Box Score

DURANGO, Colo. — Overcoming injury and illness, the Fort Lewis College volleyball team (13-8 overall, 7-6 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) rallied to win the final two sets in a thrilling, five-set win over Western State College (9-11, 4-9) tonight in Pink Digs night at Whalen Gymnasium.

With the win, head coach Shelly Aaland became just the third volleyball coach in Fort Lewis history to amass 100 career victories. Aaland, who now sports a 100-91 career record, joins FLC Athletic Hall of Famers Peppy Seale (155 from 1969-74, 1976-78 and 1980-85) and Marcy Jung (218, 1986-98) in the 100-win club.

“What it means is that hopefully during those 100 wins, we've built this program into be a good, solid one,” she said. “That takes time and effort through the years. I'm thrilled that I've had players who have believed in what we're doing to allow me to reach that.”

Number 100 certainly wasn't Aaland's prettiest win, as her Skyhawks ran hot and cold all night.

The first set saw them lose 25-22 and hit just .114. Half of FLC's 22 points in the first frame came directly off Mountaineer miscues — seven hitting errors, three service errors and one ball-handling error.

The second stanza saw them hit .400, with 18 kills and just four errors. Chelsea Flaming led the way, recording six of her team-high 17 kills in the second, which FLC won 26-24 after surviving two WSC set points.

Western State won the third set 25-21, thanks largely to a cold FLC attack (.174 with 14 kills and six errors).

Fort Lewis rallied again in the fourth, winning 25-23. The fifth and deciding set was all FLC, as the Skyhawks raced out to a 10-1 lead before ultimately winning 15-9. The Skyhawks hit a blistering .538 (seven kills, no errors) in the deciding frame.

“I was very proud of the fight that we showed tonight when it wasn't our best performance,” said Aaland. “We talked pretty much the entire match about fighting through each point since it wasn't coming as easy as in some matches.

“In the fifth set, it was amazing to see how we just dominated for most of it. I'm not too nervous when this team has to go five sets this year.”

Fort Lewis has gone the distance nine times this year, pulling out victories in the fifth set on seven occasions.

As a team, FLC recorded 77 digs on the night. Their goal was 50 digs in Pink Digs Night, which raised more than $36,000 for in-treatment cancer patients in La Plata County through the Women's Health Coalition's Emergency Scholarship Grant.

Freshman libero Jenna Kinzer was a digging machine, notching 27 — more than a third — of FLC's team total. She also had four service aces. Heather Bryant also had a solid night with 14 digs and two aces.

The Skyhawks were without the services of starting setter Adriana Saiz, who continues to rehab a knee injury. Freshman Hali Groninger, making her fourth consecutive start, had a big night with 51 assists and a pair of kills.

They also had limited contributions from senior middle blocker Taylor Hillberry, the team's emotional leader. Hillberry has battled an illness all week long and missed the final two sets.

“It's important for us to know we can win without Taylor's emotion,” said Aaland. “I'm proud of the job that [middle blockers] Haley Jennings and Kristin Stephan did tonight.”

Flaming (17 kills, 11 digs) and Jessica Wilson (14 kills, 12 digs) had double-doubles for the Skyhawks.

Western State was led by Lindsay Huson's 17 kills and five blocks. Jamie Hamsa (16 kills, 10 digs) had a double-double, while Rachel Weakland had 54 assists, 10 digs and six kills.

Fort Lewis wraps up its four-game homestand at 7 p.m. tomorrow night when it hosts Colorado State University-Pueblo (7-14, 2-11) at 7 p.m. in Whalen Gymnasium. FLC will celebrate Senior Night and its three seniors, Flaming, Hillberry and Saiz.