CHADRON, Neb.- Chadron State and Adams State's volleyball teams went back and forth for five sets Oct. 9 before the Eagles prevailed 14-25, 25-23, 25-23, 14-25, 15-13 on Chadron's floor.
The Eagles improved to 4-11, 2-6 in the RMAC. Adams State fell to 7-10 overall, 3-5 in conference play.
Freshman Riley Rabedeaux led Adams State with 15 kills and a hitting percentage of .448. Cindy Garcia and Alexandra MacKaskill added 11 kills. Sophomore Anna Huggins had eight, while Chasey Blach contributed seven.
Amber Harvey topped Chadon's stat sheet with 14 kills. Aiyana Fujiyama was close behind with 13. Audrey Bennett had four aces.
The Grizzlies compiled a total of 61 kills in 161 chances, which translated to a .311 hitting percentage. Chadron had more kills (63) but a lower hitting percentage (.191).
The Grizzlies dominated the first set, and a series of unforced errors from Chadron was a big help. ASU scored 11 of the first 14 points of the match and did not face a serious threat afterwards. Shannon Mulkey and Anna Huggins combined on a block to push Adams State's lead to 10 points.
Garcia's ace and a miscue by Adams State brought the Eagles to within seven points, but Bloch and Garcia started a late rally with a block at the net. Garcia had two kills in the last three points to wind up the first set.
The second set started as a repeat of the first for Adams State. The Grizzlies sprinted out to a 10-6 lead. Blach contributed a couple of kills to the cause. Rabedeaux took a set from Madeleine Benally for a kill that gave Adams State a 22-18 lead. But CSC rallied to take the set behind three kills from Harvey, the last one of which turned into the set-winner.
The two teams split the first 32 points of the third set. Rabedeaux's two successive kills pulled the Grizzlies even at 16. MacAskill and Mulkey combined for a block to forge a 20-all tie. CSC took a three-point lead after an Amelia Berg kill, but the Grizzlies kept clawing. MacKaskill and Huggins had kills to bring ASU to within a point, But Olivia Moten-Schell's kill finished off the third set.
Adams State never trailed in the fourth set. The Grizzlies enjoyed a 16-12 lead after an unforced error on the part of the Eagles. A Rabedeaux kill and a pair of aces from Aileen Bugas pushed the lead to 20-13. Bugas wound up with four straight points on her serve. After a service error from Chadron State, the Grizzlies were able to serve out the set. Bailey Schlosser closed out matters with three straight service points, including a pair of aces.
Neither team had a lead of bigger than three points in the fifth set. ASC's blocking tandem of MacAskill and Mulkey gave the Grizzlies that three-point margin at 11-8. MacKaskill's kill gave the Grizzlies a 13-11 lead. But Chadron was able to score the last four points of the match. Moten-Schell was responsible for two of those kills.
The Grizzlies compiled a total of 61 kills in 161 chances, which translated to a .311 hitting percentage. Chadron had more kills (63) but a lower hitting percentage (.191).
