Westminster (UT) WC-UT 2-7,0-1 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC 4-5,1-0 RMAC

Westminster (UT) WC-UT

2-7,0-1 RMAC

Final

Sep. 15, 2023

Fort Lewis FLC

4-5,1-0 RMAC

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Westminster (UT) WC-UT	29	23	22	25	(1)
Fort Lewis FLC	27	25	25	27	(3)

Summary
Box Score

Junior Alexis Hobie (17) led the team with 18 kills in the win over Westminster University

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | 9/15/2023 10:09:00 PM | Angela Roberts, Assistant AD - Communications

Skyhawks prevail in conference opener, down Griffins in four sets

DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College volleyball team began the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference portion of its season with a gritty four-set win over Westminster University.

Fort Lewis improved to 4-5 overall and 1-0 in league play while Westminster dropped to 2-7 on the year and 0-1 in the conference.

"Our tough preseason prepared us for the battle tonight. We held our composure during a high-intensity game and executed our assignments," said head coach Giedre Tarnauskaite. "I am proud of how our team battled tonight in front of an incredible home crowd."

The Skyhawks posted season highs with 60 kills and 10 total blocks on the night. The team recorded 70 digs, one shy of a season-best, while a scrappy Westminster squad came away with 73.

Junior Alexis Hobie led the team with 18 kills, followed by sophomore Ella Butler who pounded away 13 kills on 22 swings (.500). Butler was stout from the service line, too, totaling five service aces to pad her team lead. Junior Natalia Lambos coordinated a balanced offense and came away with 49 assists and 12 digs. Senior JJ Curry led the team with 14 digs to go along with 11 kills, followed by junior Sarah Wilkey who came away with 12 digs. Freshman Jordyn Romano led all players with five blocks.

"Having Ella hit .500 is an incredible accomplishment, and combining that with her service aces makes her a huge threat for our opponents," noted Tarnauskaite. "Natalia distributed the ball really well which kept the defense on their toes and created opportunities for our offense."

In the first set, Fort Lewis got ahead 8-3 with four straight points. Westminster didn't let the early deficit tell the tale for the set, though, and went on to pull within one at 18-17. The teams traded points before a pair of Griffins errors had the Skyhawks ahead 23-20. Fort Lewis found set point with a Butler kill, but Westminster fought back to tie the score at 24-24. The teams tied on twice more down the stretch, but an attacking error ended it in favor of the Griffins, 29-27.

Westminster carried the momentum into set two and exploded to an 8-2 lead before a Butler kill could slow the roll. The Skyhawks battled back on a 5-1 scoring run to tie the set at 12-12, aided by a Hobie kill and service ace from freshman Alina Nunez. Westminster reclaimed the lead, but Fort Lewis flipped the script with a 7-0 run to go ahead 22-18. Butler recorded four straight service errors to prompt the run. The Griffins saw a surge of their own, but Hobie and Romano combined for a pair of kills to end it in a 25-23 score.

The third set began with Westminster narrowly ahead, and Fort Lewis reclaimed the advantage at 8-7 with a Romano block. The Griffins went on to lead by three midway through the set before a six-point run put the Skyhawks on top 17-14. No leads were safe in this set as Westminster rattled off points to knot it at 21-all. The score tied at 22-22, but Curry and Shea went on to score the final three points for a 25-22 score.

In what would prove to be the final set, Fort Lewis was the first to double digits thanks to a kill down the line by Curry. The lead remained in the hands of Fort Lewis with a kill by Romano putting the home team ahead 21-17. The Griffins went on to enjoy a 7-1 scoring run to see set point, but kills from Curry and Butler tied it at 24-24. Westminster had another chance to take the set when an error made it 25-24, but Fort Lewis benefitted from a pair of attacking errors to see their own set point. The final point of the match ended with a massive solo block by Lambos which sealed the deal on a 27-25 fourth set.

Up Next
Fort Lewis (4-5, 1-0 RMAC) will take on No. 12 Colorado Mesa University (9-0, 1-0 RMAC) tomorrow night for a 6:00 p.m. first serve. Fort Lewis is 10-35 all-time against Mesa and dropped both matchups last season. In the four-set loss at home in 2022, the Skyhawks had 11 service aces—a season-high and the most since a 14-ace outing against Chadron State on October 1, 2021.

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