ALOMOSA, CO – It wasn't easy or always pretty but the Colorado Christian volleyball team got what they wanted.
In a contest that featured more than a handful of momentum swings, the Cougars came out with a 3-2 (25-18, 20-25, 25-18, 14-25, 16-14) win at Adams State on Saturday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED: It was almost as if the match was bound to go to the distance.
In the opening set Colorado Christian held the Grizzles to a .000 hitting percentage while hitting .212 to claim the early lead. A tightly played second frame went to the home team late.
The tit-for-tat continued in the third set as Colorado Christian took an early lead and kept the Grizzles at arm's length to take a 2-1 edge in the contest. Adams State flipped it in their favor as they used scoring spurts in the early and middle stages to force the decisive stanza.
A fifth set of pure drama ensued.
The Cougars raced out to a 5-3 lead but the home team responded with a 4-0 scoring spurt to force a Colorado Christian timeout. After the stoppage, the Grizzles scored their fifth straight unanswered point. An undaunted Cougars squad responded with a 6-1 scoring spree to grab an 11-9 edge and force an Adams State timeout. The set went to 12-12 then Adams State fought off two match points to tie it as 14-14. The match ended on a Katie Henry kill then a block assist from Ashley Drye and Kristy Dick.
COUGAR LEADERS: Both Cali Bahnsen and Drye had a team high 10 kills from their positions along the pins. Drye also tallied two block solos and six block assists.
Mariela Gonzalez recorded a match high 33 digs while her back row teammate Christa Tucker had 15.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Both teams registered 78 digs
- Colorado Christian held a plus-six kill advantage (50-44)
- The victory is the third straight for the Cougars in Alamosa and sixth straight overall against Adams State
- With the win, Colorado Christian snaps a four-match skid
UP NEXT: The Cougars return home next weekend for a pair of RMAC matches. Colorado Christian hosts UCCS on Friday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. before welcoming Colorado School of Mines the following day.
