DURANGO, Colo. – With their postseason hopes on the line, the Fort Lewis College volleyball team delivered when it mattered most, defeating CSU Pueblo in five sets (25-16, 15-25, 29-31, 25-19, 15-11) on senior night inside Whalen Gymnasium on Saturday evening.
The stakes were straightforward entering the regular-season finale: the winner would advance to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Tournament, while the loser's season would come to an end. After dropping a marathon third set and falling behind 2-1 in the match, the Skyhawks rallied to win the final two frames and secure their place in the eight-team postseason field.
The victory improved Fort Lewis to 15-11 overall and 8-6 in RMAC play, while CSU Pueblo closed its season at 12-15 overall and 6-8 in conference action. Coupled with upsets elsewhere around the league, the Skyhawks climbed to the No. 6 seed in the RMAC Tournament.
Alina Nunez led the Fort Lewis offense with 15 kills and 14 digs, recording a double-double while adding two service aces and two block assists. Jordan DeJesus followed with 13 kills, while Sydney Vogel contributed a double-double of 10 kills and 10 digs, hitting .313 without committing an attacking error.
Addie Garn directed the Skyhawks' offense with 47 assists, eight digs, and two service aces. Alyx Daugherty anchored the back row with a match-high 25 digs and added six assists and two aces.
Ellie Ames delivered an efficient performance at the net, finishing with nine kills on 20 attempts without an error for a .450 hitting percentage. Ames also contributed four total blocks, including one solo, and two service aces.
Fort Lewis finished the night hitting .209 with 62 kills, 70 digs, 11 service aces, and six total blocks. CSU Pueblo hit .184 with 59 kills and 14 blocks.
Set One | Fort Lewis 25, CSU Pueblo 16
The Skyhawks opened the match with an efficient offensive showing, hitting .400 with 11 kills and just one attacking error. After the teams traded points early, Fort Lewis began to separate with a 5-1 run that pushed its advantage to 16-11. The lead grew to 21-12 before the Skyhawks closed out the opening frame on a kill from Caroline Munson.
Set Two | CSU Pueblo 25, Fort Lewis 15
The ThunderWolves responded in the second set, using an early 5-0 run to take a 10-5 advantage. Fort Lewis briefly cut the deficit to three points, 13-10, but CSU Pueblo answered with an 8-1 stretch to build a commanding 21-11 lead. The Skyhawks struggled offensively in the frame, hitting -.047 with 13 attacking errors as CSU Pueblo evened the match at one set apiece.
Set Three | CSU Pueblo 31, Fort Lewis 29
The third set featured the most competitive stretch of the evening, with the teams battling through extended rallies and multiple lead changes. Fort Lewis erased a four-point deficit midway through the frame and took a 23-22 lead on a kill from Cambria Freymuth.
CSU Pueblo reached set point first at 24-23, but the Skyhawks fought it off and continued trading points with the ThunderWolves. Fort Lewis eventually held set point opportunities of its own at 27-26, 28-27, and 29-28, but CSU Pueblo answered each time before scoring the final three points to escape with a 31-29 victory and take a 2-1 match lead.
Set Four | Fort Lewis 25, CSU Pueblo 19
Facing elimination, Fort Lewis responded with one of its strongest offensive performances of the match. After a back-and-forth start, the Skyhawks used a 6-1 stretch to build a 15-10 advantage. Fort Lewis continued to control the frame, extending its lead to 21-13 before closing out the set, 25-19.
The Skyhawks hit .353 with 16 kills and just four attacking errors in the fourth set, forcing a decisive fifth frame with their postseason hopes still alive.
Set Five | Fort Lewis 15, CSU Pueblo 11
With an RMAC Tournament berth hanging in the balance, Fort Lewis secured the decisive fifth set, 15-11, to complete the comeback. The Skyhawks delivered nine kills on 25 attempts with just two errors, hitting .280 in the final frame to finish the regular season with a postseason-clinching victory.
Up Next
Fort Lewis enters the 2026 RMAC Volleyball Tournament as the No. 6 seed following the conclusion of the regular season. The Skyhawks will continue their postseason run in the conference quarterfinals, heading to No. 3-seeded Colorado Mesa University on Tuesday, November 10 with the time to be determined.
