statistically, Denver ranks among the top teams in nine categories within the Summit League, including leading the league in opponent digs with an average of 11.26 per set. The team’s hitting percentage stands at .245—second-best in the conference and the highest achieved under Coach Pendergast.
Izabela Molina recently broke Denver’s single-game hitting percentage record by posting a .900 mark with nine kills on ten attempts against North Dakota on November 1. Molina leads the conference with a .396 hitting percentage and averages nearly one block per set.
In other news related to athletics at Denver, on October 31 it was announced that the university accepted an invitation to join the West Coast Conference (WCC) starting with the 2026-27 season for nine sports including women’s volleyball. This move is expected to enhance Denver’s reputation by associating it with institutions known for strong academic profiles across the western United States.
For further updates and coverage of all University of Denver NCAA Division I sports programs, visit DenverPioneers.com.
