ALAMOSA, Colo. – Returning home after three-consecutive road losses, Adams State took a two-sets-to-one lead and held on after a strong fifth set to take an 18-25, 25-18, 25-16, 26-28, 15-10 win over visiting Black Hills State Friday night in Plachy Hall.
Cindy Garcia enjoyed a stellar night with a match-high 22 kills, just three off her career-high set last month, with
Anna Huggins (16) and
Natalie Gallegos (10) joining Garcia in double-figure kills.
The Grizzlies shined most at the service line, serving 11 aces compared to just three for the Yellow Jackets, led by Keely-
Shae Sapiga's three.
After dropping the opener, the Grizzlies regrouped to take the second set. Despite being down 8-4 early, ASU went on a 6-0 run behind a pair of Gallegos hammers, pushing it to 16-10 after one of Sapiga's aces.
BHS cut its deficit to 16-13, only to have the hosts extend their edge to 20-14 after an
Aileen Bugas ace en route to a 7-point win.
Adams State used that momentum to take a 5-2 lead, only to have the Yellow Jackets roar back to catch the Grizzlies at 8-8.
After splitting the next two points, ASU took the lead for good on a BHS service error, using that miscue to take an 18-13 lead after another visitor's error.
A Garcia kill at 23-16 gave the Grizzlies set point, where the final attack error of the frame by BHS gave ASU a one-set advantage.
The visitors survived an epic fourth set to force a winner-take-all, where the hosts scored the fifth set's first three points.
After BHS got on the scoreboard, two Huggins kills and a block assist brought Adams State to a 6-1 lead before taking a 9-2 lead on another Yellow Jacket error.
Black Hills would make the set close by going on a 4-0 run, only to have the Grizzlies repel the Yellow Jacket surge and get to match point at 14-7 after a solo stuff by Kendal O'Gilvie.
BHS mounted its final rally of the night to close to within 14-10, but Garcia ended the match with her 22
nd and final kill of the night to snap ASU's skid.
Gallegos added four solo blocks to her stat line in leading ASU to a 14-6 edge at the net.
ASU looks to make it two straight tomorrow night as it hosts South Dakota Mines for a matinee 3 pm first serve.
