DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College volleyball team capped off an unbeaten weekend inside Whalen Gymnasium on Saturday, taking down Regis University in four sets for its second consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) win.
Fort Lewis earned the 25-18, 25-15, 24-26, 25-20 victory to improve to 7-5 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Regis dropped to 1-12 overall and 0-4 in the RMAC.
The Skyhawks controlled the offensive numbers, finishing with 63 kills on .267 hitting compared to 39 kills and a .156 clip for the Rangers. Fort Lewis also held advantages in assists (62-38), digs (77-56) and service aces (9-7).
Senior Alina Nunez powered the offense with a match-high 23 kills on .327 hitting while adding 10 digs for a double-double. Sophomore Caroline Munson was highly efficient in the middle, putting away 11 kills on 17 swings for a .471 hitting percentage. Freshman Sydney Vogel followed with nine kills. Sophomore Alyx Daugherty led the back row with 23 digs and a match-high four service aces.
The setting duo of senior Addie Garn and sophomore Arianna Reyna each recorded double-doubles. Garn finished with 26 assists and 11 digs, while Reyna added 26 assists, 11 digs, and three service aces. Sophomore Ellie Ames contributed five kills, three blocks, and two aces.
Fort Lewis set the tone early in the opening set, holding Regis to a .000 hitting percentage while producing 13 kills of its own. The Skyhawks steadily created separation and closed out the frame 25-18 behind a .242 hitting percentage.
The offense found another gear in the second set. Fort Lewis hammered 19 kills on .359 hitting while committing just five attacking errors. Regis managed six kills in the frame, allowing the Skyhawks to roll to a 25-15 win and take a commanding 2-0 advantage in the match.
Regis responded in a back-and-forth third set that required extra points. Both sides recorded 15 kills, with the Rangers hitting .213 compared to .156 for the Skyhawks. Fort Lewis had an opportunity to close out the match in three, but Regis battled through the late stages to steal the set 26-24 and extend the afternoon.
The Skyhawks answered with their second-best offensive set of the match in the fourth. Fort Lewis put away 16 kills on .333 hitting while Regis countered with 11 kills at a .258 clip. The Skyhawks created enough separation down the stretch to secure a 25-20 win and close out the match in four sets.
The victory completed a perfect home-opening weekend for Fort Lewis after Friday's straight-set win over Chadron State. The Skyhawks improved to 7-5 overall after entering the weekend at 5-5 and picked up their first two RMAC victories of the season.
Up Next
Fort Lewis heads back on the road next week for the RMAC Regional Pod. The Skyhawks will face New Mexico Highlands on Friday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. before traveling to Alamosa to take on Adams State on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 3 p.m.
