LAS VEGAS, N.M. --
Brooke Akers and
Heidi Fehringer combined for 48 kills as the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs recovered from a two-game deficit to defeat the New Mexico Highlands Cowgirls 3-2 (28-30, 30-32, 30-24, 30-27, 15-13) Thursday evening at the John A. Wilson Complex.
Akers had 27 kills and hit .438, while Fehringer added 21 kills and hit .405. With fellow setter
Jessica Stewart unavailable,
Cortney Weedman was forced to play the entire match. Her 63 assists were the highest total by a UCCS player since Lindsay Hillegas had 71 against St. Joseph's on Sept. 3, 2004.
Diane Sheldon added 16 kills for the Mountain Lions (11-8, 9-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference). Four Mountain Lions recorded double-digit digs led by
Andrea Weedman's 18.
Doreen Zamora led New Mexico Highlands (3-15, 1-8 RMAC) with 20 kills. Gabrielle Vigil had a match-high 21 digs, while Livinia Gallegos had four of the Cowgirls' 11 service aces.
After spotting Highlands a quick 10-3 advantage, the Mountain Lions were able to reduce the advantage to 16-14. A block by Akers gave UCCS its only lead of the game at 27-26, but a service ace and two kills by Jasmine Zamora helped the Cowgirls close it out.
A back-and-forth Game 2 saw UCCS fight off a pair of game points as an Akers kill and a
Stephanie Laband service ace tied the score at 29. A Highlands error gave UCCS a shot at game point, but a Morris kill and a pair of Mountain Lion hitting errors gave Highlands a 32-30 game win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
Game 3 was tied at 20 when a block by Akers and
Lauren Orth, combined with three kills by
Andrea Weedman, put UCCS up 24-21. From there Akers added two kills and two solo blocks to lift the Mountain Lions to a 30-24 win.
UCCS nearly let Game 4 get away. Leading 26-20, the Cowgirls rallied for four straight points before the Mountain Lions recovered, thanks to three Fehringer kills, to even the match at two games each.
Game 5 was tied six times, the last time at 13, before an Akers kill and a Highlands hitting error sealed the match in UCCS' favor. Fehringer had four kills and Akers three in the deciding game.
The Mountain Lions, who lead the RMAC's East Division, will face West Division leader Western New Mexico Friday evening at Silver City, N.M.
