COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs junior middle blocker
Taylor Hamilton made a career-high 20 kills and senior setter
Morgan Evans added 50 assists, but the Mountain Lions finished on the short end of a 3-1 match to Chadron State to open the 2016 RMAC season at the Gallogly Events Center. UCCS (5-4, 0-1 RMAC) fell in 24-26, 25-23, 25-27 and 16-15 sets to the Eagles (2-7, 1-0 RMAC).
The Mountain Lions scored the first four points of the night, but Chadron State took the lead on a 10-3 run. UCCS scored four straight points at the end of the set and reached set point at 24-22, but the Eagles rallied with four straight points of their own to take the match advantage on the 26-24 decision. The opening set of the conference season featured 12 ties and nine lead changes.
A pair of 5-1 runs for UCCS in the second set provided a 17-16 lead midway through the set, and the second run won the match at 25-23 on the kill from Hamilton to even the match at 1-1. The Mountain Lions hit .256 as a team in both the second and third sets, and held off the Eagles' set point in the third frame at 25-24 with a kill from Hamilton, but Chadron State closed out the set with back-to-back points to take the 2-1 match lead on the 27-25 result. Hamilton made nine of her kills in the third set, which accounted for half of the team's kills in the period.
The Mountain Lions narrowed a seven-point deficit at 16-9 down to three points at 17-14, but the Eagles scored eight of the next 10 points to secure the match on a 25-16 win in the fourth set.
Hamilton's 20 kills were the best for a Mountain Lion this season in any match, and the second-best in the RMAC in a four-set match this season.
Alyssa Brinton added 16 kills and led the team with two blocks.
Evans recorded her second 50-assist match in the last three matches tonight. She needs 24 to tie for sixth in UCCS career records.
Natasha Habert continued to lead a balanced back row with 16 digs, while
Julie Ward finished with 13 and
Aly Morgan made 12.
UCCS will host Regis on Saturday in a 5 p.m., match in the annual Whiteout game. The Rangers (4-5, 0-1 RMAC) lost 3-1 tonight at MSU Denver.