LAKEWOOD, CO- The Cougars opened RMAC play on Friday night as they played host to Chadron State College. A back and forth affair went to a decisive fifth set, and Colorado Christian made enough plays in the end to pull out the thriller 3-2. 

A 3-0 start to set one had the Cougars rolling early. With the set tied at 6-6, a seven-point run keyed by several kills from Connelly Kilgore and a block by Janelle DeBoer and Krista Traynor saw the Cougars jump ahead 13-6. CCU cruised from there as a Renee Phillips kill and another block from DeBoer and Traynor closed the 25-15 set win. 

Chadron State found new life in set two as the two teams battled to a 15-15 tie. Kilgore put down a kill to make it 18-18, and the score eventually stood at 22-22. The Eagles eventually took a 24-22 lead, and after Sierra Crist put down a kill to save one set point, CSC closed out the 25-23 win to level things at one set apiece. 

A Suzanna Conner ace and Crist kill gave the Cougars an early 5-3 advantage in set three, but Chadron State refused to go away. After the teams played to a 14-14 tie, CSC pulled ahead with a rally to make it 20-16. Despite a push from the Cougars, the visitors hung on for another 25-23 victory to go up 2-1 heading to the fourth. 

Another back and forth battle ensued in set four as the Cougars tried to send things to a fifth set and the Eagles looked to win in four. A Kilgore block put her team ahead 9-7, but another run from the visitors put them ahead 12-9. A huge block later in the set from DeBoer and Traynor saw CCU jump ahead 18-16, and they later took a 23-21 lead. After CSC tied things at 23-23, Suzanna Conner closed things out with a kill and block to send the game to a fifth set with the 25-23 win. 

Chadron State jumped ahead early in the fifth and final set, executing their offense for a 7-3 lead. They eventually streaked to a 12-9 lead, but that was when things turned around for the Cougars. Traynor got things started with a kill, and a Savannah Majeski ace swung the momentum. Phillips and Traynor comboed for consecutive blocks in a massive turn of events, and after a bad set from CSC made it 14-12, CCU closed out the match with a Kilgore slam for the 15-12 win as they closed on a 6-0 run to pull out the victory. 

Phillips had a big night with 15 kills, five blocks and two aces. Kilgore had a double double on 15 kills and 17 digs, while Traynor was in great form with 51 assists and five blocks. Conner notched 14 kills, 12 digs and five blocks, and Kristina House led the defense with 20 digs. 

With a 1-0 conference record in hand, the Cougars will play host to Regis on September 20 at 3 p.m. MST.