Regis (CO) Regis 7-4,3-0 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC 4-6,2-2 RMAC

Regis (CO) Regis

7-4,3-0 RMAC

Final

Sep. 16, 2022

Fort Lewis FLC

4-6,2-2 RMAC

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	5	F
Regis (CO) Regis	23	25	25	23	15	(3)
Fort Lewis FLC	25	18	8	25	9	(2)

Summary
Box Score

Kamryn Lopez (2) matched a season-high with 17 digs in the five set loss to No. 20 Regis

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | 9/16/2022 9:26:00 PM | Angela Roberts, Assistant AD - Communications

Skyhawks push No. 20 Rangers to five, fall in front of rowdy home crowd

DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College volleyball team pushed a red-hot No. 20 Regis University team to five sets in front of a rocking home crowd on Friday, ultimately falling in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference slugfest by a 15-9 score in the decider.

"It makes me proud that we didn't let the momentum of the game dictate how we showed up as a team," said head coach Giedre Tarnauskaite. "Whether we were ahead or behind, we kept taking care of details, serving tough, and making great plays. Challenging a team like Regis to a fifth set shows a lot of growth for us as a team and proves that we are a tough team to face."

The Skyhawks move to 4-6 overall and 2-2 in RMAC play while the Rangers improve to 7-4 on the year and remain unbeaten in league play at 3-0.

Both squads hit well below their season average with Regis at .180 and Fort Lewis sitting at .029. In a match teeming with extended rallies and scrappy defensive efforts, it's no surprise that the teams combined for 143 digs. Regis proved why they are one of the most physical teams in the country, picking up a staggering 16 blocks to eight for the Skyhawks.

Sophomore Alexis Hobie was the team's main outlet on offense, finding the floor for 17 kills to go along with 10 digs. Senior Rylee Johnson followed with eight kills and a team-high five blocks. Sophomore Natalia Lambos racked up 32 assists and 10 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Senior Kamryn Lopez led the team with 17 digs to tie a season-best.

"Kamryn was great on defense tonight and read the hitters well. She was a big reason why we played in so many extended rallies and her coverage gave our attackers a lot of confidence to take big swings," acknowledged Tarnauskaite.

Set One (25-23)
It was neck and neck to begin the match, but the Skyhawks managed to maintain a lead until a Regis kill knotted it at 14-14. The Skyhawks rallied to go ahead 17-14 thanks to a pair of errors and an ace from Lambos. Regis roared back to see its first lead of the set, but a commanding kill from Hobie had it tied at 18. The sides tied twice more before a 3-0 run had Fort Lewis up 23-20. The home team found set point via a hitting miscue, and an eventual kill from Hobie ended it.

Set Two (18-25)
The Rangers came out of the break with determined energy, and the focus paid off in form of a 13-5 lead. Fort Lewis collected itself from there and strung together a pair of runs to make it a 22-17 score. Lambos earned the final point of the set for the Skyhawks with her first kill of the night as a solo block in the middle tied the match 1-1.

Set Three (8-25)
The third set started nearly perfectly for the visitors who quickly got ahead 8-0 to force a timeout. Junior JJ Curry and freshman Ella Butler scattered kills throughout the set, but the offensive diversity on the other side of the net quickly closed it out in a 25-8 final.

Set Four (25-23)
Backs against the wall, Fort Lewis found its first lead in nearly 40 minutes of play with a Lambos kill to make it 6-5. The set would tie six times through the midway point before an error-fueled scoring run pushed the Skyhawks ahead 18-14. The Rangers continued to grind through bouts of unfortunate play, though and used their blocking presence to tie it again at 19-19. Johnson dropped in a slide kill to bring the score to 24-21 and Hobie put the nail in the coffin to send it to five.

Set Five (9-15)
With the crowd fully invested in the potential for an upset on Bob Hofman court, the Skyhawks went up 5-3 in the shortened set. The teams tied four times, pushing it to eight all before a deciding scoring run earned Regis a match point. Fort Lewis picked up one more point, but a service error ended the match in favor of the nationally ranked Rangers.

Up Next
Fort Lewis (4-6, 2-2 RMAC) will be on the road next week, traveling to take on Chadron State College (3-7, 1-1 RMAC). Fort Lewis is 7-5 in the series history and earned a 3-1 home win over the Eagles last season.

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