Alamosa, Colo. – In a hard-fought five-set match, Adams State narrowly fell to Fort Lewis on Friday evening, at Plachy Hall. The Grizzlies opened strong, dominating the first set 25-13, but ultimately dropped the match with set scores of 25-13, 22-25, 19-25, 25-20, and 12-15. The loss moves Adams State to 4-11 overall and 1-3 in the RMAC standings.

Cindy Garcia led the Grizzlies with a stellar performance, tallying 19 kills on a .359 hitting percentage. Anna Huggins added 12 kills and 3 service aces, while Hadleigh Richardson contributed 10 kills and 4 blocks. Setter Ellie Miller was instrumental with 19 assists, 9 digs, and solid play at the net.

Adams State came out firing in the first set, taking an early lead and winning handily. However, Fort Lewis regrouped in the second and third sets, hitting .22 and .263, respectively, to seize momentum. Adams State fought back in the fourth set, earning a 25-20 win to force a fifth, but the Grizzlies couldn't capitalize in the final frame, falling 12-15 despite keeping the score close with six tie scores and three lead changes.

The Grizzlies' defense was strong throughout the match, with key contributions from Sierra Leone Sanchez, who recorded 13 digs, the team added a season high 17 blocks to keep the match close. 

Fort Lewis, led by Lauren Shea with 16 kills and a .367 hitting percentage, improved to 4-9 overall and 1-3 in the RMAC. The match featured numerous momentum swings, with a total of 28 tie scores and 13 lead changes across the five sets.

Adams State hits the road next week picking back up in conference play against Westminster Friday and Colorado Mesa on Saturday at 6:00 and 4:00 p.m. respectively