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Lauren Shea

Women's Volleyball Angela Roberts, Assistant AD - Communications

Volleyball returns to Whalen Gymnasium for an RMAC showdown

Women's Volleyball Angela Roberts, Assistant AD - Communications

Volleyball returns to Whalen Gymnasium for an RMAC showdown

Lauren Shea serves in set three versus Westminster College
DURANGO, Colo. – After competing in four-straight on the road, the Fort Lewis College volleyball team makes its return to Whalen Gymnasium with an overall record of 5-9 and a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference clip of 3-5.

Last Time Out        
The Skyhawks split their matches last week, falling to nationally ranked Colorado Mesa before picking up a clutch win over Westminster College. In the Mesa meetup, the Skyhawks were limited to a .080 hitting percentage for the match compared to an eye-popping .435 efficiency for the Mavericks. Fort Lewis totaled five service aces and four blocks for the match. Junior JJ Curry led the team with five kills to go along with four digs. Senior Joviana Romero and junior Lauren Shea followed with four kills apiece. Sophomore Jade Martinez led the team with 18 assists and seven digs. Freshman Ella Butler was stout from the service line and racked up four aces.

In the in over Westminster, the offense was led by junior JJ Curry and senior Rylee Johnson who each put away 14 kills while hitting over .333 for the match. Curry's kill number established a new career high in the effort while Johnson matched a season best. Junior Lauren Shea followed with 12 kills to go along with five blocks. Freshman Ella Butler added dimension to the offense, putting away five kills (.385) and a pair of service aces. Sophomore Jade Martinez picked up a double-double with 34 assists and 11 digs while leading the season with three service aces. Lopez led the team with 19 digs, and senior Joviana Romero came away with 10 on the night.

Scouting (RV) CSU Pueblo
The Pack has enjoyed a successful season to date, sitting at 13-3 overall and 6-2 in the league while receiving votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll. The team has a win over No. 13 Angelo State this season and has swept eight opponents. Pueblo is hitting .244 as a team to rank third in the conference, behind just MSU Denver and Mines.

Payton Van Veen leads the offensive charge with 30.4 kills per set on a .293 efficiency. Sadie Scoville and Jazzy Espinoza follow at 2.15 and 2.00 kills per set, respectively. The Pack runs a two-setter offense with Sabrina King and Grace Hern combining for just under 10 assists per set. Elaine Thibadeau is the top defender on the roster at 4.02 digs per set. Josey Nunn is a force at the net with a conference-best 1.20 blocks per set in her sophomore season.

Fort Lewis is 12-10 all time against the Pack but dropped the most recent meeting (Oct. 15, 2021) in straight sets. Alexis Hobie led the team with nine kills in the loss while Lopez compiled 18 digs.

Scouting UCCS
The Mountain Lions are coming off a tough week at home that saw the squad go 0-2. The losses drop their overall record to 7-9 with a 2-6 mark in conference play. UCCS has played seven matches against teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll. UCCS is hitting .175 on the year compared to a .221 clip for the opposition.

Lauren Shockley, two-time All-RMAC selection, is leading the team at 3.50 kills per set but has not seen the court since early September. Hannah Ammerman follows with 2.82 kills per set on a team-high 459 attempts. The offense comes through freshman setter Reilly Babcock who is dishing out 8.73 assists per set to go along with a team-high 27 service aces. Jordyn Kinsey holds down the back court with 3.67 digs per set and a .960 receiving percentage.

Fort Lewis trails the all-time series at 3-15 but won an electric five-set match last season, earning a 15-13 win in the deciding set. Chay Swenson and Hobie combined for 37 kills while Lopez came away with a match-best 19 digs.

Home at Last
The team returns home after a four-match road swing where they came away with a 1-3 record. The trip featured a pair of nationally ranked opponents in Mines and Mesa. The Skyhawks are 1-2 at home this season with a 3-1 decision over Western Colorado accounting for the win.

Balance is Key
While the team relies heavily on the offensive output of Hobie on the pin, her success would not be possible without the efforts of the four additional attackers surrounding her. Shea has pressured the opposing block schemes with her consistency at opposite where she's averaging 1.94 kills per set. Junior JJ Curry has established herself on the outside and earns 1.74 kills per set. The duo of senior Rylee Johnson and freshman Ella Butler in the middle has added dimension to the offense while forcing the block to hold true.

Lopez Reaches 1,000 Digs
Senior libero Kamryn Lopez registered 19 digs in a four-set win over Westminster College on Saturday, becoming the 15th player in program history to surpass 1,000 career digs. Lopez has 139 digs on the year and picked up a season-high 32 digs in a five-setter against Chadron State.

Scouting the RMAC
The conference has four teams ranked in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll, released Monday. MSU Denver leads the way at No. 2, maintaining position after sweeping the competition last weekend. From there, it's a cluster of Colorado programs from No. 16-21. It is Regis, Colorado Mesa, and Mines that team up to hold down the bottom portion of the poll. Receiving votes is CSU Pueblo for the fourth-consecutive week.

Up Next
Fort Lewis will take its longest road trip of the season next week, heading north to face South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State for a Friday/Saturday slate. Match time versus S.D. Mines will be 7:00 p.m. and the UCCS meeting will get underway at 7:00 p.m.
 
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Players Mentioned

Alexis Hobie

#17 Alexis Hobie

OH
6' 1"
Sophomore
Rylee Johnson

#16 Rylee Johnson

MB
6' 0"
Senior
Kamryn Lopez

#2 Kamryn Lopez

DS
5' 2"
Senior
Joviana Romero

#4 Joviana Romero

OH
5' 8"
Senior
Chay Swenson

#1 Chay Swenson

OH
5' 11"
Junior
JJ Curry

#11 JJ Curry

OH
5' 11"
Junior
Jade Martinez

#12 Jade Martinez

S
5' 9"
Sophomore
Lauren Shea

#19 Lauren Shea

RS
6' 1"
Junior
Ella Butler

#20 Ella Butler

MB
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Alexis Hobie

#17 Alexis Hobie

6' 1"
Sophomore
OH
Rylee Johnson

#16 Rylee Johnson

6' 0"
Senior
MB
Kamryn Lopez

#2 Kamryn Lopez

5' 2"
Senior
DS
Joviana Romero

#4 Joviana Romero

5' 8"
Senior
OH
Chay Swenson

#1 Chay Swenson

5' 11"
Junior
OH
JJ Curry

#11 JJ Curry

5' 11"
Junior
OH
Jade Martinez

#12 Jade Martinez

5' 9"
Sophomore
S
Lauren Shea

#19 Lauren Shea

6' 1"
Junior
RS
Ella Butler

#20 Ella Butler

6' 0"
Freshman
MB