Volleyball team finishes season with 2 losses
The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Mountain Lions defeated the Eagle’s volleyball team 23-25, 25-17, 25-22 and 25-20 on the road Friday.
UCCS’ junior outside hitter, Kim Catlett, of Fort Collins, Colorado, recorded 20 kills Friday night. The rest of UCCS’ offense hit a solid .268. Cassidy Bush, sophomore middle blocker of Tampa, Florida, finished the night with 15 kills and junior outside hitter, Lauren Hahn, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, added another 14. Setter Morgan Evans, redshirt freshman of Monument, Colorado, tallied 54 assists and 12 digs.
CSC’s offense struggled, only hitting .175 throughout the match. Senior outside hitter Erika Roybal, of Denver, marked 13 kills, a team high; sophomore middle hitter Alia Brennan, of Chadron, followed close behind with eight.
Senior defensive specialist, Alyssa Bauer, of Rapid City, South Dakota, ended the night with 17 digs. Freshman outside hitter, Alexis Farris, of Blair, added 12 digs.
The Eagles used their two setters Justine Ackie, junior of Phoenix, and Shelby Gardener, redshirt freshman of Colby, Kansas. Ackie posted 16 assists for the match and Gardener added 19.
“We played hard throughout the entire game and tried our hardest, and that’s all I can ask from this group of amazing girls,” Ackie said. “Although our season didn’t end up how we wanted it to, these girls are my family and each year it’s hard to have it end but I wouldn’t trade them and all those moments for anything.”
CSC volleyball team lost the last game of the season Saturday, dropping a three-game match to Colorado Regis University, Denver, 25-12, 25-15 and 25-21.
The Eagles hit .100 over three sets. Roybal and middle hitter Lelalelei Nomura, junior of Pago Pago, American Samoa, marked six kills each.
Roybal tallied 29 attempts, one solo block, and one block assist. Gardner handed out 18 assists and two block assists over the game.
Brennan and Ana Kazljevich, senior of Banja Luka, Bosnia, provided two block assists each.
The Rangers hit .351 percent. Outside hitter, Caitie Breaux, junior of Franktown, Colorado, provided 16 kills and 43 attempts. Outside hitter Mary Schroeder, senior of La Canada, California, tallied 12 kills and 25 attempts, while setter Rebecca Sponcil, junior of Phoenix, served 21 aces.
CSC first-year Head Coach Chris Wells produced good games this season against University of Mary, Billings, Montana; Western State University, Gunnison, Colorado; and Western New Mexico University, Silver City. The team finished the season 3-24 overall, a 2-16 RMAC, 13th in the conference.
“I am very thankful for the opportunity to play at Chadron all four years,” Roybal said. “I have been able to play the sport that I love, made unforgettable memories and had so many great teammates that I consider my family.”
Roybal finished her volleyball career for CSC. She played 27 matches and served 247 kills, 818 attempts. In her career, she led the Eagles in kills in three of her four seasons and finished with 800 total kills.
She was named as an honorable mention to the RMAC All-Conference volleyball team. Coaches from all the teams in the conference voted on the First and Second Teams, which are made up of the top 28 players. Coaches are not able to vote for their own players. Players who receive either one First Team vote or two Second Team votes are rewarded as honorable mentions.
In an email she stated the team “worked extremely hard,” and she stated this work is going to change the outcome of the next season.
“We learned a lot that will carry over to next season. We fought hard and definitely got better throughout this season,” Roybal said.
