Box Score

DURANGO, Colo. — It took a strong finish in 2009 for the Fort Lewis College volleyball team to reach 10 wins, finishing a disappointing campaign with a 10-17 record and out of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference playoffs for just the second time in head coach Shelly Aaland's career.

Fifteen games into 2010, Aaland's Skyhawks (10-5 overall, 4-3 RMAC) have matched their win total from a year ago and are can take over sole possession of first place in the RMAC West Division tomorrow night.

Fort Lewis reached the 10-win plateau with a three-set victory over New Mexico Highlands University (4-11, 0-6) tonight at Whalen Gymnasium. FLC won 25-20, 25-15, 25-22 while allowing a handful of reserve players to see meaningful playing time in a league match.

Taylor Hillberry led the Skyhawks with 10 kills (.444 hitting efficiency) and three blocks, while Chelsea Flaming added eight kills and three blocks. Adriana Saiz had 33 assists and three kills.

Behind Saiz's setting, the Skyhawks hit a solid .214 (38 kills, 16 errors, 13 attempts). On the opposite side of the net, the Cowgirls struggled all night, hitting just .009 for the match (31 kills, 30 errors, 115 attempts).

The middle blocker position opposite Hillberry was split between Kristin Stephan (two kills, one block in the first set), Hayley Jennings (three blocks, one kill in the second set) and Taylor Frederking (four kills, two blocks, .667 hitting efficiency in the third set).

The Cowgirls were led by Darian Mullen (seven kills) and Sarah Dirmeyer (seven kills, four blocks). Libero Danielle Schall led all players with 15 digs.

The start of the match was delayed by 30 minutes due to a pair of lightning delays at Dirks Field today, which kept FLC games management personnel on the soccer pitch for an extra 75 minutes to complete the Skyhawk women's soccer team's 6-0 win against Highlands and the men's soccer team's 4-2 loss to No. 1 Colorado Mines. Fort Lewis hosted a rare triple-header today, with games in three different sports.

The Fort Lewis spikers can take over sole possession of first place in the RMAC West Division tomorrow night, when it faces Western New Mexico University (6-5 overall, 4-2 RMAC) at Whalen Gym.