DURANGO, Colo. – Sophomore Caroline Munson put together a record-setting offensive performance, hitting .900 as the Fort Lewis College volleyball team cruised to a straight-set victory over Westminster University on Tuesday night inside Whalen Gymnasium.
The Skyhawks earned the sweep by scores of 25-16, 25-19 and 25-21 to improve to 9-6 overall and 3-2 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. Westminster fell to 2-13 overall and 1-4 in conference action.
Fort Lewis was efficient from start to finish, totaling 45 kills with just 12 errors on 104 attempts for a .317 hitting percentage. The Skyhawks held Westminster to a .117 mark with 31 kills and 19 errors. Fort Lewis also held advantages in kills (45-31), assists (40-27) and digs (45-34).
Munson was nearly perfect offensively, putting away nine kills without an error on 10 swings to hit .900, establishing a new Fort Lewis single-match record for hitting percentage in the 10-14 attempts category. Munson surpassed the previous record of .750 set by Ella Butler in 2022.
Senior Alina Nunez paced all Skyhawks with 14 kills while hitting .313 and added two block assists. Senior Jordan DeJesus followed with nine kills on .400 hitting to go along with eight digs, while senior Ellie Ames added five kills at a .364 clip and two block assists.
Senior Addie Garn dished out a match-high 21 assists and added nine digs, while sophomore Arianna Reyna contributed 12 assists. Sophomore Alyx Daugherty led the defensive effort with 13 digs and recorded Fort Lewis' lone service ace.
Set One – Fort Lewis 25, Westminster 16
The Skyhawks came out firing, putting away 16 kills with just one error on 28 attempts to hit .536 in the opening set. After Westminster pulled within one at 12-11, Nunez delivered a kill to side out for Fort Lewis. The Skyhawks later turned a 16-15 advantage into a commanding lead behind a lengthy run at the service line from Garn. Kills from Sommers, Munson and DeJesus helped Fort Lewis reach set point before Sommers closed the frame with a kill for the 25-16 win.
Set Two – Fort Lewis 25, Westminster 19
The second set remained tight through the midway point with Westminster pulling even at 12-12. Fort Lewis responded with five of the next six points to take a 17-13 lead. Daugherty then took over at the service line as the Skyhawks stretched their advantage to 22-14, with Nunez supplying a pair of kills and Daugherty adding an ace. Westminster trimmed the deficit late, but Ames put down a kill for set point before teaming up with Nunez for a block to finish the frame.
Set Three – Fort Lewis 25, Westminster 21
Fort Lewis used its best offensive stretch of the final set to break open an 8-8 tie. Munson sparked the run with a kill before Nunez, Sommers, Ames and Garn joined the attack, helping the Skyhawks build a 16-9 advantage. Westminster battled back to within one at 21-20, but Fort Lewis answered down the stretch. Nunez delivered kills for the 24th and 25th points to seal the sweep, finishing the third set with 17 team kills and a .256 hitting percentage.
Up Next
Fort Lewis returns to the road for an RMAC matchup against Colorado Mesa University.
