DURANGO, Colo – Making big defensive plays at the net helped power the Fort Lewis College volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-22) sweep of Western Colorado University Friday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action inside Whalen Gym.
FLC (7-11, 7-7 RMAC) sent back 10 blocks to tie their previous high on the season they set at Adams State. Leading the team in blocks was Tye Wedhorn who sent back seven, while Kendra Swackenberg and Bailey Longacre added three apiece.
The offense posted strong numbers as well hitting .275 for the match with 43 kills to 10 errors in 120 chances. The Skyhawks limited Western (2-20, 1-13 RMAC) to just a .116 percentage with 36 kills to 21 errors in 129 chances.
FLC came out of the gate swinging getting points from Longacre, Swackenberg and another from Longacre for a quick 4-0 lead. The Skyhawks took advantage of a few errors by the Mountaineers to move out to a 11-5 lead forcing a timeout. Western fought back to within two a couple of times, the last coming at 19-17 when the Skyhawks began to make their move. Ohiyah Shirley tallied a kill, Longacre followed with a kill for the 21-17 lead. After a Mountaineer point, FLC closed the set on a 4-0 run with points from Haley Christiansen, Longacre and Wedhorn for the 25-18 set win.
It didn't take long for FLC to move out quickly to another lead in the second when Shirley tallied a kill and after a bad set, Longacre drilled another kill for the 8-2 lead. FLC moved the lead out to nine after Longacre posted a kill, Wedhorn and Swackenberg combined for a block and then Addison Hays recorded a great dig, one so good that it went over the net and ended up as a kill at 15-6. The Skyhawks cruised the rest of the way with Christiansen ending the set with a kill at 25-14 to move FLC out to the 2-0 match lead.
The third set was a little tighter with FLC breaking open at 12-all tie with a 3-0 spurt with points from Wedhorn and Shirley for the 15-12 lead. Western made a pair of runs down the stretch, getting back to within two at 22-20 and then again at 23-21. The Skyhawks stayed with it getting a kill from Wedhorn to move to match point at 24-22 and then after a Mountaineer point, Wedhorn ended the night with a kill at 25-22.
Longacre and Wedhorn paced the offense with 12 kills, followed by nine from Shirley. Swackenberg dished out 37 assists and Shirley led the team in digs with 16. Christiansen and Megan Graefe added 13 apiece. Wedhorn led the offense with a .571 hitting percentage, followed by .429 from Shirley and .346 from Longacre.
Kathleen Kasel paced Western with nine kills, Hanna Hendrickson had 30 assists and she also led the team in digs with 16.
With the win and some other losses in the conference, FLC extended their lead for the eighth spot by a game-and-a-half over Chadron State at 5-8. Adams State, New Mexico Highlands and Westminster moved a full two games back at 5-9.
FLC will remain at home tomorrow (Saturday) night when they face Colorado Mesa starting at 5 p.m. inside Whalen Gym. The Mavericks defeated Adams State 3-1 earlier on Friday.
