The energy at Cox Pavilion was... different. If you followed the mountain west volleyball tournament 2024, you know it wasn't just about the box scores or the trophy. It was a pressure cooker.
Colorado State walked away with the hardware, beating San Jose State in a four-set battle (27-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-16). But getting to that final point felt like a marathon through a minefield.
The Match That Defined the Mountain West Volleyball Tournament 2024
Let's talk about that final.
Colorado State was on a mission. They had just finished the regular season as the standalone champs, but they had these ghosts from 2023 haunting them. Remember Fresno State? The Rams were up 2-0 in that championship match and blew it.
Going into the fourth set against San Jose State this time, they were up 2-1. You could almost feel the "here we go again" vibes when they dropped that third set 23-25.
Then Maria Brun stepped back to the service line.
She went on an absolute tear. An eight-point run to close it out. Boom. The Rams didn't just win; they slammed the door shut. Malaya Jones was a force, racking up 26 kills. Honestly, watching her play is like watching someone play on a different rim height. She's just that explosive.
Why the Tournament Felt So Heavy
It’s impossible to ignore the elephant in the room. This tournament was clouded by Boise State's forfeit. They were supposed to play San Jose State in the semifinals but pulled out at the last second.
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Politics and lawsuits and boycotts.
It was a lot for these college athletes to carry. Some teams refused to play because of the presence of SJSU’s Blaire Fleming. CSU took a different path. Coach Emily Kohan basically told her team to focus on the "Ramily" and control what they could on the court.
They decided to play. And they won.
By the Numbers: Performance Deep Dive
When you look at the hitting percentages, the mountain west volleyball tournament 2024 final was actually a clinic by Colorado State. They hit .409.
Think about that.
In a championship environment with all that noise? That's ridiculous efficiency.
- Emery Herman: 34 assists, 7 digs, 4 kills. She was the engine. MVP for a reason.
- Malaya Jones: 26 kills. She hit .317 on 60 swings.
- Naeemah Weathers: 10 kills and zero—literally zero—errors.
- SJSU's Blaire Fleming: Led her team with 15 kills despite the intense scrutiny.
The Rams' defense was just a wall. They out-dug the Spartans significantly, with Kate Yoshimoto and Aine Doty cleaning up everything that crossed the net. It wasn't just power; it was discipline.
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The Road Through Las Vegas
The bracket wasn't exactly what everyone expected because of the forfeitures.
San Jose State got a bye. Boise State won their first match against Utah State and then walked away. It created a weird rhythm for the tournament. Usually, you want that "grind" of playing every day to stay sharp.
Colorado State had to beat San Diego State in the semis just to get a shot at the title. They did it in four sets, looking solid but maybe a little shaky in moments. By the time Saturday hit, they looked like the version of the Rams that dominated the conference all year.
The Fifth-Year Factor
Why did CSU win? Experience.
They had five fifth-year seniors. Emery Herman, Naeemah Weathers, Kennedy Stanford, Karina Leber, and Malaya Jones.
These women didn't come back for "vibes." They came back because they felt like they left money on the table in 2023. You could see it in how they handled the deuce points in the first set. 27-25 is a coin flip. The Rams won that flip because they’d been there before.
What People Get Wrong About This Win
A lot of people want to make this about the "controversy" or a "statement."
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If you talk to the players, it was about volleyball. It was about the 50th season of the program. It was about Emily Kohan getting her first tournament title in only her second year as head coach.
The Mountain West is a tough conference. People forget that. Utah State was a juggernaut for most of the year. San Diego State was dangerous. Winning both the regular season and the tournament is a massive feat that gets overshadowed by the headlines.
What’s Next for the Mountain West?
The landscape is shifting. With the "Pac-12" expansion looming, the mountain west volleyball tournament 2024 might be one of the last ones we see in this specific format.
For the Rams, this win punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. It ended a drought. It proved that their system works.
Practical Steps to Follow Mountain West Volleyball:
- Watch the Replays: The MW Network usually keeps full match archives. Watch the 4th set of the final to see Maria Brun’s service run. It’s a masterclass in pressure serving.
- Track the Transfer Portal: With the season over, many rosters will shift. Keep an eye on where the SJSU and CSU seniors head if they have eligibility left.
- Check the 2025 Schedule: Conference realignments are coming. If you want to see these rivalries again, check the fall 2025 schedules early, as some traditional matchups are disappearing.
The 2024 season was loud, messy, and complicated. But on the court, in the final moments in Las Vegas, it was just about who could side-out better. Colorado State proved they were the best team in the building.