GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Adams State volleyball split a pair of matches Thursday at Brownson Arena, falling to Fairmont State in four sets before responding with a straight-set victory over Sul Ross State.
The Grizzlies dropped their opening match to Fairmont State, 14-25, 25-27, 25-11, 16-25, before closing the day with a 25-20, 25-15, 25-20 sweep of Sul Ross State. The victory moved Adams State to 2-5 overall.
Fairmont State 3, Adams State 1
Fairmont State controlled the opening set, taking a 25-14 decision, but Adams State answered with a much tighter second frame.
After trailing 4-1 early in the second set, the Grizzlies used back-to-back service aces from Taylor Matthews to take a 5-4 lead. The teams continued to trade points throughout the set, with Adams State holding a 20-16 advantage before Fairmont State battled back.
The Grizzlies fought off set point at 24-23 behind an Isabella Hidalgo kill to even the score at 24. Isa Folau answered another Fairmont State set point with a kill to make it 25-25, but the Falcons scored the final two points to take the set 27-25 and build a 2-0 match advantage.
Adams State responded in the third set with its strongest frame of the match, rolling to a 25-11 victory while holding Fairmont State to a -.188 hitting percentage. The Grizzlies hit .214 in the set.
Fairmont State answered in the fourth, opening a 5-0 advantage and eventually closing out the match with a 25-16 victory.
Folau led Adams State with 13 kills and 14 digs, while Aubrey Rothermich added 10 kills and four block assists. Isabella DeLaRosa directed the offense with 32 assists and added 14 digs, while Ashlyn Jones recorded a team-high 17 digs.
The Grizzlies also found success from the service line with nine aces. Tatianna Staab led the effort with four aces, while Matthews added three. Adams State finished with 68 digs and seven total blocks.
Adams State 3, Sul Ross State 0
Adams State quickly regrouped in its second match and produced one of its strongest offensive performances of the young season, hitting .314 with 46 kills in the three-set victory.
The Grizzlies took the opening set 25-20 before finding another gear offensively in the second. Adams State recorded 16 kills while hitting .419 in the frame on its way to a 25-15 victory.
Adams State built separation late in the second set behind DeLaRosa's service rotation. The Grizzlies pushed their advantage to 22-12 behind kills from Nora Conway, Sienna Markovich and Folau before eventually closing the set 25-15.
The momentum carried into the third. With Adams State leading 7-5, the Grizzlies put together a four-point run that included consecutive kills from Markovich followed by a Folau kill, stretching the advantage to 11-5.
Adams State finished the job with a 25-20 victory in the third to complete the sweep.
Markovich led the Grizzlies with 18 kills while hitting .405, committing just three errors on 37 attacks. Rothermich followed with 15 kills and a .276 hitting percentage, while Folau contributed seven kills, six digs, two service aces and two block assists.
DeLaRosa continued to run the offense with 37 assists, nine digs and two service aces. Jones led the back row with 10 digs, while Matthews added nine digs and two aces.
Adams State finished the match with a 46-31 advantage in kills, outhit Sul Ross State .314 to .168 and recorded six total blocks. The Grizzlies also held a 52-35 advantage in digs.
Up Next
The Grizzlies cap off the Volley in the Valley tournament tomorrow Saturday, September 5, 2026. First agaisnt Fort Hays State Univeristy at 11 a.m and conclude against RMAC rival Colorado Mesa at 5:30 p.m.
