Durango, CO – After going down two sets to none, the Cougars rallied to win three straight sets and best Adams State in pod play. A hard-fought comeback led by several different Cougars would see Colorado Christian earn its second straight win.
The first set saw a dominant Adams State, seemingly running away with the game and recording a lead of 19-10. Several kills from
Sienna Thatcher would rally the Cougars, scoring 5 strait points to close the gap. Unable to keep the momentum going, Asu would come away with the first set, 25-20.
Coming out with fire early in the set, the Cougars would score four unanswered points, with
Suzanna Conner picking up a pair of kills. Both sides would trade points back and forth, the game knotted at 9-9. Back-to-back kills from Kilgore would be answered instantly by the Grizzlies, keeping the set tied at 11 apiece. The set remained tight as the Cougars slowly fell behind, with Kilgore picking up two more kills to keep CCU within reach. Adams State would ultimately take the second set, 25-20.
Undeterred, the Cougars maintained an early lead, with
Sierra Crist getting the offense going with two kills off the bat. Anytime Adams State would rally, the Cougars responded with a rally of their own. Holding a 17-15 lead, CCU would lean on Crist yet again, rallying late to secure a gritty 25-23 victory and keep the match alive.
The fourth set saw a back-and-forth affair, with the Grizzlies taking an early 7-3 lead. Answered by three kills from
Suzanna Conner and a monstrous kill from
Karen Salinger, the Cougars would flip the momentum to take a 9-7 lead. Continued pressure from the duo of Conner and Salinger pushed CCU to a 22-17 advantage. A late effort from the Grizzlies saw them score four unanswered points, but kills from
Ana Aguilar and
Sienna Thatcher would close out the set and send the match to a decisive fifth set.
Continuously building momentum through the night, the fifth set saw the Cougars pour on the pressure. The Cougars saw an early 5-2 run led by two kills from
Sienna Thatcher. Adams State wouldn't go down without a fight, bringing the game back and battling to a 9-7 mark. It was a relatively close set until
Karen Salinger had something to say. Salinger would score three unanswered herself, widening the gap to a 12-7 mark. A
Krista Traynor service ace would finalize the momentous comeback for the Cougars.
An incredible display of heart in the 5 set thriller, Conner lead the Cougars with 13 Kills, Traynor taking head with 36 assists, and Frazier dishing out 13 digs.
Karen Salinger had a career night with a hitting percentage of .600 to aid the Cougars in the impressive comeback.
Colorado Christian will be back in action tomorrow night, taking on the Fort Lewis Skyhakws at 4pm MST in Whalen Gymnasium.
