DURANGO, Colo. – Skyhawks volleyball continues its nonconference slate this week at the Royce Cappis Invitational, hosted by CSU Pueblo, where Fort Lewis will face four opponents representing four conferences.
Royce Cappis Invitational Information
Five teams will take the court inside Massari Arena, including two that reached the NCAA Regionals in 2025. Host CSU Pueblo advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, as did Adelphi. Minnesota Duluth joins the field as a perennial presence in the AVCA Top-25 poll, while Florida Tech rounds out the tournament field.
Competition begins Friday with a 9 a.m. match and concludes Saturday with Fort Lewis taking on CSU Pueblo. Live stats can be found HERE, and live video can be found HERE.
Last Time Out
Fort Lewis went 1-3 last week in San Angelo, Texas. The Skyhawks picked up a three-set win over East Central on Saturday before closing out the trip with a loss to MSU Moorhead.
Through four matches, Fort Lewis is hitting .133 compared to a .268 mark for its opponents. The differential can partially be attributed to play at the net, with the Skyhawks averaging less than one block per set compared to 1.8 per set for the opposition.
Seniors Jordan DeJesus and Alina Nunez lead the team with 2.62 and 2.15 kills per set, respectively. Senior Averie Dembickie has been the team's most efficient attacker at .267, followed closely by senior Ellie Ames at .261. Setters Arianna Reyna and Addie Garn have combined for nearly eight assists per set. Sophomore Alyx Daugherty enjoyed a solid defensive weekend, averaging 4.69 digs and 1.23 assists per set.
Around the RMAC
The conference has three teams ranked or receiving votes in this week's AVCA Top-25 poll, led by MSU Denver at No. 7. Colorado School of Mines received 33 votes, followed by Colorado Mesa with seven.
Mines and Western Colorado were the only RMAC teams to go 4-0 last week, while MSU Denver and South Dakota Mines posted 3-1 records. Fort Lewis was among six teams to come away with one win over the weekend.
Scouting (RV) Minnesota Duluth
The Bulldogs are 4-0 after sweeping the Up North Preseason Tournament in Marquette, Michigan. UMD is coming off an 18-10 season in 2025 in which it went 11-9 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action. The Bulldogs earned a win over No. 6 Southwest Minnesota State and advanced to the NSIC Tournament.
Minnesota Duluth is hitting .269 with 14.7 kills per set this season while holding opponents to a .186 hitting percentage. Much of the team's success has come from service pressure and reliable defense. UMD averages 2.1 aces and 15.5 digs per set, holding an advantage over its opponents in both categories.
The Bulldogs feature a balanced offense with four players averaging more than two kills per set. Freshman Kenzie Kiminski leads the way with 3.53 kills per set, followed by Paige Decker and Madeline Guetzkow at 3.33 apiece. Ava Jones directs the offense with 11.47 assists per set. Defensively, Brietta Tims leads the team with 3.07 digs per set, followed by Guetzkow at 3.00.
Scouting Adelphi
The Panthers are 1-3 after opening the season with a four-set win over Georgian Court University. Despite the losing record, Adelphi faced a challenging slate that included losses to No. 2 Tampa and No. 9 Wayne State College. Last season, the Panthers went 24-9 and advanced to the NCAA Regionals, where they fell to Holy Family in five sets.
Through four matches, Adelphi is hitting .117 compared to a .243 mark for its opponents. The Panthers average 12.2 digs, 1.6 blocks, and 1.4 aces per set.
Three players average at least two kills per set, led by Madeleine Chaapel at 2.28. Three setters have seen time, paced by Isabella Assaley with 7.25 assists per set. Defensively, Ada Isik averages 4.23 digs per set and owns a .913 reception percentage. Maya Meyers leads the Panthers at the net with .88 blocks per set.
Scouting Florida Tech
The Panthers are 1-2 this season with a sweep over Edward Waters. Florida Tech put together a 15-13 season in 2025, going 10-10 in conference play while earning wins over No. 13 Lynn, No. 24 Chaminade, and (RV) Palm Beach Atlantic.
As a team, Florida Tech is hitting .224 compared to a .204 mark for its opponents. The Panthers average 2.1 aces per set and hold a significant advantage at the net with 2.5 blocks per set.
Cordelia Kearns leads the team with 4.27 kills per set and has nearly three times as many attempts as the next-highest player. Four additional players average at least one kill per set. The Panthers have split time at setter, led by Sophia Schneider with 4.91 assists per set.
Defensively, Brooke Menke leads the team with 3.73 digs per set and has committed just one reception error. Kearns has been the primary target in serve receive with 114 attempts and seven errors for a .939 reception percentage. Three Panthers average more than one block per set.
Scouting CSU Pueblo
The ThunderWolves competed at the same tournament as Fort Lewis last week and came away with an identical 1-3 record. CSU Pueblo's lone win also came against East Central, a five-set victory. The Pack is coming off a strong 2025 season in which it went 20-9 overall and 11-3 in RMAC play before advancing to the NCAA Regionals.
As a team, CSU Pueblo is hitting .156 compared to a .206 mark for its opponents. The Pack averages 12.1 digs, 2.3 blocks, and .9 aces per set.
Lilly Zwart leads the team with 2.94 kills per set while hitting .286. Four additional players average at least one kill per set. Setter Elena Stankovic is dishing out 6.71 assists per set after starting three matches last week. Defensively, Chinaru Pao leads the team with 3.94 digs per set.
Up Next
Fort Lewis continues its season-opening road stretch next week with the start of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. The Skyhawks will travel to South Dakota to face Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines.
