SPEARFISH, S.D. - Down 2-0 in the match, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs held Black Hills State to 14 points in the next two sets, and then held off a late Yellow Jacket rally in the fifth set to earn a 3-2 victory at the Donald E. Young Center tonight. The win kept a home playoff match in reach for the Mountain Lions (16-9, 11-6 RMAC) with one match left in the regular season.
Morgan Evans made a season-high 57 assists and added seven digs, four blocks and three kills on the night.
Natasha Habert moved into third in UCCS records for season digs with 23 tonight and is three away from the third 500-dig season in program history.
Taylor Hamilton led the offense with 17 kills and a .471 hitting percentage and matched her career-high with eight blocks.
UCCS took an early lead in the first set with a 12-6 advantage and maintained control with a 19-16 lead later in the set. Black Hills State (8-18, 6-12 RMAC) scored four straight points to take a 20-19 lead and the teams tied four more times through 23-23. The Yellow Jackets used a kill and a block to secure the set 25-23 and take a 1-0 match lead. Black Hills State opened a 7-1 lead in the second set and didn't look back to take a 2-0 match lead on a 25-19 decision.
The Mountain Lions hit .448 in the third set, never trailed and scored the final five points to win their first set of the night on a 25-14 score. UCCS scored eight straight points in the fourth set and held Black Hills State to a negative hitting percentage to force a deciding fifth set on another 25-14 victory.
UCCS and Black Hills State tied eight times through 8-8 in the fifth set before the Mountain Lions scored four straight, with back-to-back kills from
Grace Nelson, to build an 11-8 advantage. UCCS reached match point at 14-10, but the Yellow Jackets responded with four straight points to tie the set at 14-14. A setting error by Black Hills State provided match point again for the Mountain Lions at 15-14, and Evans used her third service ace of the night to secure the victory in a 16-14 win.
Alyssa Brinton and Nelson both finished with 15 kills to compliment Hamilton's 19, and Brinton added 13 digs and four blocks for the Mountain Lion defense.
Cassidy Bush improved to eighth in career records with six kills tonight and moved her total to 924. She needs four more to tie Audrey Nelson for seventh in program records.
Evans moved her career assists total to 2,760 and needs six to tie for third. She improved her season total to 1,094, and needs 17 to move into sixth in season records and 30 to tie for fifth.
The win keeps UCCS in control for a home match of the quarterfinal round for the 2016 RMAC Tournament. The top four teams will host the next four teams, and a win on Saturday would guarantee at least the No. 4 seed in the tournament. A win for the Mountain Lions combined with a win by Regis at Colorado Mesa on Saturday would push UCCS into the No. 3 seed.
The Mountain Lions will close the regular season tomorrow with a 7 p.m., match at South Dakota Mines. UCCS swept the Hardrockers (1-27, 0-17) in the first meeting this season on Oct. 29.
