GUNNISON, Colo. – Visiting Adams State began today's final match of the 2022 season on fire, but host Western Colorado doused the Grizzlies' flame by winning the final three sets of the match to close the 2022 season for both teams in a 16-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-17 decision.
 
Cindy Garcia tied for match-high honors with 18 kills and a pair of service aces, but the Mountaineers were +15 in assists and +12 in both kills and digs in outlasting ASU on the afternoon.
 
Adams State came out firing on all cylinders after jetting out to a 7-1 lead behind two Garcia kills and a pair of Mountaineer errors.
 
After the hosts took two of the next three points, ASU went on a 3-0 run capped by a Garcia service ace and extended its lead to 16-6 behind kills by Hadleigh Richardson and Natalie Gallegos, and an attack error by the hosts.
 
The Grizzlies ran their lead to 19-7 after a pair of Garcia putaways, before withstanding a Mountaineer run that saw the hosts climb to within 22-16.
 
That's when a Gallegos hammer quelled the would-be WCU run, with a host attack error and Sierra Leon Sanchez service ace giving ASU the set-one win.

Set two saw Adams State take a 19-18 lead, only to have the Mountaineers capture the frame after outscoring the Grizzlies 7-2 down the stretch to even the match.
 
It was déjà vu all over again after the break as ASU claimed a 17-16 lead deep into set three, before the hosts closed with a 9-6 run to take the frame, 25-23, and a two-sets-to-one lead.
 
In the fourth, it was all WCU as the hosts scored five of the set's first seven points and held a 16-10 lead deeper into the frame.
 
Kills by Gallegos and Richardson put a dent in ASU's deficit at 16-12, and another kill by Gallegos and a WCU error brought the Grizzlies to within 17-14 three points later.
 
The Mountaineers, however, scored five-consecutive points to take control of the frame at 22-14, and were happy to exchange side outs over the final six points to take set four, and the match, 3-1.
 
The Grizzlies hit .218 for the match compared to .273 for the hosts, and also tallied one more ace and three more blocks in the setback.
 
Finishing 2022 with an 8-18 overall and 5-13 conference record, ASU returns its entire roster in 2023 and will look to qualify for the RMAC Tournament for the first time since 2017.