Grizzlies beat Mountaineers in four
ALAMOSA, Colo.— Freshmen Dominique Davis (Denver, Colo.) and Callyn Weyenberg (Gilbert, Ariz.) combined for 30 kills while veteran co-captains Darcy Jennings-Calkins (Lakin, Kan.) and Mary McNeil (Phoenix, Ariz.) also recorded solid nights as the Adams State College Grizzlies claimed an intense 22-25, 25-17, 25-11, 25-22 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference volleyball victory over arch-rival Western State College before a partisan crowd of more than 600, Saturday night here in Plachy Hall.
The Grizzlies, who received a match-high 18 kills from Davis and another career-high 12 from Weyenberg, have now won five straight matches while improving to 5-4 overall and to 2-0 in the RMAC.
The Mountaineers, coached by former ASC head coach Katie Moskowitz, are now 1-9 overall and 1-1 in the loop.
Jennings-Calkins, the Grizzlies’ lone senior, also chipped in 16 kills to go along with four blocks and four service aces while hitting .367. McNeil, a 5-foot-9 junior setter, posted her second double-double of the weekend recording an impressive 50 assists and 10 digs, easily out-dueling her Mountaineer counterpart, freshman Rachel Weakland, who had 31 assists and nine digs for the visitors.
The Grizzlies, who dropped the first set for the second straight night, ended the match outhitting the Mountaineers .242 to .101 as they put down 59 kills, 21 more than the Mountaineers’ 38.
The Mountaineers did have a slight 12-10 edge in blocks, led by junior middle Lindsay Huson, who stopped seven Grizzly attacks.
The WSC back-row was paced by junior libero Madison Dempsey, who had a match-high 19 digs.
The Grizzlies were much more balanced as sophomore defensive specialist Kelsey Huckle (Gunnison, Colo.), playing against her hometown team had 15 digs while sophomore libero AJ Palmer (Colorado Springs, Colo.) recorded 14. Freshman Valerie Garcia (Colorado Springs, Colo.) added another 11 for the Grizzlies, who four players in double-figures.
Offensively, the Mountaineers were guided by Courtnee Pedone, who put down 14 kills. Cecelia Vollmer and Huson added nine each but were not enough to overcome 23 Mountaineer hitting errors, 13 of which were unforced.
The Mountaineers did jump out to an 11-7 lead in the first set and gradually extended it to 17-11 before a Davis kill and three straight Jennings-Calkins aces allowed the Grizzlies to go on a 4-0 run that sliced the deficit to two points (17-15).
Vollmer and Davis then traded kills before a 5-2 spurt gave the Mountaineers a 23-18 edge.
The Grizzlies would get within two points twice down the stretch but a Huson and Rosey Falemaka block ended the first set.
Looking not to go down 2-0, the Grizzlies battled back and took a 13-10 lead in the second set as Davis and Kelsey Miller (Las Animas, Colo.), who put down seven kills while hitting .316 throughout the night, led the charge.
The Mountaineers did not go away and remained within three before a Miller and McNeil block and kills be each doubled the Grizzly lead in a flash.
Leading 21-14 after a Mountaineer hitting error, the Grizzlies had more than enough momentum to even the match with the 8-point second set win.
The Grizzlies were then simply dominant after the intermission as they hit a blazing .542 committing just two hitting errors in the entire third set.
Meanwhile, the Mountaineers were held to a negative .115 effort as the Grizzlies jumped out to a 14-4 lead, thanks in large part to a 7-0 run with Jennings-Calkins behind the service line.
The Mountaineers never got much closer as four kills by Jennings-Calkins, Weyenberg and Davis salted away the set for the home team.
Again in the fourth set, the Mountaineers did not go away and battled throughout the frame that was tied at 18, 19 and 20. However, they could never get the upper hand as a Weyenberg kill followed by a tandem block of Huson with Jennings-Calkins put the Grizzlies up 22-20.
Vollmer then misfired after a timeout before another Weyenberg kill gave the Grizzlies four match points at 24-20.
After a second Moskowitz timeout, the Mountaineers would erase half the deficit before Jennings-Calkins fittingly finished off the match.
The Grizzlies, who share the RMAC’s longest winning streak, now go on the road next weekend playing at New Mexico Highlands (1-10, 0-2 RMAC) and Western New Mexico (3-7, 1-1 RMAC) on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Both matches begin at 7 p.m. and can be seen on a subscription basis thanks to B2 Networks.
The Mountaineers next play at Mesa State (4-7, 2-0 RMAC), tied for first place in the RMAC West with the Grizzlies, on Friday in Grand Junction.
Related Item: Online Photo Store Gallery
 |  |
 |
