GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The sixth-seeded Fort Lewis College volleyball team saw its 2026 campaign come to a close on Tuesday night as third-seeded (RV) Colorado Mesa University defeated the Skyhawks in straight sets (25-22, 25-15, 25-19) in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament Quarterfinals inside Brownson Arena.
Fort Lewis finishes the season with a 15-12 overall record after earning its second consecutive RMAC Tournament appearance under head coach Justin Wong. Colorado Mesa, which improved to 22-5 overall, advances to the tournament semifinals.
Senior Alina Nunez led the Skyhawks with 12 kills and 11 digs, recording a double-double in her final collegiate match. Nunez added four assists and two block assists while hitting .235 on 34 swings.
Sophomore Cambria Freymuth followed with 10 kills on an efficient .474 hitting percentage, committing just one error on 19 attempts. Junior Addie Garn directed the offense with 25 assists and five digs, while sophomore Alyx Daugherty paced the back row with a team-high 13 digs, three assists, and a service ace.
Fort Lewis finished the match hitting .233 with 33 kills, 44 digs, six total blocks, and three service aces. The Mavericks countered with a .336 hitting percentage and 52 kills, led by Molly Whalen's match-high 22 kills on a blistering .529 clip. Ashlee Macias added 14 kills and 13 digs for Colorado Mesa.
Set One (25-22 CMU)
Fort Lewis came out firing in the opening frame, using a balanced offensive attack to build an early 8-4 advantage. Nunez and Freymuth combined for five kills during the opening stretch, while a block from sophomore Caroline Munson and Garn helped the Skyhawks establish momentum.
Colorado Mesa responded with a run of its own, taking an 11-10 lead before Fort Lewis answered with four consecutive points to move back in front, 14-11. The two sides continued trading blows, with the Mavericks eventually pulling even at 18-18.
A kill from Munson and a service ace by Daugherty gave the Skyhawks a 20-18 advantage late in the frame, but Colorado Mesa answered with back-to-back kills from Whalen to even the score. Nunez twice delivered kills to keep Fort Lewis within reach, including one that tied the set at 22-22. The Mavericks, however, scored the final three points to escape with a 25-22 victory.
Fort Lewis hit an efficient .333 in the opening set with 14 kills and just two attacking errors, while Colorado Mesa countered with 19 kills on a .395 hitting percentage.
Set Two (25-15 CMU)
The Mavericks carried their momentum into the second frame, jumping out to a 7-2 advantage before extending their lead to 14-3 behind an offensive surge that included six kills from Whalen during the opening stretch.
Fort Lewis attempted to chip away at the deficit, using consecutive kills from Munson and Nunez to make it 14-6. The Skyhawks continued battling throughout the frame, with Nunez adding four kills and senior Jordan DeJesus contributing three.
Colorado Mesa maintained control behind a .471 hitting percentage, putting down 18 kills against just two attacking errors. The Skyhawks hit .296 with 10 kills, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome as the Mavericks secured the 25-15 decision and a two-set advantage.
Set Three (25-19 CMU)
Facing elimination, Fort Lewis opened the third set with renewed energy, racing out to a 4-0 advantage behind a Freymuth kill and consecutive blocks from Ellie Ames and Caleigh Sommers.
The Skyhawks continued to apply pressure, extending their lead to 8-3 following a service ace from freshman Sara Stoney. Colorado Mesa gradually worked its way back into the frame, eventually pulling even at 11-11. Fort Lewis answered with a pair of points to regain the advantage, and Freymuth delivered two additional kills to keep the Skyhawks in front at 15-13.
The Mavericks responded with a 5-1 run to take an 18-16 lead, their first advantage of the set. Nunez helped keep Fort Lewis within striking distance with two late kills, including one that brought the Skyhawks within 21-19. Colorado Mesa closed the match with four consecutive points, sealing the 25-19 victory and ending Fort Lewis' postseason run.
Season in Review
Despite Tuesday's result, Fort Lewis concludes another winning campaign under Wong, finishing 15-12 overall and 8-6 in RMAC play. The team's 15 wins is the most for a Skyhawks squad since 2010.
The Skyhawks secured their postseason berth with a must-win victory over CSU Pueblo in the regular-season finale, a match in which the winner would advance to the conference tournament. Coupled with results elsewhere around the league, the victory elevated Fort Lewis to the No. 6 seed.
The tournament appearance marked the program's second consecutive postseason berth, building on a 2025 campaign that saw Fort Lewis finish 14-12 overall and 8-6 in conference play for its first winning season since 2013.
