DURANGO, Colo – It was an edge of your seat type match most of the way and the two teams didn't disappoint. In a match that went back-and-forth, the Fort Lewis College volleyball team was able to fight back from down two sets to one and win in five sets 3-2 (16-25, 25-13, 17-25, 26-24, 15-13) over Colorado Mesa University Saturday night at a rocking Whalen Gym.
Facing a Maverick squad that came in tied for second in the RMAC standings, the Skyhawks knew Colorado Mesa (17-6, 12-3 RMAC) would come out firing and they did in the opening set. After that, FLC (8-11, 8-7 RMAC) responded and then showed resiliency down two sets to one to come back and win a pair of tight sets to take the victory.
The Mavericks jumped out to the start they were hoping for at 10-4 in the first set forcing a timeout. FLC fought back to within five following a kill by Bailey Longacre, but it was just too much Colorado Mesa as they hit over .300 in the set on their way to the 25-16 first set win.
The second set then had a completely different feel with FLC beginning to take off near the midway point of the set. Holding a 13-12 lead, FLC scored the next eight points to put the set away. During the run, Haley Christiansen, Maddie LeBlanc, Tye Wedhorn and Ohiyah Shirley all had points to open up a 21-12 advantage. Following a point by the Mavericks, Wedhorn tallied a kill to help start a 4-0 run to seal the set at 25-13. Longacre also added a kill down the stretch.
The Skyhawks were off to a strong start in the third set moving in front 10-6. Colorado Mesa responded with a 10-0 run to move ahead 16-10. FLC fought back with kills from Christiansen and Wedhorn to pull back to within two at 17-15, but an 8-2 run by the Mavericks gave them the set at 25-17 and a 2-1 match lead.
The fourth set featured a chance for both teams to take it, but each time the other was waiting to respond. A Wedhorn kill pushed FLC out to a 17-13 lead, just to watch the Mavericks fight back to eventually tie the set at 21. FLC moved to set point on a kill by Wedhorn at 24-23 and then Colorado Mesa extended the set with a kill of their own. FLC then played tough defense at the net forcing a pair of attack errors from the Mavericks to take the fourth set at 26-24 and extend the match to a decisive fifth set.
FLC quickly erased an early 2-0 deficit in the fifth with four straight points, all on errors by the Mavericks, with one turning into a double-block for Wedhorn and LeBlanc. CMU moved out to an 8-6 lead before the teams switched sides of the court. Still ahead 9-7, a Longacre kill and then a double-block from Kendra Swackenberg and Wedhorn even the set at nine. Colorado Mesa responded with the next two points to jump ahead 11-9 forcing a FLC timeout. Out of the break, FLC caught fire scoring the next three points with a double-block from LeBlanc and Wedhorn capping the run that left the Skyhawks in front 12-11. Out of a CMU timeout, they scored the next point to even things at 12, just to watch FLC answer with a kill by Christiansen and another block from Wedhorn and LeBlanc to move to match point at 14-12. The Mavericks kept the match going with a kill on the next point and then they went for the tying point that ended up sailing wide for the error sending FLC to the 15-13 fifth set win at 3-2 match victory.
After tying the season-high block mark of 10 last night, FLC set a new high mark for the season with 13 against Colorado Mesa. Colorado Mesa ended up with 67 kills, but FLC forced them into 43 errors in 196 chances for a .122 percentage. FLC countered with 46 kills to 22 errors in 163 chances for a .147 percentage.
Wedhorn led the offense with 15 kills, while Christiansen added 11 and Longacre with 10. Wedhorn had a massive night posting a double-double with 11 blocks. Her 11 blocks in a match is the new high in the RMAC this season, eclipsing the old mark of eight.
Swackenberg led the offense with 39 assists, while Megan Graefe had 25 digs and Christiansen added 21.
Mackenzie Edwards paced Colorado Mesa with 17 kills, followed by 16 from Kasie Gilfert. Samantha Ritter had 31 assists and Taylor Woods had 33 digs.
The win gives FLC back-to-back seasons of 3-2 victories against Colorado Mesa.
The Skyhawks also move to within a game of UC-Colorado Springs for seventh in the conference standings. They continue to hold a two-game lead on the eighth spot with three matches remaining.
Currently riding a four-match winning streak and a 7-1 mark at home, FLC will hit the road this week as they will play at CSU-Pueblo Friday night at 7 p.m. and then against New Mexico Highlands Saturday night at 6 p.m.
