N.M. Highlands NMH 1-17,0-9 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC 9-9,6-4 RMAC

N.M. Highlands NMH

1-17,0-9 RMAC

Final

Oct. 14, 2023

Fort Lewis FLC

9-9,6-4 RMAC

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	F
N.M. Highlands NMH	25	21	14	17	(1)
Fort Lewis FLC	20	25	25	25	(3)

Summary
Box Score

Kaitlyn Silva

Senior Chay Swenson (1) had 14 kills on a career-high .375 efficiency to lead Fort Lewis in a four set win over NMHU

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | 10/14/2023 8:23:00 PM | Angela Roberts, Assistant AD-Communications

Swenson’s season-high secures series sweep of Cowgirls

DURANGO, Colo. – Senior outside hitter Chay Swenson was the difference-maker for Fort Lewis College in a four-set win over New Mexico Highlands on Saturday evening, tallying 14 kills on a career-best .375 hitting percentage off the bench.

Fort Lewis improved to 9-9 overall and 4-4 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play while New Mexico Highlands dropped to 1-17 on the year and 0-9 in conference play.

Swenson's efficiency was part of an impressive turnaround for the Skyhawks squad that ended the match with a .230 efficiency compared to a .159 mark for the Cowgirls. After a slow start, Fort Lewis ended the match outplaying New Mexico Highlands across the board, including a 9-2 advantage in service aces.

Junior Alexis Hobie led the team with 18 kills, mixing her shots effectively to keep the opposing defense guessing. The duo of senior Lauren Shea and junior Sarah Wilkey combined for 40 digs with Wilkey coming away with a career-high 22 for the match. Junior Natalia Lambos came away with 45 assists and a trio of kills.

"Tonight, our defense was relentless. We had some amazing rallies and made incredible plays," said head coach Giedre Tarnauskaite. "Lauren and Sarah were unstoppable, as was Chay. She showed up tonight, and her role was a game-changer. She executed in all aspects."

In set one, Fort Lewis saw an early lead become overtaken with a 4-0 running putting New Mexico Highlands up 8-6. The lead swapped sides through the middle portion of the set before another scoring burst had the visitors up 19-15. A kill by Shea preserved the set, but the Cowgirls found a kill on the pin to claim the opener.

The visitors carried the momentum into the early part of set two, but the Skyhawks came back thanks to a serving run by Hobie to make it 11-9. Fort Lewis extended the lead to 18-14 thanks to a block by sophomore Ella Butler and an ace from Swenson. New Mexico Highlands managed to pull within one, but Fort Lewis pressed ahead to see set point on a Shea kill. The Cowgirls suffered a serving error to end the set and tie the match.

Tough serving had the Skyhawks up early in the third with aces from Wilkey and Shea lending to an 8-4 advantage. The Cowgirls scored three straight to pull within one, but the Skyhawks put their foot down to extend the lead to 18-11. Hobie and Lambos combined for three kills, making it 21-12, before New Mexico Highlands could find a side out. The home team put the set away with a late run, ending the third in a 25-14 score.

The teams played close to begin the fourth set but kills from Hobie and a block by freshman Logan Spragg saw Fort Lewis up 12-9. Then, a 7-0 scoring run extended the Fort Lewis lead to 21-11. The run saw a pair of kills by Swenson and was capped off by a Shea ace. The teams traded points, and the Cowgirls attempted to extend the set with a pair of points late. The match ended with a setting error, though, and Fort Lewis secured the home win.

Up Next
Fort Lewis (9-9, 4-4 RMAC) is back on the road next week to take on No. 11 Regis University and UCCS for a Friday/Saturday split. Friday's match versus Regis will begin at 7:00 p.m. while the UCCS match is slated for Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

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