GOLDEN, Colo. - The University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team was handed their first loss of the season after battling Flagler College in the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers Classic.
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INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final Score: L, 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 19-25)
- Records: UCCS (0-1, 0-0 RMAC) | FC (1-0, 0-0 GSC)
- Facility | Location: CSM Lockridge Arena | Golden, Colo.
- All-Time Series: Tonight's matchup marked the first time the Mountain Lions have competed against the Saints. UCCS is now 0-1 in the all-time series.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Mountain Lions managed to score the first point of the match with a kill by Nicole Himebauch, but the Saints came back to put an early two points on the scoreboard. The next few minutes resulted in back-and-forth action, with neither side earning more than a single-point lead until a kill by Payton Tompkins gave UCCS a 12-10 advantage over Flagler. The Saints continued to trail closely behind the Mountain Lions, but a bad set by UCCS allowed Flagler to tie up the score, 20-20. Now with momentum on their side, respective kills by Mar'ley Phillips and Giavonna Lowe pushed the Saints to take the first set 25-22.
- The Mountain Lions started off strong again by scoring the first three points of the second set. Kills by Phillips and Marley Middlebrooks closed the gap, but UCCS quickly went back on the offense. Similar to the first set, neither team held more than a single-point advantage throughout the next few minutes until the Saints went on a 4-0 scoring run. Continuous back-and-forth action ensued, but the Mountain Lions could not overcome the early deficit. UCCS was finally able to tie the score 17-17 after an attack error by Middlebrook, but was swiftly put back on defense with a kill by Gracie Fleming. Moments later, a service ace by Alysse Marcoso secured a 23-19 lead for Flagler, and a kill by Bella Law sealed the Mountain Lions' 25-22 loss in the second set.
- An attack error by Bella Schwantz and a kill by Tompkins allowed UCCS to be first on the scoreboard, but kills by Middlebrooks and Lowe tied up the score 2-2. A short 3-0 scoring run quickly followed by an 8-0 run earned the Mountain Lions their largest lead of the night, 13-4. Two consecutive kills by Sydni Lafasciano forced the Saints to trail 15-6. Both teams scored a slew of points in the coming moments, but UCCS secured a 25-16 comeback win over Flagler in the third set.
- For the first time tonight, the Saints opened up scoring with a kill by Middlebrooks, jumpstarting a 3-0 scoring run. A kill by Michelle Fredrick put an end to Flagler's momentum, but UCCS was quickly put on defense again as the Saints began to rack up points. After a few minutes of even action on both sides of the court, the Mountain Lions found themselves trailing 16-10. Two more 3-0 scoring runs by Flager only widened the gap, until three consecutive service aces propelled the Mountain Lions to go on a 6-0 scoring run of their own. However, UCCS ultimately failed to overcome the deficit and lost the fourth set to the Saints.
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MATCH STATISTICS
- Tompkins posted a team high 15 kills and matched Marcoso for a team high 10 digs.
- Sydney Hyde and newcomer Sydni Lafasciano each chipped in eight kills.
- Addison Humphrey and Aubrey Miller combined for 28 of UCCS' 41 assists, with Charlette Albers coming off the bench to add seven more assists.
- UCCS hit .187 at the net behind 47 kills. The Mountain Lions served up five aces but committed 14 service errors in the season-opening match.
- Flagler was led by Marley Middlebrooks and Giavonna Lowe's 16 and 14 kills, respectively.
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BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Both UCCS and Flagler College qualified for the NCAA tournament last season, and both programs are ranked No. 1 in their respective preseason conference polls.
- Three Mountain Lions made their debut for UCCS tonight – Sydni Lafasciano, Tori Greeney and Aubrey Miller.
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UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will take on Rockhurst University tomorrow at 2 p.m., and Northern State University at 6:30 p.m.
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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.Â
