Grizzlies pick up 4-game win over Mines
ALAMOSA, Colo.— Alamosa native outside hitters Emily Bussey and Tiffany Stockebrand combined for 37 kills and 19 digs as they led the Adams State College Grizzlies to their most important Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference volleyball win of the season thus far on Friday night in Plachy Hall. Stockebrand put down a match-high 19 kills while Bussey had 18 kills and 11 digs to record her ninth double-double of the season. Grizzly middle blockers Kallee Bingham (Mesa, Ariz.) and Leah Hill (Fort Collins, Colo.) put down 12 and 10 more kills, respectively, as the Grizzlies took a critical 30-24, 30-32, 32-30, 30-23 decision over the visiting Colorado School of Mines Orediggers.
The win pushed the Grizzlies’ record to 8-11 overall, but more importantly to 5-7 in RMAC action. The Orediggers, led by 19 kills and five blocks from sophomore middle hitter Nicole Leeper, entered the match in a second place tie in the RMAC’s East Division but are now 15-5 overall and 8-4 in league play.
The Grizzlies, who have won three of their last four and five of their last seven, also received solid efforts from freshman setter Tagen Bierley (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and senior libero Jocelyn Garcia (Albuquerque, N.M.). Bierley matched a season and career-high with 57 assists while leading a solid Grizzly attack that recorded a .214 hitting percentage. She also recorded a career-high four service aces. Garcia recorded a match-high 24 digs.
Bussey and Stockebrand were on fire in the early going as they combined for 12 of ASC’s 16 kills in the first game. Garcia also had eight of her digs in that game as the Grizzlies overcame four Oredigger blocks, four of which came from senior outside hitter Samantha Bauer.
The Grizzlies led for much of the first set but trailed 18-17 after a Amanda Rebol kill. A Bussey kill and Hill service ace then triggered a 9-1 run that gave ASC a 26-19 lead.
Stockebrand then put down three of her kills in the late going as the Grizzlies claimed the first set.
They also got out to a big 10-4 lead in the second game but allowed the Orediggers to come back to take a 16-14 lead thanks to an extended 12-4 spurt.
A few minutes later, CSM led 27-22 before Stockebrand put down two kills in three points as ASC pulled to with 27-26. A Grizzly service error and a Leeper kill gave the Orediggers three game points before a Oredigger serving miscue followed by a Bierley ace and Stockebrand/Hill block allowed ASC to tie the game at 29.
The teams then traded attacking errors before a Rebol kill gave CSM a fifth game point. The 6-foot middle then put down another kill after a Grizlzy overpass as the teams went into the break tied at a game apiece.
The Grizzlies returned the favor by winning the third set in “overtime” as Bussey put down seven kills in the set. ASC then hit a solid .239 in the fourth game, cruising to the game and match win.
The Grizzlies will now look for their third straight win over an RMAC East Division opponent on Saturday night when they face the Chadron State College Eagles (2-19, 1-11 RMAC), who dropped a 3-game decision at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo. Friday.
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