GOLDEN, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College volleyball team struggled to find its offensive rhythm Saturday evening as (RV) Colorado School of Mines used an efficient attacking performance to sweep the Skyhawks 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-14) in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action inside Lockridge Arena.
With the loss, Fort Lewis dropped to 10-8 overall and 4-4 in RMAC play, while Colorado School of Mines improved to 15-3 overall and 6-2 in conference competition.
The Orediggers controlled the match offensively, hitting .363 with 46 kills and just nine attacking errors. Fort Lewis was held to a .084 hitting percentage with 26 kills and 17 errors across 107 attempts.
Seniors Jordan DeJesus and Alina Nunez paced the Skyhawks with six kills apiece, while middle blockers Ellie Ames and Caroline Munson contributed four kills each. Munson was the team's most efficient attacker, hitting .273 on 11 swings.
Senior setter Addie Garn dished out 20 assists and added six digs, while Nunez and sophomore libero Alyx Daugherty shared the team lead with nine digs apiece. Ames added a solo block and a block assist.
Colorado School of Mines was led by Abbie O'Shay, who registered a match-high 11 kills while hitting .556. Caroline Walden added 10 kills without an error on 18 attempts, also hitting .556, while Jenna McLaughlin contributed nine kills at a .533 clip. Kaiya Gilbert directed the offense with 32 assists.
Set One | Mines 25, Fort Lewis 17
The Orediggers jumped out to an early advantage, building an 11-4 lead behind an aggressive offensive attack. Fort Lewis struggled to slow the Mines offense, which registered 18 kills and hit .417 in the opening frame.
Trailing 23-13 late in the set, the Skyhawks mounted a four-point run highlighted by a service ace from Daugherty and a kill from Cambria Freymuth to trim the deficit to 23-17. However, the Orediggers answered with consecutive kills to secure the 25-17 victory.
Fort Lewis posted its strongest offensive set of the evening, hitting .195 with 12 kills.
Set Two | Mines 25, Fort Lewis 13
Mines maintained its momentum in the second set, racing to a 7-2 advantage before extending the lead to 12-5.
Fort Lewis briefly responded with a three-point surge to cut the deficit to 12-8, but the Orediggers countered with a 6-1 run to regain control at 18-9.
The Skyhawks were unable to establish a consistent offensive attack, recording six kills against six errors for a .000 hitting percentage. Mines hit .265 in the frame and closed out the set 25-13 to take a commanding 2-0 match lead.
Set Three | Mines 25, Fort Lewis 14
The Orediggers carried their offensive efficiency into the final frame, opening an 8-3 advantage before pushing the margin to 14-7.
DeJesus provided an offensive spark for Fort Lewis, recording four kills in the third set, but Mines continued to capitalize on its opportunities and extended the lead to 20-10.
The Skyhawks were held to a .028 hitting percentage in the final set, while Mines hit .406 with 14 kills and just one error to complete the sweep.
