DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College volleyball team returns to the road this week for a pair of matches as part of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Regional Pod, taking on New Mexico Highlands University and Adams State University.
The Skyhawks open the weekend on Friday at 6 p.m. against New Mexico Highlands inside the John A. Wilson Center in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Fort Lewis will then travel to Alamosa for a 3 p.m. matchup with Adams State on Saturday inside Plachy Hall.
Last Time Out
Fort Lewis picked up a pair of wins in its long-awaited home debut last week, defeating Chadron State College in straight sets before taking down Regis University in four sets. The wins improved the Skyhawks to 7-5 overall and 2-2 in RMAC play.
The Skyhawks opened the weekend with a 3-0 win over Chadron State, hitting .244 as a team while holding the Eagles to a .115 clip. Senior Alina Nunez led all players with 14 kills on .387 hitting while adding five digs, one service ace and a solo block. Jordan DeJesus added 10 kills on .292 hitting, while Sydney Vogel chipped in seven kills. Sophomore Alyx Daugherty paced the back row with 21 digs.
Fort Lewis carried the momentum into Saturday with a 3-1 win over Regis. The Skyhawks hit .267 and totaled 63 kills compared to 39 for the Rangers. Nunez turned in another dominant performance with a match-high 23 kills on .327 hitting to go along with 10 digs.
Nunez finished the weekend with 37 kills across seven sets, averaging 5.29 kills per set while hitting .348. She added 15 digs, two blocks and one service ace en route to earning RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season.
By the Numbers
Fort Lewis enters the Regional Pod at 7-5 overall after winning six of its last eight matches. The stretch began with four consecutive wins at the CSU Pueblo Tournament before the Skyhawks added home victories over Chadron State and Regis last week.
The Skyhawks have continued to find success behind their back-row defense and service pressure. Entering last week, Fort Lewis ranked fourth in the RMAC at 15.06 digs per set and sixth with 1.56 service aces per set. The team was also averaging 10.89 assists per set and hitting .181 through its first 10 matches.
Nunez has been the driving force offensively for Fort Lewis. After averaging 3.08 kills per set through the opening 10 matches, the senior elevated that production with 37 kills and a .348 hitting percentage in last week's two wins. Her 23-kill effort against Regis marked her highest total of the home-opening weekend.
Daugherty has anchored the defense throughout the season. She entered last week averaging 4.81 digs per set and then added 21 digs in just three sets against Chadron State. Fort Lewis has also relied on the setting tandem of Arianna Reyna and Addie Garn to direct the offense, with the duo combining for 35 assists in Friday's sweep of the Eagles.
Around the RMAC
The RMAC standings remain tightly packed through the opening two weeks of conference play. Fort Lewis enters the week at 2-2 in league action, joining Colorado School of Mines, Black Hills State, Western Colorado and Adams State at .500 in conference play. UCCS and CSU Pueblo are among the teams sitting at 3-1.
Fort Lewis has worked its way back to .500 in conference play after dropping its opening matches to Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines. The Skyhawks responded with consecutive victories over Chadron State and Regis and enter the Regional Pod riding a two-match winning streak.
The Skyhawks' 7-5 overall record has them tied with UCCS in overall winning percentage among the group near the middle of the standings. Colorado School of Mines enters the week at 9-3, while Adams State stands at 6-8 and New Mexico Highlands is 2-10 ahead of Tuesday night's Regional Pod match against the Grizzlies.
Scouting New Mexico Highlands
New Mexico Highlands enters the week at 2-10 overall and 0-4 in RMAC play ahead of a Tuesday night Regional Pod match against Adams State. The Cowgirls have dropped seven consecutive matches after opening the year 2-3. Their two victories came in a sweep of Sul Ross State and a four-set win over Northwestern Oklahoma State.
Highlands opened conference play with road losses to Westminster and Colorado Mesa before returning home for matches against Adams State and Colorado School of Mines. The Cowgirls fell in straight sets in both contests and will see Adams State for the second time in eight days on Tuesday.
Friday will mark the first of two meetings between Fort Lewis and New Mexico Highlands this season. The Cowgirls make the return trip to Durango on Oct. 17 for a 3 p.m. match inside Whalen Gymnasium.
Scouting Adams State
Adams State enters the week at 6-8 overall and 2-2 in RMAC play. The Grizzlies are hitting .174 as a team while averaging 11.96 kills, 11.02 assists, 14.67 digs and 2.00 blocks per set. Opponents are hitting .195 against Adams State through its first 14 matches.
Carolisa Folau leads the Grizzlies offensively with 144 kills, followed closely by Aubrey Rothermich with 138. Sienna Markovich has contributed 92 kills, while Lizzie Macintosh has added 85.
Isabella DeLaRosa has directed the Adams State offense with 433 assists while also leading the team with 16 service aces. Ashlyn Jones anchors the back row with 218 digs, and Folau has added 108.
The Grizzlies have been particularly effective at the net, totaling 102 blocks and averaging 2.00 per set. Rowan Tribelhorn leads the team with 47 total blocks, followed by Katie Bauer with 32 and Rothermich with 26.
Adams State enters the week tied with Fort Lewis at 2-2 in conference play. Saturday's match will be the first meeting of the season between the Skyhawks and Grizzlies.
Up Next
Following the Regional Pod, Fort Lewis remains on the road for a pair of RMAC matches. The Skyhawks travel to Denver to face Regis University on Friday, Oct. 2 before heading to Chadron, Nebraska, for a matchup with Chadron State College on Saturday, Oct. 3.
