MSU Denver MSUD 9-1,2-0 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC 3-5,1-1 RMAC

MSU Denver MSUD

9-1,2-0 RMAC

Final

Sep. 10, 2022

Fort Lewis FLC

3-5,1-1 RMAC

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	F
MSU Denver MSUD	25	25	20	25	(3)
Fort Lewis FLC	22	11	25	13	(1)

Summary
Box Score

Hayden Mangan, Fort Lewis Athletic Communications

The Skyhawks dropped a 3-1 match to No. 4 MSU Denver on Saturday, earning a set win over the Roadrunners for the first time since 2014

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | 9/10/2022 9:34:00 PM | Angela Roberts, Assistant AD - Communications

Skyhawks swipe a set but fall 3-1 to No. 4 Roadrunners in home opener

DURANGO, Colo. – Stepping onto the newly redesigned court inside of Whalen Gymnasium for the first time in the 2022 season, the Fort Lewis College volleyball team faced a tall task in dismounting the No. 4 MSU Denver Roadrunners. The Skyhawks ultimately fell by a 3-1 final, taking a set from the perennial powerhouse for the first time since 2014.

Fort Lewis falls to 3-5 on the year and 1-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference while MSU Denver improves to 9-1, 2-0 RMAC.

"I'm proud of how our team showed up tonight. We executed our game plan well and challenged a tough opponent," said head coach Giedre Tarnauskaite. "Our home crowd brought a lot of support and great energy which helped us even more. We were able to show off our courage and fighting spirit tonight. The team played with a lot of heart, and I am excited about the effort we showed."

MSU Denver hit .360 for the match compared to a .117 clip for Fort Lewis. What kept the Skyhawks in the match was toughness from the service line. The team compiled six aces but had the opposing setter on the run throughout the match with zipping serves to keep the league's top offense off kilter.

Four Skyhawks racked up eight kills for the match, including senior Rylee Johnson who hit at a .368 efficiency. Junior Lauren Shea had eight kills to go along with seven digs and a block. Sophomore Natalia Lambos ended the match with 33 assists and led the team with 11 digs. Sophomores Alexis Hobie and Sarah Wilkey each notched eight digs for the match.

Set One (22-25)
Fort Lewis built a commanding lead in the opener, going ahead 9-4 on the strength of service aces from junior JJ Curry and a double block from freshman Ella Butler and Hobie. The lead extended as a kill from Hobie made it 18-11, but a rapid 4-0 scoring run pulled the Roadrunners within three. Shea paused the run with her third kill of the set, but MSU Denver persisted and tied the score at 20's. Curry and Johnson got the lead back with a huge block, but the lead fell back into the hands of the visitors with a scoring spurt closing it out in 25-22 fashion.

Set Two (11-25)
The Roadrunners flipped the script in the second set, opening it up with a commanding 14-7 edge before a Shea kill could bring on a side out. The trend continued onward, though, as scoring runs made quick work of Fort Lewis in a 25-11 final. MSU Denver hit .480 for the set and held Fort Lewis to a -.125 mark.

Set Three (25-20)
Butler toed the service line to begin the third set and let it rip en route to an early 4-0 edge for the blue and gold. The Roadrunners edged closer points later, cutting the lead to 9-8 Skyhawks before a kill from Butler had the lead at three. The deciding run would pull the lead ahead to 16-9 with kills from Curry and another Butler ace adding to the score. Fort Lewis found set point courtesy of an attacking error and eventually sealed the set on a service error to send the match to four.

Set Four (13-25)
The Roadrunners would prove why they are a resilient, premier team in the fourth set, responding immediately to go up 16-5. Hobie slowed the roll with a kill, and the teams traded points as a Shea ace moved the score to 18-10. Hobie would go on to score the Skyhawks' final point of the match before a kill out of the middle ended it in a 25-13 final.

Up Next
Fort Lewis (3-5, 1-1 RMAC) is back home on Tuesday for a 6:00 p.m. match versus Western Colorado University (2-7, 1-1 RMAC). The Mountaineers are coming off a straight-set loss to Colorado Christian University this evening.

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