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Ellie Ames
Kaitlyn Silva

Skyhawks volleyball hosts (RV) Mountain Lions and Orediggers for Power Pod

10/29/2025 10:00:00 AM

By: Angela Roberts, Associate AD - Communications
DURANGO, Colo. – Fort Lewis College volleyball returns to Whalen Gym this week with a 14-5 record, the best for a Skyhawks team at this point in the season since 2008, to host a Power Pod against (RV) UCCS and Colorado School of Mines.
 
The Schedule
  • Thursday, Oct. 30 (6 PM) – Fort Lewis vs. (RV) UCCS
  • Friday, Oct. 31 (4 PM) – (RV) UCCS vs. Mines
  • Saturday, Nov. 1 (3 PM) – Fort Lewis vs. Mines
The result of these matches does not count toward RMAC records or standings

Last Time Out
Fort Lewis gritted through a pair of road wins over Adams State and New Mexico Highlands, winning the matches that count toward conference records after previously dropping Regional Pod contests to both programs in early October.

In the win over the Grizzlies, the Skyhawks hit .191 for the match, aided by a .423 efficiency in the fourth set the earn the win. Fort Lewis earned six aces, 10 blocks, and 83 digs in the effort.

Defense was the difference maker in the match, both in the front and back row. Freshman Alyx Daugherty came away with 25 digs for her fifth 20+ dig match of the season, followed by junior Jordan DeJesus and senior Chloe Ruhl with 15 and 13 digs, respectively. Butler was the ironwoman at the net with six solo blocks and three block assists.

Against the Cowgirls, the Skyhawks hit .323 to mark a season-best efficiency while limiting the Cowgirls to a .230 mark—the third-best efficiency for an opponent this season. The Cowgirls amassed nine aces and the Skyhawks earned eight blocks. Fort Lewis out dug New Mexico Highlands 62-59.

Nine players tallied kills for Fort Lewis, led by junior Alina Nunez with 14. Junior Jordan DeJesus went off for a double double with 13 kills (.367) and 14 digs. Freshman Caroline Munson put away 10 kills on 14 chances for an efficiency of .714, ranking second in program history in single match hitting efficiency in the range of 10-14 attacks.
 
Butler named RMAC Player of the Week
For the first time in her career, senior middle blocker Ella Butler has been named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week, announced by the league on Monday.

Butler is the second Fort Lewis player to earned Defensive Player of the Week nods this season after sophomore Emery Pomroy brought home recognition on September 15.

The Chandler, Arizona native was a force at the net in last week's road wins, racking up a league-best 14 blocks en route to the victories. Butler opened play with a career-high nine blocks (six solo) in the win over Adams State. The nine-block outing ranks third in program history in a four set match and most for a player since 2014.

Butler followed that performance by putting away five blocks in the win over New Mexico Highlands on Saturday. Ultimately, she averaged 1.75 blocks per set through the two matches while adding two kills per set at a .300 clip through the two matches. Butler and company have Fort Lewis leading the RMAC in opponent hitting percentage (.155), and the performances over the weekend lifted Fort Lewis to 14-5 overall and 8-2 in RMAC play (3rd).
 
Scouting (RV) UCCS
What a year it has been for the Mountain Lions who bring an 18-2 record and a six-match winning streak into Thursday's match. Both of the team's losses have come on the road, first with a 3-2 loss to CSU Pueblo in Regional Pod play and then with a 3-0 loss to No. 12 MSU Denver. The overall record is a dramatic improvement on an 11-15 mark from 2024.

UCCS ranks second in the conference in team hitting percentage at .250 and leads all teams with 1.83 aces per set. Opponent hitting percentage rests at .163 which is good for third in the league, and they rank middle of the pack in several defensive categories—not unusual for a program that puts the ball away at a high clip.

