The No. 6-ranked Wayne State volleyball opened the season with a 4-0 effort at the Hampton Inn/Denver West Golden Oredigger Volleyball Classic in Golden, Colo., finishing with a hard-fought 3-1 win Saturday evening over Western State of Colorado, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23 and 25-17.
Wayne State finished the contest with a .243 attack percentage, recording 53 kills on 152 attempts with 16 attack errors while Western State hit .185 with 56 kills and 25 errors on 168 attacks.
Alyssa Frauendorfer led Wayne State with 16 kills and a .366 attack percentage. Natalie Vondrak added 13 kills and 17 digs while Michaela Mestl also had a double-double with 11 kills and 19 digs. Sophomore setter Megan Gebhardt was credited with 38 set assists while freshman libero Haley Kauth accounted for 18 digs.
In earlier action Saturday, the Wildcats cruised to a 25-12, 25-16, 25-12 win over Indianapolis, holding the Greyhounds to a minus-.023 attack percentage.
Frauendorfer led the Wildcats with nine kills in the win followed by Mestl with eight and Vondrak seven. Gebhardt had 21 set assists while Kauth recorded 11 digs.
Wayne State will return to Colorado again next weekend for the Colorado State Pueblo Tournament Friday and Saturday, playing Nova Southeastern (Fla.) at 10 a.m. and host CSU Pueblo in a 7 p.m. match Friday.