GOLDEN, CO- Colorado Christian closed play at the Oredigger Classic with two final games on Saturday. After falling in game one, CCU came back with fire as they swept Pittsburg State to close the tourney.
GAME ONE
The Cougars took on Fort Hays State in their first matchup of the day, and the Tigers took control early in the first set. A long run put FHSU up 12-4, and they pushed the advantage to 20-7 later in the set. Alli Douglass and Abby Breeding picked up kills late in the set, but CCU eventually fell 25-15.
The second set saw the Tigers jump ahead early, but Krista Traynor brought her team level at 9 with an ace. However, a long run from Fort Hays State gave them control of the set and they went on to take it 25-17.
Colorado Christian battled in the third set, hanging close thanks to an early kill from Renee Phillips. Despite their best efforts though, the Cougars could never get past the Tigers as they lost the match in the final set by a tally of 25-20.
Lilly Woods led the offense with seven kills, while Traynor tallied 16 assists. Madelyn Long picked up five digs, while Woods also led the defense with four blocks.
GAME TWO
Determined to close the tournament strong, the Cougars came out with a fire against Pittsburg State. CCU earned the first three points of the set thanks to an early Douglass kill. Kills by Wods and Connelly Kilgore made it 11-8, and Abby Breeding later made it 22-20 as the two teams battled down the stretch. With the set knotted at 24, Douglass and Woods shut the door with consecutive kills for a 26-24 set win.
Set two was not as close as the first, as the Cougars took control early thanks to a four-point run led by Douglass and Breeding. After Phillips picked up an ace for an 18-8 lead, the set outcome was clear. Douglass finished the 25-16 set win with another kill as she played excellent throughout the match.
In set three, CCU went down 5-2 early, but they did not let that discourage them. A six-point run led by a pair of Woods kills made it 11-7, and the COugars never looked back. Douglass was on fire offensively, slamming home the final six kills for her team as she led Colorado Christian to the sweep with a 25-17 win in the third set.
Douglass was tremendous on offense with 18 kills followed by Breeding with 12. Izzy Jones set up her hitters well all game, tallying 40 assists, while Jessamyn Rose picked up 10 digs. Woods and Phillips led the charge at the net with four blocks apiece.
The Cougars will now travel to Michigan for the Grand Valley Invite September 7-9. Their first game is slated for 4 p.m. MST on September 7 against the host Grand Valley State.
