Schwab, Bailey lead Skyhawks to 4-game win

Garcia records 1,000th career dig for ASC

Senior libero Jocelyn Garcia had a match-high 21 digs and eclipsed the 1,000 mark for her career in the fourth game of Saturday's match.

Box Score

ALAMOSA, Colo.— Middle blockers Nicole Schwab and Jessica Bailey combined for 37 kills and a .394 hitting percentage as the Fort Lewis College Skyhawks left Plachy Hall with a 4-game win over the host Adams State College Grizzlies and a spot in the upcoming Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday night. Schwab, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, had 20 kills, four blocks and a .286 hitting percentage while Bailey, a 6-foot freshman, put down 17 kills while hitting a solid .552 in the 30-27, 22-30, 30-21, 30-20 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win.

The Skyhawks improved to 10-15 overall and to 10-7 in conference play while ASC fell to 10-14 overall and to 7-10 in RMAC play. The Grizzlies are still just one match behind Fort Hays State for the eighth and final spot in the Nov. 11-13 RMAC Tournament, which will be played in Kearney, Neb. The Tigers dropped a 3-game match at Metro State on Saturday and are 8-9 in RMAC play. The Grizzlies would claim a tiebreaker over FHSU should the teams end up tied after next week’s play.

The Grizzlies did have some bright spots as Tiffany Stockebrand (Alamosa, Colo.) recorded 18 kills, 11 digs and four blocks en-route to her fifth straight and 11th double-double of the season. Brittany Muchmore (Peoria, Ariz.) chipped in a career-high 15 kills while hitting .321. Senior libero Jocelyn Garcia (Albuquerque, N.M.) recorded a match-high 21 digs and eclipsed the 1,000 mark for her career late in the fourth game.

Freshman setter Tagen Bierley (Colorado Springs, Colo.) had 47 assists and eight digs to aid the cause.

After the teams split the first two games, the Skyhawks used a 5-0 run triggered by a Sara Feehan kill, to take a 20-15 lead in Game 3. Feehan, who recorded a double-double of her own with 13 kills and 14 digs, served five straight points in that run that the Grizzlies never recovered from.

Senior setter Teri Winfrey, who had 61 assists and 11 digs, put that game away with one of her five kills.

The Grizzlies tried to remain in the match but gave up a 10-4 run to fall behind 17-10 in the fourth game. Feehan and Schwab each recorded back-to-back kills in that spurt that eventually led to FLC’s 10-point Game 4 triumph.

The Skyhawks hit .271 on the night and put down 71 kills, 14 more than the Grizzlies. Each team recorded eight blocks while FLC posted a 68-67 advantage in digs.

The Skyhawks put down 20 kills while hitting .348 in the first game and recorded another 23 while hitting .292 in the third. ASC was dominant in the second, hitting .405 before committing 15 attacking errors while hitting .061 and .044 in the third and fourth games, respectively.

The Grizzlies will remain at home for the final weekend of the regular season when they host RMAC West Division leading Mesa State (20-5, 13-4 RMAC) and Western State (6-20, 4-13 RMAC) on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively. Mesa State took over sole possession of first place in the division with a 3-game win over UC-Colorado Springs on Saturday in Grand Junction. Western State defeated Colorado State-Pueblo (10-15, 6-11 RMAC) in three games on Saturday in Gunnison and knocked the Thunderwolves out of RMAC Tournament contention.