SALT LAKE CITY – The Westminster women's volleyball team started fast, but couldn't keep it going in a four-set loss to MSU Denver in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference match on Friday night in the Behnken Field House.
 
Westminster (5-15, 2-10) tallied 34 kills and hit .368 through the first two sets yet they found themselves even in the match. MSU Denver (13-8, 10-2) would then take over the final two sets and extend their winning streak to 10 straight matches while handing the Griffins a fifth consecutive loss.
 
Westminster couldn't take advantage of a career high 21 kills from Amara Culpepper. The sophomore had eight kills in the opening set and then tallied seven in the second. She finished as the only Griffin in double figures as Alyse Horton had nine kills and Desiree Wickwar added eight.
 
After getting 11 kills in the opening set loss, MSU Denver finished the match with a 58-52 edge in kills and they hit .294 to the .180 from the Griffins. The visitors had a 1-70 advantage in digs and a 7-4 lead in blocks.
 
Taylor Gustafson handed out a season high 37 assists for the Griffins while adding four kills and 13 digs for her first double-double of the year. Megan Gallegos added 19 digs in defeat.
 
The Roadrunners had four players in double figures in kills and they were led by 15 from Michaela Smith.
 
Westminster will look to snap their slide on Saturday when they host UC-Colorado Springs in the Behnken Field House at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at WestminsterGriffins.com/tickets.