GUNNISON, Colo. – The middle blocking duo of senior Ellie Ames and sophomore Caroline Munson turned in one of the most efficient combined offensive performances in Fort Lewis College volleyball history Tuesday night, powering the Skyhawks to a straight-set victory over Western Colorado University inside Paul Wright Gymnasium.
Fort Lewis earned the sweep by scores of 25-16, 25-21 and 26-24, improving to 10-7 overall and 4-3 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play. Western Colorado fell to 7-10 overall and 2-5 in league action.
Ames and Munson were nearly untouchable in the middle, combining for 19 kills without an attacking error on 27 swings, good for a staggering .704 hitting percentage. Ames put away 10 kills on 15 attempts to hit .667, while Munson finished with nine kills on 12 swings for a .750 clip. The duo also combined for three block assists.
Both performances landed among the best single-match hitting percentages in program history. Ames' .667 clip ranks third all-time at Fort Lewis in the 15-19 attempts category, while Munson's .750 matches the former program record in the 10-14 attempts category. Munson now owns the record in that category after hitting .900 against Westminster last week.
The middle duo's performance also represented a notable step up from the most recent comparable errorless outing found in the Fort Lewis archives. Last season, Ames and Ella Butler combined for 12 kills on 26 errorless swings in a sweep of Chadron State. Against Western Colorado, Ames and Munson pushed that total to 19 kills on just one additional attempt.
As a team, Fort Lewis hit .308 with 44 kills and just 11 errors on 107 attempts. The Skyhawks opened the match by hitting .406 in the first set before adding clips of .244 and .300 over the final two frames. Western Colorado finished at .193.
Senior Alina Nunez joined the middles in double figures with 12 kills on .276 hitting and added 11 digs for a double-double. Senior Addie Garn directed the offense with 37 assists, while sophomore Alyx Daugherty anchored the back row with a match-high 18 digs.
Set One | Fort Lewis 25, Western Colorado 16
Fort Lewis wasted little time taking control, using an early surge to race out to a 7-1 advantage. Ames contributed a kill during the run before Munson found the floor to help the Skyhawks maintain a comfortable cushion.
The lead remained firmly in Fort Lewis' hands throughout the frame. Ames added two more kills down the stretch, including one to reach set point, before Nunez finished off the 25-16 win. The Skyhawks committed just one attacking error in the set, putting away 14 kills on 32 attempts for a .406 hitting percentage.
Set Two | Fort Lewis 25, Western Colorado 21
The Mountaineers provided more resistance in the second, with nine ties and four lead changes keeping the teams within striking distance throughout the frame.
Ames and Munson continued to provide the answer in the middle. Munson put down a pair of kills as the teams battled through the early points before Ames caught fire late. The senior supplied four kills during a key stretch that helped Fort Lewis turn a 16-16 tie into a 19-17 advantage.
Munson added kills for the 23rd and 25th points as the Skyhawks closed out the frame, 25-21, to move one set away from the sweep.
Set Three | Fort Lewis 26, Western Colorado 24
Western Colorado pushed Fort Lewis to the brink in a tightly contested third set that featured 14 ties and three lead changes.
The Mountaineers held a 12-8 advantage before the Skyhawks began to chip away. Fort Lewis eventually pulled ahead 16-13 following back-to-back kills from Nunez and a putaway from Munson.
Western Colorado responded to tie the score at 17-17, and the sides remained separated by no more than a point through the late stages. Munson delivered another kill for a 19-18 lead before Ames came through at a crucial moment, putting away a kill to give Fort Lewis a 22-21 edge.
After Western Colorado fought off match point to tie the score at 24-24, a Mountaineer service error handed the advantage back to Fort Lewis. The Skyhawks forced an attacking error on the ensuing rally to secure the 26-24 win and the sweep.
Up Next
Fort Lewis continues its road swing with an RMAC matchup against Colorado School of Mines.