Sophomore Payton Tompkin, the reigning RMAC Offensive Player of the Week, leads the charge by averaging 3.61 kills per set at a .272 efficiency. Junior Nicole Martin follows with 2.25 kills per set and a .308 efficiency. Two setters run the show and put up nearly identical numbers with Audrey Dowd and Maylen Mitrovich averaging 5.26 and 5.11 assists per set, respectively.

Defensively, Mackenzie Ransom leads all players at 3.44 digs per set, followed by three players with over two digs per set. Sydnee Walker is the primary target on serve receive with 454 attempts and just 15 errors (.967). Martin adds strong net defense to her stat line with 1.03 blocks per set to rank fifth in the league. She is also the top server in the conference with .57 aces per set with the next closest player at .44 per set.

Scouting Mines
The Orediggers are enjoying a wonderful season with a 16-4 record and five-straight wins. The team has been receiving national recognition throughout the season but recently dropped out of the polls. Mines is coming off a pair of wins last week, most notably a 3-2 victory over Colorado Mesa to move ahead of the Mavericks in conference standings.

Mines runs a balanced show with major statistical categories holding solid numbers within RMAC standings. The team is fifth in hitting percentage (.214), digs (16.21), and assists (12.08), eighth in aces (.142), and second in opponent hitting percentage (.161) and blocks (2.35). The Orediggers have no true weak spot and at accustomed to outlasting the opposition with low-error volleyball.

Fifth year Amanda Donais Dudley leads the team with 2.80 kills per set on the right side, followed by four additional players with at least two kills per set. Sophomore Jenna McLaughlin stands out in the middle with 2.72 kills per set on a .317 efficiency. Running the show is senior Hailee Martinez who leads the conference at 9.59 assists per set and also paces the squad at the service line with 25 total aces.

On defense, senior Jada Price takes over with 3.75 digs per set, followed by junior Francesca Nuzzo at 3.14 per set. Nuzzo leads the team in receiving opportunities by a wide margin with nearly 600 chances this season and 31 errors (.948). Blocking is an area of pride for Mines with both Abbie O'Shay and McLaughlin averaging over one block per set.
 
What's at Stake?
Fort Lewis surpassed its win total from 2024 (12) with its sweep over Western Colorado earlier this month. Now sitting at 14-5, the team owns its best record through 19 matches since 2008. Additionally, the Skyhawks have earned seven, three-set wins through 17 matches. The team totaled just three sweeps in 26 games last season, four sweeps in 2023, and three in 2022. Fort Lewis has not amassed seven sweeps since the 2008 season.
 
Inside the Numbers
Fort Lewis has improved across most major statistical categories this season, led by digs per set where the team is up over four digs to average 18.1 per set this year—ranking 15th in NCAA DII. Additionally, the Skyhawks are hitting .201 (.152 in 2024) while averaging 1.7 aces (1.5 in 2024).
 
Junior Alina Nunez has earned a spot on the right side and is putting on quite the show in conference play, ranking 14th in conference-only matches with 2.79 kills per set. A balanced offense has been key for Fort Lewis this season with four players averaging over two kills per set. Butler leads the way in efficiency at .328 while swinging for 2.34 kills per set.
 
For the first time in three seasons, the Skyhawks are running a 6-2 offense with freshman Arianna Reyna and sophomore Addie Garn distributing the ball. Reyna averages 5.71 assists per set while Garn averages 3.83 per set. The pair rank first and second on the team in aces with 39 total. Freshman Alyx Daugherty leads the team by averaging 4.56 digs per set (3rd-RMAC) despite earning the libero jersey after nonconference play. She has averaged 5.3 digs per set in RMAC matches which ranks 2nd in the league.
 
Up Next
Fort Lewis remains home next week for its final home matches of the regular-season. First, the Skyhawks welcome league-leading MSU Denver, currently ranked No. 12 in NCAA DII, for a 6 PM match on Friday, November 7. Fort Lewis wraps up the week on Saturday at 4 Pm against (RV) UCCS.
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