By: Paxton Ritchie
CSC Sports Information Director
ALAMOSA, Colo. – Chadron State won the first set, then lost the next three all by the minimum two points, coming up short 21-25, 27-25, 25-23, 26-24 to the Adams State Grizzlies on Friday night in Alamosa.
Mataya Ward had a team-high 12 kills for Chadron State while Bella Adams punched home nine kills alongside six blocks (three solo) on the defensive end. Gibson Beckler and Shelby Harding co-led the Eagles with 13 digs apiece while Josie Loosvelt contributed 11.
The Eagles (4-11, 1-4 RMAC) have now lost their past three matches, two of which were nonconference contests, since tallying their first RMAC win over Western Colorado on September 27. Adams State improved to 7-9 overall and 2-3 in the RMAC with the victory.
Adams State, like they have all season, fed Hadleigh Richardson, who leads the RMAC with 4.34 kills per set. Richardon finished with a game-high 19 kills alongside seven errors on 57 attempts for a .211 hitting percentage.
Chadron State's best set was the first, when the visiting Eagles hit .357 with 12 kills against just two errors to take the opening frame 25-21. Adams State's offense was also potent in the opening frame, with 17 kills at a .300 clip, and the two teams jockeyed for the lead until CSC closed the set on a 5-1 run.
With the score knotted at 20-20, the Eagles received a kill from Bella Adams before a service ace from Rylee Ward and a Grizzlies setting error. Although a service error gave a side-out back to the Grizzlies, the Eagles responded with back-to-back kills from Adams and the setter Jillian Donovan to take the set.
Chadron State took advantage of Grizzly mistakes to build a 7-3 lead in set two, with one kill plus three attack errors, a service error and a bad set leading to the first seven Eagle points. ASU's attacks started landing in bounds, as four kills and an ace among six points for the Grizzlies tied it quickly at 9-9.
The teams alternated scoring runs, with one 12-point stretch seeing four consecutive 3-0 scoring runs, two by each team. After consecutive kills from Beckler, Shelbi Hazlitt and Kally Kirkwood gave CSC a 23-22 lead, Adams State answered with two points to earn its first set point. The Eagles saved it with a Hazlitt/Beckler combo block to tie it at 24-24, but four points later, the Grizzlies got a block of their own to win the set 27-25.
Chadron State grabbed a 5-2 lead early in the third and held a slim lead until Adams State rallied to tie the set for the first time at 20-20. Adams closed on a 4-1 scoring run, with Olivia Lunt hammering home three kills out of ASU's final four points to seal a 25-23 set win.
The fourth set was tough sledding offensively, as the Eagles hit just .022 while Adams State hit only .039. The teams combined for 23 kills and 20 attack errors, while Adams State had four blocks in the final frame, including a solo block by Nora Conway on the match's final point to win it.
Chadron State will stay on the road and travel to Las Vegas, New Mexico to face New Mexico Highlands Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. The Cowgirls are 6-9 overall and 1-4 in the RMAC after earning their first conference win Friday over Regis.