COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team was shocked in Thursday night's non-conference battle against Adams State University in their first match of this weekend's RMAC Power Pod. The Grizzlies outhit the Mountain Lions .253 to .120 en route to a 3-1 victory.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final Score: L, 3-1 (21-25, 28-26, 20-25, 13-25)
- Records: UCCS (9-12, 4-6 RMAC) | ASU (8-15, 4-7 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: Gallogly Events Center | Colorado Springs, Colo.
- All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions and Grizzlies have faced off 61 times now with Adams State improving their record to 33-28.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The two teams started neck-in-neck on Thursday night's non-conference match, trading points to a 15-15 start. UCCS captured a 20-19 lead after an ASU attack error, but the Grizzlies followed with the next three points and a 22-20 lead. Sydnee Walker then connected with Payton Tompkins to bring the Mountain Lions within one (22-21), but the Grizzlies closed things out with three straight kills (25-21).
- The Grizzlies rode the momentum of set one's victory, taking a 20-14 lead in set two. UCCS had to dig deep to have a chance, and Maylen Mitrovich would kick-start a 5-1 run with a kill, making the score 21-19. ASU applied the pressure right back and found themselves a point away (24-21) from taking a 2-0 lead in the match. The Mountain Lions then rattled four straight points off of kills from Rylee Pitts, Addie Stephens, and Tompkins, taking a 25-24 lead. After a series of points being swapped, a Mitrovich kill and an attack error secured a 28-26 win in set two for UCCS.
- Nonetheless, the Grizzlies' athleticism and size were too much to handle in set three. ASU collected 15 kills in their set three wins of 25-20, with a hitting percentage of .250. All while out blocking the Mountain Lions 5-1. UCCS committed eight attack errors in the set, helping the Grizzlies to a 2-1 advantage.
- At the beginning of set four, the Mountain Lions held their own, finding themselves down just one (8-7) with plenty of volleyball to be played. ASU then cruised to a 12-3 run, with Cindy Garcia doing significant damage in the process, giving the Grizzlies a commanding 20-10 lead. With the set now out of reach, ASU closed the match, winning set four 25-13 and the match 3-1.
MATCH STATISTICS
- Tompkins led the way for the Mountain Lions tonight with 17 kills, 17 points, and 11 digs. Joining Tompkins in the effort was Emily Pruitt, who collected nine kills, and Pitts, who added eight of her own.
- Grizzlies outside hitter Cindy Garcia couldn't be stopped tonight. Garcia collected 24 kills, 26.5 points, and a hit percentage of .419 in the 3-1 victory for ASU.
- ASU led UCCS in several statistics Thursday night, including kills (59-51), assists (54-49), service aces (4-2), and total blocks (13-4).
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Mitrovich's six kills and 13 attacks tonight were career highs for the junior setter.
- The Mountain Lions had a 10-match winning streak versus the Grizzlies entering tonight, dating back to Sept. 23, 2017. It is their first loss to ASU since Sept. 24, 2016.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions look to break the losing streak on Saturday, Nov. 2, when they take on Fort Lewis in the final match of this weekend's RMAC Power Pod. Coverage is slated for a 1 p.m. start at the Gallogly Events Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
SOCIAL
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For everything UCCS Athletics, follow the Mountain Lions on social media and stay tuned to gomountainlions.com. As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
