#11 UCLA Defeats DU Volleyball In Close Matches

(above) Boone and several members of DU's basketball team watch the volleyball action against UCLA on Thursday night

Full Game Report

The University of Denver volleyball team pushed #11 UCLA all evening long, but came up on the short end of a 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-18) decision on Thursday night in the opening match of the 2013 Denver Invitational.

The loss marked the Pioneers’ second straight following a three-match winning streak and dropped their overall mark to 5-3. UCLA improved its season record to 6-1 with the victory.

DU Hires New Women's Volleyball Coach

Jesse Mahoney

From: The Coloradoan

Jesse Mahoney, an assistant volleyball coach at Colorado State University for the past seven seasons, has been hired as the head coach at the University of Denver.

DU athletic director Peg Bradley-Doppes made the announcement this afternoon.

Mahoney, 40, replaces Beth Kuwata, who moved into another position within DU's athletic department.

''I am definitely excited about the opportunity to go to DU,'' Mahoney said.

''There's a lot of excellence in that athletic department and to be able to stay in the state that we consider home, to be part of a great academic institution, as well as a great athletic department. To be able to recruit elite students and elite athletes at the same time, you don't get better opportunities than that.''

Mahoney grew up in Boulder, and his wife is a Colorado native. They have three sons -- Macy, 5, Griffin, 4 and Declan, 2.

Mahoney holds both a bachelor's degree in psychology and law degree from the University of Colorado. He spent six seasons as the head coach at Fort Hays State, an NCAA Division II program in Kansas, before coming to Colorado State University as an assistant to Tom Hilbert in 2005. Mahoney's teams went 107-82 at Fort Hays State, including a 31-5 record in 2004, his final season there.

CSU coach Tom Hilbert wished Mahoney well and said this was a great opportunity for his former assistant to run his own program.

''He deserves it,'' Hilbert said. ''He's been working at this for a long time. He's been very loyal to this place, because I know he's had other opportunities. There are certain jobs that fit for him and his family, and this is one of them, so I'm happy that he got it.''

DU Looks To Replace Volleyball Coach

From: Boxscore.com

University of Denver head volleyball coach and DU alum Beth Kuwata has resigned after 16 seasons at the school. Most likely DU will look to bring in a coach that will take DU's volleyball program to the "next level."

Kuwata, who guided the Pioneers to a 13-16 record in 2011, resigns as DU’s all-time winningest volleyball coach with a 254-237 (.517) record. She also helped DU volleyball transition to Division I status in 1999.  Kuwata has been reassigned at Denver and will work with DU’s development staff.

As a student-athlete for the Pioneers from 1984-87, Kuwata was selected as the team’s most valuable player four times, was named to the All-Continental Divide Conference first team three consecutive seasons, and was named CDC player of the week once. She ranks as the Pioneers’ all-time leader in service aces (192), sixth in career assists (2,850), and 10th in digs per set (2.94) and attack percentage (.233).