UC-Colo. Springs UCCS 7-14,5-4 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC 10-11,4-6 RMAC

UC-Colo. Springs UCCS

7-14,5-4 RMAC

Final

Oct. 27, 2023

Fort Lewis FLC

10-11,4-6 RMAC

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	F
UC-Colo. Springs UCCS	16	25	25	12	(1)
Fort Lewis FLC	25	27	23	25	(3)

Summary
Box Score

Kaitlyn Silva

Junior Alexis Hobie (left) led the Skyhawks with 19 kills in the win over UCCS

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | 10/27/2023 8:41:00 PM | Angela Roberts, Assistant AD-Communications

Skyhawks record season-high digs total in win over Mountain Lions

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Six days after dropping a narrow five-set match to UCCS, the Fort Lewis College volleyball team exacted revenge in the form of a four-set win to begin the Regional Pod. With the win, Fort Lewis improved to 10-11 on the year.

Defense was the difference in the win as the Skyhawks totaled a season-high 91 digs to go along with 10 blocks. Junior Natalia Lambos came away with a career-high 18 digs and senior libero Sarah Wilkey matched a career-high with 22 to lead all players. Junior Alexis Hobie led all players with 19 kills, followed by senior Chay Swenson who contributed a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Ella Butler followed with 10 kills and a match-best five blocks.

"We were ready to compete from the first point. The team executed the game plan down to the smallest details," recognized head coach Giedre Tarnauskaite. "Our offense put a lot of pressure on UCCS, and our block made it hard for them to score. I am very happy with how we showed up, and we showed that we have a lot of fight left in us."

The Skyhawks saw a lead to begin the first set, going up 7-4 on a rally that kicked off thanks to a crafty dump from Lambos. The lead grew to 11-4 with Swenson at the service line, the UCCS was able to score a pair to pull within five. The Mountain Lions put together a mini run thanks to back-to-back kills on the pin to force a Skyhawks timeout at 15-12. Swenson pounded away on a pair of kills out of the break, and Fort Lewis benefitted from an opposing error to extend the lead to 18-12. Lambos pushed her team ahead with two straight service aces before UCCS found an eventual side out. Butler and Shea combined for a block to make it set point, and a UCCS miscue ended the opener in a 25-16 score.

UCCS came out with a lead in set two, but Fort Lewis hung close with kills by Shea and Swenson making it 6-5. Despite sticking around through 20 points, the Skyhawks were forced into a timeout trailing 12-9. Swenson scored out of the timeout, and Fort Lewis picked up another block to knot things up 12-all. Fort Lewis took over the lead thanks to two kills by Swenson and one from Shea to make it 15-12. The good times continued, and UCCS was forced into a timeout trailing 18-13. The Skyhawks' lead extended to 21-13 before the seven-point run was snapped by a Mountain Lions kill. UCCS was down by not out, surging back to pull within three at 22-19. The teams eventually tied it up at 23, 24, and 25, but the late block showed up to give Fort Lewis a 27-25 set.

Set three was neck and neck with the teams trading points before a 4-1 scoring run had Fort Lewis ahead 13-10. The Skyhawks held on to the lead and reached the 20-point mark with a Hobie kill. UCCS fought back as Fort Lewis crept closer to taking the set and went on a run of their own to see a 23-22 advantage. Butler earned a side out kill, but the Mountain Lions saw set point after a kill out of the middle. A Fort Lewis error eventually ended the set in favor of UCCS to send the match to a fourth set.

Fort Lewis got right back to work in set four, going up by a dominant 9-1 score with sophomore Chloe Ruhl at the service line. The Mountain Lions got two points back, but another run boosted the lead to 13-3. The Skyhawks were nearly unstoppable throughout the midway point of the set and extended the lead to 21-8 before a side out kill gave UCCS a point. The Mountain Lions scored a few more but kills by Butler and Lambos saw Fort Lewis at match point. The Skyhawks ended the match with their 10^th ace of the night, this one off the hand of Ruhl, to earn the four-set win.

Up Next
Fort Lewis (10-11, 4-6 RMAC) will close out the road trip with a 1:00 p.m. match against South Dakota Mines (14-7, 7-3 RMAC) tomorrow from the King Center in Rapid City.

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