Grizzlies lose lead, match to Winona State
GOLDEN, Colo.— The Adams State College volleyball team held a two sets to none lead and was just three points away from closing out the match before the Winona State University Warriors scored the final five points of the third set before going on to win the fourth and fifth sets in a 22-25, 25-27, 25-22, 25-18, 15-8 victory over the Grizzlies in Saturday afternoon action at the Days Inn Golden Oredigger Volleyball Classic in the Colorado School of Mines’ Lockridge Arena.
Both teams are now 1-2 in the tournament and on the season.
The Grizzlies, who also dropped a 5-set heartbreaker to the Warriors last season, were paced by returning all-region players Andrea Tuck (Erie, Colo.) and Darcy Jennings (Lakin, Kan.), who put down 15 and 14 kills, respectively. The Grizzlies also had four players in double-figures for digs, a group led by freshman libero AJ Palmer (Colorado Springs, Colo.), who recorded a career-high 22. Sophomore setter Mary McNeil (Phoenix, Ariz.) also registered a double-double with 39 assists and 11 digs.
However, the Warriors were just as potent as Kerry Daly and Jessi Peterson each recorded 15 kills. Jenna Padley also had 13 while Carmen Stankowski recorded 12 kills while sharing match-high honors with libero Rudi Balich for digs with 23.
Setter Mollie Bjelland finished with 56 assists as the Warriors out-hit the Grizzlies .158 to .069.
The Warriors also out-blocked the Grizzlies 11-7 but allowed ASC to post an 8-3 advantage in service aces.
The Grizzlies trailed only briefly in the first set and gradually built a 17-11 lead before the Warriors clawed back to within 22-19 forcing an ASC timeout. Two Daly hitting errors then gave the Grizzlies five set points before a Tuck kill later gave the Grizzlies the set.
The Grizzlies, who hit a match-best .150 in that set, would also go on to build a comfortable 16-7 lead in the second before the Warriors came storming back to tie it at 20 thanks to a 13-4 spurt.
The set would be tied at 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 as well before a Jennings kill and Stankowski hitting error gave the Grizzlies a 2-set lead.
The Warriors, who hit just .121 as a team in the first set and .073 in the second, then started to heat up hitting .184 in the third, a set that saw them jump out to a 13-8 lead. However, the Grizzlies then came back to score the next six points to re-take the lead.
The teams then battled back-and-forth before ASC took a 22-20 edge on a Tuck kill before the Warriors began their comeback.
After the fourth set went the Warriors way, the fifth was nip-an-tuck and was tied at 6 before a block by Bjelland and Alysha Pettit, back-to-back Stankowski kills and a Grizzly hitting error put WSU up 10-6 forcing a Grizzly timeout.
That stretch and another 4-0 Warrior run were the difference as the Grizzlies committed eight hitting errors while hitting negative .069 in the decisive fifth set.
The Warriors hit .234 in the fourth set and .208 in the fifth.
ASC will wrap up the weekend with a Saturday night match against Wisconsin-Parkside, currently 2-1.
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