Pensacola, Fla. - The University of West Florida volleyball team defeated Western Missouri 3-1 (25-22, 25-19, 21-25, 25-20) in the semifinals of the Colorado Premier Challenge tournament in Denver. The Argos then came up short against Point Loma (11-25, 21-25, 11-25) in the championship match.
 
West Florida powered past Missouri Western in four sets to punch its ticket to the championship of the Colorado Premier Challenge. The Argonauts were relentless on the attack, finishing with a .212 hitting percentage while holding the Griffons to just .138. UWF controlled the match early, taking the first two sets behind crisp ball movement and balanced scoring, then regrouped after a third set slip to close out the victory in dominant fashion.
 
Three Argonauts posted double-digit kills, with Ana Colon leading the Argos' offensive surge with a team-high 14 kills, hitting .281 and adding two blocks. Magdalena Vongkasemsiri was equally impressive with 13 kills at a .387 clip, while veteran setter Gabi Moulton orchestrated the attack with 46 assists and chipped in eight kills of her own on a .538 hitting percentage. Emily Breazeale provided a spark on the outside with 12 kills and 11 digs, completing a double-double and rounding out a versatile offensive front that proved too much for Missouri Western to contain.
 
Defensively, West Florida out-dug the Griffons 73-57 and racking up 22 blocks. Madalyn Mire anchored the back row with a match-high 23 digs, while Taylor Teaman and Colon provided timely serving pressure to keep Missouri Western off balance.
 
West Florida then fell to Point Loma in Saturday night's championship match, but the Argos left Denver having showcased their depth and fight on a national stage. After a tough opening frame, UWF regrouped in the second set and battled through five ties and three lead changes before the Sea Lions pulled away late.
 
Several Argonauts turned in strong performances against a Point Loma squad that hit .309 as a team. Freshman Kaylin Johnson provided four kills on a .308 clip, while Reece Wright added four kills of her own at .222. Moulton dished out 14 assists and chipped in three kills, while Teaman posted seven digs.
 
Following the conclusion of the tournament, Kumara Flanagain and Gabi Moulton were named to the All-Tournament Team.

UWF will hit the road to face Florida Southern College in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, September 19 at 3:00 p.m. Central Time. Live stats will be available on GoArgos.com.
 
For more information on the UWF volleyball program, visit GoArgos.com and follow the team on social media at @uwfvolleyball (Instagram) and @UWFVolleyball (X).