DENVER, Colorado — Adams State Volleyball saw its 2026 season come to a close Tuesday evening, falling to top-seeded MSU Denver in straight sets in the RMAC Tournament quarterfinals at the Auraria Event Center. The Grizzlies battled throughout the postseason matchup but were unable to overcome the Roadrunners, dropping the three sets by scores of 21-25, 18-25, and 19-25. With the loss, Adams State concludes its 2026 campaign with an overall record of 13-16 and a 7-7 mark in RMAC play, earning its second consecutive appearance in the RMAC Tournament.
Diving into today's playoff match, Adams State came out ready to compete against the conference's top team, keeping the match competitive throughout the early stages. The Grizzlies recorded nine kills in the opening frame and continued to put pressure on MSU Denver, but the Roadrunners used a strong offensive effort to create separation late and secure a 25-21 set victory, taking a 1-0 lead.
In the second set, MSU Denver continued to find success offensively, recording 14 kills while limiting the Grizzlies to 11. Adams State continued to battle and looked to close the gap, but the Roadrunners maintained control of the set and pulled away for a 25-18 victory, putting the Grizzlies down two sets.
In the third set, Adams State looked to extend its season and keep its postseason hopes alive. The Grizzlies recorded seven kills in the final frame but struggled to find consistent offensive rhythm against the Roadrunners' defense finishing with a 0.086 hitting percentage. MSU Denver also added 14 kills to its team total and closed out the match with a 25-19 set victory, securing the 3-0 sweep.
Individually for the Grizzlies, Katie Bauer led the offensive attack with seven kills on 16 attempts, finishing with an impressive .438 hitting percentage. Bauer also contributed three service aces and two block assists to finish with 11 points to lead the Grizzlies. Aubrey Rothermich followed with six kills while hitting .250, adding three block assists and four digs. Lizzie Macintosh recorded five kills and four block assists, while Isa Folau contributed four kills, two service aces, and eight digs.
Elsewhere, Rowan Tribelhorn added six block assists to lead the Grizzlies, while also finishing with two kills. Ariel Barrera contributed five digs and two kills. Isabella DeLaRosa helped direct the Grizzlies' offense with six assists and added eight digs. Ellie Miller led Adams State in assists with 14, while Ashlyn Jones paced the defensive effort with 11 digs.
As a team, Adams State finished with 27 kills, 26 assists, seven service aces, and 43 digs. The Grizzlies also recorded 17 total blocks, matching MSU Denver's block total for the match. However, the Roadrunners held the advantage offensively, recording 41 kills and hitting .216 compared to Adams State's .085 hitting percentage.
Season Comes to a Close
Tuesday night's result brings the 2026 season to a close for Adams State, marking the Grizzlies' second consecutive trip to the RMAC Tournament. Despite coming up short in the quarterfinals, the Grizzlies continued to compete against one of the conference's top programs and earned another opportunity to represent Adams State on the postseason stage. The team finishes the season at 13-16 overall and 7-7 in conference play, bringing an end to its 2026 campaign.
