DENVER, Colorado — In the Grizzlies' first playoff game since the 2017 season, the Grizz fell short against the number 1 seed MSU Denver, 3 sets to 1. The Grizzlies fought hard throughout tonight's match but dropped sets 1, 2, and 4, ultimately losing the match and bringing an end to their great season. Coach Ramser and the Adams State Women's Volleyball team finish the season with a final record of 15-15 (7-7 RMAC).
In sets 1 and 2 tonight, the Grizzlies struggled in their first playoff match of the season as MSU Denver was able to take a quick lead by winning set 1 by a score of 25-16 and set 2 by a score of 25-12. The Grizzlies' downfall during the first two sets tonight was their errors and inability to have a successful offense, while MSU Denver was able to have an extremely successful offense. In set 1, the Grizzlies committed 9 errors to MSU Denver's 2 and had a 0.077% hitting percentage compared to MSU Denver's 0.3% hitting percentage. The story was the same in set 2 as the Grizzlies committed 5 errors to the Roadrunners' 4, while having a 0% hitting percentage compared to MSU Denver's 0.5% hitting percentage. With a massive discrepancy between these two categories for the Grizzlies, it was difficult for the Grizzlies to overcome the constant pressure from the Roadrunners.
Although the Grizzlies struggled early in tonight's match, they managed to make noticeable improvements in sets 3 and 4, earning the win in set 3 with a score of 25-22 and a hard-fought close loss in set 4 with a final score of 25-20. The key adjustment for the Grizzlies was their ability to get their offense moving. In set 3, they finished with a 0.289 hitting percentage, and in set 4, they finished with a 0.229 percentage—both significant improvements compared to sets 1 and 2. Additionally, MSU Denver committed more errors than the Grizzlies, which gave the Grizzlies the edge and the win in set 3. Unfortunately, in set 4, the Grizzlies committed 6 errors, four more than the Roadrunners, which was the difference in the fourth and final set of the night.
Overall, the Grizzlies fell behind MSU Denver in most categories as the Roadrunners finished with more kills, serving aces, blocks, and assists. The only category the Grizzlies finished better in was digs, which ended up being separated by just 1 when the match was over. With the differences in kills and blocks, the Grizzlies really struggled to consistently score in tonight's playoff match, which was one of the big determining factors in tonight's match.
Individually, for the Grizzlies, they were led by Hadleigh Richardson, Katie Bauer, and Peyton Priddy. Richardson led the Grizzlies in kills with 17, while also recording 10 digs on the night. Following Richardson's lead was Bauer, who finished with 9 kills, 2 serving aces, and 1 block. Bauer's 2 serving aces and 1 block led the Grizzlies in tonight's match. Priddy also had a great night as she finished with 1 serving ace, 12 assists, and 7 digs. Priddy's 1 serving ace and 12 assists were second on the team in their respective categories, while her 7 digs finished third on the team behind Richardson and Logan Conlin, who led the Grizzlies with 13 digs on the match.
Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, tonight's playoff loss put an end to their 2025 season at a final record of 15-15. The playoff appearance for the Grizzlies was their first since the 2017 season, so it will be a great opportunity for the Grizzlies to continue to build on their success going into next season when they look to make an even further run in the RMAC tournament.
