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The No. 17 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater split a pair of matches Friday on the first day of the two-day Colorado College Invitational in Colorado Springs, Colo.
 
The Warhawks (6-1 overall) swept Mary Hardin-Baylor, which is receiving votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, 25-15, 25-22, 25-22 to start the day, then were defeated in a hard-fought contest against 13th-ranked Colorado College 29-27, 24-26, 25-21, 25-19.
 
Against Mary Hardin-Baylor (3-3), the Warhawks hit .308 on offense and were perfect on serve receive, not allowing a single ace.
 
Senior outside hitter Jessica Sabey (Merrill, Wis./Merrill), junior outside hitter Lauren Pfeifer (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) and freshman middle hitter Kelley Berk (Cedarburg, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels) tallied 10 kills apiece to lead the offense. Pfeifer added eight digs.
 
Freshman middle hitter Sydney Racky (Walworth, Wis./Big Foot) registered nine kills, while sophomore middle hitter Courtney Wagner (Dekalb, Ill./Dekalb) totaled eight kills.
 
Junior setter Staci Hasler (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) recorded six kills as well as team highs in assists (39) and digs (12). Freshman defensive specialist Brittany Robinson (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) finished with eight digs and a team-best four service aces, while senior captain Jaclyn Krizka (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) and junior defensive specialist Tessa Weber (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Tremper) each contributed seven digs.
 
UW-Whitewater jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first set and didn't allow the Crusaders to get closer than three points the rest of the way. The team fell behind 12-7 in the second, but eventually tied the set at 14-14 and took the lead for good on a kill by Racky to make it 21-20.
 
The Warhawks saw a 24-18 lead dwindle to a two-point margin in the third, but Racky finished the match with a kill.
 
In the match against Colorado College (7-0), UW-Whitewater won a thrilling second set to even the match at 1-1. The team won the last two points, clinching the frame on a rare kill by Krizka.
 
The Warhawks dropped the final two sets to suffer their first setback of the 2015 campaign.
 
Pfeifer and Sabey posted 11 kills apiece. Wagner finished with nine kills and seven blocks, while Hasler littered the box score with seven kills, six digs, 34 assists and three blocks.
 
Robinson picked up a team-high 25 digs to lead the defense. Krizka had 13 digs, while Pfeifer contributed 10.
 
UW-Whitewater continues play in Colorado tomorrow against Chapman (Calif.) at 3 p.m. and Bluffton (Ohio) at 5 p.m.