2008 Grizzlies sweep talented Alumni squad
ALAMOSA, Colo.— The 2008 Adams State College volleyball team welcomed some of the best faces to ever be a part of the program back to campus before dispatching them in five sets during the program’s first known Alumni Match, Saturday night in Plachy Hall.
Although the Alumni team lost all five sets (31-29, 25-22, 25-10, 25-22, 15-6), they put up quite a fight, as three of them were decided by three points or less.
That was especially the case in the first set as the Alumni fought off four set points before earning one of their own as Grizzly assistant coach Brittany Muchmore, playing for the alumni team, put down a kill to give the Alumni team a 28-27 lead.
However, the 2008 Grizzlies did not give up as sophomore Kimberly Ingram (Roswell, N.M.), who played well throughout the match, knotted things at 28-28.
Amy Cousin, ASC’s NCAA Division II era (1992-Present) career kills record holder, then gave the Alumni a 29-28 lead before returning all-region selection Andrea Tuck (Erie, Colo.) started a 3-0 run that eventually gave the current edition of the Grizzlies the overtime first set thriller.
Set No. 2 was also close and was knotted at 22 before an alumni service error started a 3-0 run that allowed the current Grizzlies to close out the set on a blocking error.
After the intermission, when the team’s host families were introduced, the current set of the Grizzlies came out roaring and they jumped to an 18-4 lead thanks in part to back-to-back Tuck service aces part of an 8-0 run.
The Alumni team only partially recovered before the current Grizzlies traded points down the stretch to claim the set.
Although the outcome of the match was official, the played on as the Alumni team built a 12-10 lead in set four before a 3-0 run behind the serving of junior Christan Johnston (Yuma, Ariz.) gave the 2008 Grizzlies a 13-12 lead.
The set remained tight but eventually went to the current Grizzlies by a 25-22 score.
Looking to complete the sweep, the 2008 Grizzlies jumped out to an 8-3 lead before the side switch and eventually closed out the win by nine points.
The Alumni team was made of 14 players, including coaches Tiffany Hawkins (Stockebrand) and Megan Martinez. Half of them had earned at least one All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honor during their ASC playing careers that combined to cover the 1997 through 2007 seasons.
The match was a good warm-up for the current edition of the Grizzlies, who begin their regular season in just six days at the Days Inn-Denver West Oredigger Classic hosted by the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. At that tournament on Friday, Aug. 29 and Saturday, Aug. 30, the Grizzlies will face Wayne State (Neb.), Minnesota State, Mankato, ranked 19th in the Preseason CBS College Sports Network/AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll, Winona State (Minn.) and Wisconsin-Parkside.
 |  |
 |
