DURANGO, CO - October 27, 2007 - The Fort Lewis College volleyball team defeated Adams State in five games (24-30, 30-25, 25-30, 30-23, 15-13) Saturday afternoon in Alamosa as they clinched the 2007 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) West Division Title with two matches remaining in the season. The Skyhawks improve to 19-6 overall and 15-2 in the RMAC, while the Grizzlies fall to 12-12 overall and 8-8 in conference play.
The match, which was back and forth the entire way, saw 20 lead changes and 34 ties. The Skyhawks come out on top for their sixth straight match and their 17th time in their last 19 contests.
The Grizzlies had two players with 20 or more kills, but 32 total blocks for the Skyhawks was the deciding factor in Saturday's contest.
Fort Lewis took an 8-5 lead in the fifth game, just to see the Grizzlies take the lead back at 11-10. The Skyhawks tied it back at 12 a piece later in the game and score three more capped by a Nicole Schwab (Loveland, CO/Loveland) kill for match point.
Schwab recorded a team-high 18 kills on 32 attempts with only four errors (.438 hitting percentage). The senior added nine total blocks, two of which were solo.
Cora Vorwald (Durango, CO/Durango) went seven for 10 with no errors to record a .700 hitting percentage, a new FLC record for 10-14 attempts. The old record of .692 was held by Damielle Evilsizor in a match back in 1991.
Jessica Bailey (Ridgefield, WA/Prairie) went 13 of 27 with two errors and added eight blocks, while Sara Feehan (Berthoud, CO/West Georgia) tallied 11 kills and 16 digs in the win. LeeAnne Greenwade (Concho, AZ/St. John's) rounded out the Skyhawks in double figure kills with 12.
Melissa Childs (Vista, CA/Rancho Bueno Vista) handed out 58 assists and hit a tema-high three service aces.
The Skyhawks, who clinched the RMAC West Division Title and one of the top two seed in the RMAC Tournament, need to win their final two regular season matches and hope that the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers drop one of their three remaining matches to have the opportunity to host the tournament in two weeks. Although the Lopers would host the tournament, Co-RMAC Champions would be recognized. If the Lopers do not drop a match and the Skyhawks win their final two, the Skyhawks will be crowned Co-RMAC Champions, but the Lopers hold the head-to-head tie break and would host the postseason tournament. Nebraska-Kearney plays UC-Colorado Springs later tonight in Kearney, a team they lost to earlier this season.
The Skyhawks close their 2007 regular season schedule next weekend as they host Western NM and NM Highlands on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:00 p.m. respectively.
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