Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Roadrunner athletic teams return to action this fall with high hopes for several sports. The first games were underway this week, and action kicks into high gear over Labor Day weekend, when the high-achieving Roadrunners compete in 21 events. Men’s and women’s soccer both play at home and the undefeated volleyball team hosts two ranked teams.
Get involved and get rowdy!
- Never miss a beat with the new MSU Denver Roadrunners app, designed to keep fans involved with Roadrunner athletics.
- Join the Red and Blue Fund to support student-athletes and receive in-game perks such as free beer or VIP-lounge access.
- Get season tickets or single-game tickets and pick a home rivalry game to support student-athletes.
- Bookmark the Roadrunners Athletics schedules to stay on top of games.
- Wear your Roadrunner Red each Friday to support student-athletes and build MSU Denver pride and recognition.
Kick off the 2022-23 season
MSU Denver has seven men’s sports teams and nine women’s teams competing in NCAA Division II. Fourteen of MSU Denver’s teams are in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while the tennis teams compete in the Pacific West Conference.
Volleyball
2021 season record: 28-4 overall, 18-0 in conference
Head coach: Jenny Glenn, seventh year
Schedule
Roster
The Roadrunners volleyball team is coming off a historic 2021 season. It finished last year at No. 3 in the nation, and the future remains bright as the team is looking to compete for a national championship. All-America player Rylee Hladky returns to the roster, and coach Jenny Glenn also brought in top transfer Kelsey Gordon, an outside hitter who led her team to a national runner-up finish last season. Recently, the Roadrunners were picked to repeat as RMAC champions, receiving 10 of 15 first-place votes from conference coaches, and began the season at No. 4 in the nation.
“We have a group of hardworking athletes whose goal is to work just as hard in the classroom as they do on the volleyball court,” Glenn said. “Our mission is not only to win matches, but also to represent MSU Denver well in everything that we do. We hope that MSU Denver faculty and staff will come out to watch some matches and become a part of our larger team!”
Women’s soccer
2021 season record: 10-6-2 overall, 7-5 in conference
Head coach: Kat Mertz, second season
Schedule
Roster
The women’s soccer team finished seventh in the conference last season with 21 points, but it’s looking for improvement in the upcoming season. The Roadrunners never lost by more than two goals against the six teams that finished above MSU Denver last season, and almost all games were on the road. This season, MSU Denver plans to use home-field advantage to climb up the RMAC rankings.
Men’s soccer
2021 season record: 8-9-2 overall, 5-4-1 conference
Head coach: Nick Kirchhof, third season
Schedule
Roster
Kirchhof took over the men’s soccer team in 2021, just before the start of a pandemic season that was moved to the spring. After earning two national titles as an assistant coach at Stanford and winning a D-II title as a player, Kirchhof knows what it takes to play at a high level and is looking to put MSU Denver back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.
“We are excited to be back competing this fall on our brand new turf field,” Kirchhof said. “We have lots of returning players from last year and have added some quality new players to the team and we are definitely looking to improve on last year. We finished on such a positive streak of performances, that’s left the team hungry for more opportunities to prove themselves.”
Women’s basketball
2021-22 season record: 22-9 overall, 15-7 conference
Head coach: Tanya Haave, 13th season
Schedule
Roster
The women’s basketball team capped off the 2021 season by winning the RMAC title and looks to continue its success in the upcoming season. After graduating five seniors, Haave, the winningest coach in program history, has added a pair of international recruits and a transfer from Division I and brings back former Roadrunner guard Jaiden Galloway, who earned RMAC second-team recognition in 2019-20.
“Our new strategy will be a result of taking advantage of the strengths that each player brings to the team,” Haave said. “Where we want to continue building on last season’s success is to keep the momentum going from our RMAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance!”
Men’s basketball
2021-22 season record: 17-12 overall, 11-11 conference
Head coach: Dan Ficke, first year
Schedule
Roster
After being knocked out of the first round of the RMAC tournament, the Roadrunner men’s basketball team is eager to begin its new era under new head coach Ficke. As a Denver native, Ficke remembers the glory days of men’s basketball, specifically the national championships in 2000 and 2002. To bring the Roadrunners back to the national stage, Ficke tapped Matt Glover as an assistant coach in early August.
“This season I am looking forward to building our culture of excellence on the court and in the classroom,” Ficke said. “I am looking forward to implementing a new style of play that will hopefully engage our fanbase, new and old. Additionally, I am looking forward to seeing how our group will grow and develop over the course of our season.”
Tennis
Men
2021-22 season record: 14-5
Head coach: Josh Graetz, fifth season
Schedule
Roster
Women
2021-22 season record: 12-10
Schedule
Roster
Graetz, an alumnus widely considered one of the program’s best players, took over in 2018 as head coach of the men’s and women’s tennis teams and made an immediate impact. Despite late-season injuries and snubs that ended last year’s seasons, Graetz is looking forward to returning several key players and continuing the programs’ recent successes.
“The best time of my life was when I was a student-athlete at MSU Denver,” Graetz said. “Now as a Coach I get to be a part of student-athletes lives as they make their way through college. It is such a privilege to be involved with my alma mater and to be able to help my players develop into better tennis players and people.”
Cross country
Men
2021 season results
Head coach: Janis Christopher, second season
Schedule
Roster
Women
2021 season results
Schedule
Roster
Christopher is MSU Denver’s head coach for men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field and, for the second season, men’s and women’s cross country. Veterans Noel Lopez, Yonatan Kefle and Nick Nowlen lead the way for the men, while Abi Read and some talented newcomers will make an impact for the women. There are two opportunities to cheer on the Roadrunners at Washington Park on Sept. 17 at the Roadrunner Invite and at the NCAA South Central Region Championships on Nov. 19.
“Last year our women narrowly missed making nationals by just 6 points so both our men and women’s teams are hungrier than ever to get there, and get it done on our own home course,” Christopher said. “We’re looking to build on the success of years past but really excited to have a large group of talented newcomers on our roster.”
Women’s golf
2021-22 season results
Head coach: Stefanie Ferguson, sixth season
Schedule
Roster
Winnie Shaw, Isabel Botero and Sydney Eye are the veteran leaders of a program that has a knack for always playing at its best at season’s end. The team was picked to finish fifth in the RMAC with 78 points after finishing in sixth place last season.
“We are most looking forward to having all of the girls back along with two new players and seeing what this group can do,” Ferguson said. “We had a strong finish to last spring and have some great momentum moving forward.”