DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College volleyball team continues conference play with a pair of road matches this week, traveling to Western Colorado University on Tuesday before making the trip to Colorado School of Mines on Saturday.
The Skyhawks (9-6, 3-2 RMAC) will open the week against the Mountaineers at 6 p.m. Tuesday inside Paul Wright Gym in Gunnison. Fort Lewis will then head to Golden for a 5 p.m. first serve against the Orediggers on Saturday inside Lockridge Arena.
Last Time Out
Fort Lewis split a pair of conference matches last week, earning a dominant sweep of Westminster University at home before falling in four sets to (RV) Colorado Mesa University on the road.
Sophomore middle blocker Caroline Munson highlighted the week with a record-setting performance against Westminster, putting away nine kills on 10 attempts without an error to hit .900. The mark established a new Fort Lewis single-match record for hitting percentage with a minimum of 10 attempts as the Skyhawks rolled to a 25-16, 25-19, 25-21 sweep.
Fort Lewis then battled one of the league's top teams Saturday in Grand Junction. After dropping the opening two sets to Colorado Mesa, the Skyhawks responded to take the third before the Mavericks closed out the match in four. The setback moved Fort Lewis to 9-6 overall and 3-2 in conference play.
By the Numbers
Fort Lewis enters the week tied with Colorado School of Mines, South Dakota Mines and CSU Pueblo at 3-2 in conference play. The Skyhawks sit just one match behind the group of Colorado Mesa, MSU Denver and UCCS, which each own 4-1 RMAC records.
The Skyhawks have continued to find success from the service line and in the back row. Through the most recently published cumulative statistics, Fort Lewis averaged 12.6 kills, 11.6 assists, 1.7 service aces and 15.9 digs per set while hitting .194 as a team.
Fort Lewis has also proven difficult to beat when playing on its home floor, but this week's slate presents an opportunity to improve on the road. The Skyhawks are 3-0 at home in conference play while looking for their first RMAC road victory of the season.
Scouting Western Colorado
Western Colorado enters Tuesday's matchup at 7-8 overall and 2-3 in conference play. The Mountaineers are coming off a five-set loss at Westminster on Saturday and return to Paul Wright Gym, where they have compiled a 6-2 overall record this season.
The Mountaineers are hitting .195 as a team while averaging 12.4 kills and 11.4 assists per set. Western has been particularly active defensively, averaging 14.9 digs and 1.9 blocks per set.
Andrea Torres has been one of Western's primary offensive threats in conference play, averaging 3.39 kills per set while hitting .265. Sierra Long has added 2.40 kills per set with a .291 hitting percentage against RMAC opponents. Galatia Andrew leads the Mountaineers' back row with 4.31 digs per set overall, while Breanna Nohava has totaled 35 blocks on the season.
Tuesday will mark the first of two matches between the Skyhawks and Mountaineers this season.
Scouting Colorado School of Mines
Colorado School of Mines enters the week at 12-3 overall and 3-2 in RMAC play and has won five consecutive matches. The Orediggers have been dominant during the streak, including a straight-set victory over then-RMAC leader Colorado Christian on Friday.
Mines has been one of the league's most efficient offensive teams, hitting .270 while averaging 13.5 kills and 12.4 assists per set. The Orediggers have also presented a significant challenge at the net, averaging 2.6 blocks per set while holding opponents to a .163 hitting percentage.
The Orediggers are 6-1 at home this season and will host Western Colorado on Friday evening before welcoming Fort Lewis to Lockridge Arena on Saturday.
Saturday's meeting will be the first matchup of the season between Fort Lewis and Colorado School of Mines.
Around the RMAC
The conference race remains tightly packed entering the week. Colorado Mesa, MSU Denver and UCCS share the top mark at 4-1, while Colorado Christian sits at 4-2. Mines, South Dakota Mines, Fort Lewis and CSU Pueblo are all 3-2, putting eight programs within one match of the conference lead.
Western Colorado sits just behind that group at 2-3, making Tuesday's matchup another important opportunity for the Skyhawks to create separation in the standings.
Looking Ahead
Following this week's road swing, Fort Lewis will return to Whalen Gymnasium for a pair of matches. The Skyhawks host Adams State University at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, followed by New Mexico Highlands University at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17.
