SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs hit .467 in the final three sets and broke the program record for attack percentage in a five-set match to overcome a 2-0 match deficit for the 3-2 victory against Westminster tonight in Behnken Field house. Scores went (20-25, 24-26, 25-15, 25-17, 15-4) for the Mountain Lions, who won their 10th RMAC match and 15th overall match of the season tonight.
The Griffins never trailed in the first two sets, but UCCS did tie the match five times before the intermission. The Mountain Lions were down 21-15 in the second set and held off set point three times to tie the set at 24-24. A kill by Westminster and a Mountain Lion attack error pushed the match advantage to 2-0 for the Griffins with a 26-24 decision.
UCCS went on a 12-2 run early in the third set for a 15-6 lead against Westminster helped with three service aces and four kills. The Mountain Lions led by at least seven points for the rest of the set to claim the 25-15 win against the Griffins.
The Mountain Lions hit .455 in the fourth set with 18 kills and added two aces with a block to earn 21 of the 25 points in the set to even the match at 2-2 with 15-17 set victory.
Alyssa Brinton,
Kim Catlett and
Taylor Hamilton each finished with four kills. UCCS scored the first seven points and the last six points of the fifth set for the 15-4 win and complete the comeback 3-2 match victory.
Catlett led UCCS with 19 kills and shared the team-lead with
Natasha Habert with 20 digs. Hamilton hit .400 with 16 kills and Brinton hit .406 with 15 kills along with 11 digs.
Cassidy Bush added 14 kills in her largest offensive performance since Sept. 19.
Morgan Evans made 55 assists and nine digs. Catlett added four service aces and
Taylor Kramm made three aces, including back-to-back aces in the third set.
The Mountain Lions hit .317 as a team throughout the match and broke the previous five-set record of .297 set against New Mexico Highlands on Oct. 4, 2007. It was the fourth match this season for UCCS with a team hitting percentage greater than .300 and is on pace for the sixth-best hitting season in program history.
The Mountain Lions recorded their 11th season in program history with 15 wins and the first since 2012. UCCS is in a five-way tie for second in the RMAC standings with Western New Mexico, MSU Denver, Regis and Colorado Mesa. The five teams are within two matches of clinching conference tournament bids with five matches left in the regular season.
UCCS will return home for a Friday match against Chadron State and a Saturday match against Regis. The Mountain Lions can clinch a conference tournament with a sweep this weekend or a win combined with a loss by Colorado Christian.
