The Chadron State volleyball team lost in five sets (22-25, 25-18, 18-25, 15-17) to Black Hills State on senior night at the Chicoine Center. This puts the Eagles final record at 7-20 overall, and 5-13 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Black Hills jumped out to an early 4-1 lead on CSC, but Mayson Fago kill sparked a run that gave the Eagles the lead at 6-4. The Yellow Jackets tied the game twice and overtook the lead at 12-11. CSC stole the lead back briefly to make the score 18-17 off a service ace from Rylee Greiman, but BHSU went on an 8-2 run to close the set from a Madison Hoopman kill.
The Eagles started off hot in the second set, jumping out in front 5-2. Black Hills fought back, however, to tie the set at nine a piece. Both teams went back and forth with three ties and three lead changes. CSC was up 15-14 when they went on a 10-4 run thanks to Carstyn Hageman leading the way at the service line. This was enough for the Eagles to finish off the set off a block from Fago.
The third set opened closely, with CSC holding on to a one-point lead early and often. Up 9-8, the momentum fully went with the Eagles after a Micaiah Vrbka kill. A 9-2 run put the Eagles out of reach, as BHSU only scored four more points. The Eagles finished off the set in true Chadron fashion, with Hageman at the service line, and an Allie Ferguson kill.
The fourth set started off with BHSU taking a 9-4 lead. CSC cut the lead to two but that was the closest the Eagles came, for the rest of the set. A 12-4 run separated BHSU enough to finish the set, and another Hoopman kill gave BHSU the point needed to tie the match 2-2.
The pivotal fifth set saw the Eagles jump out to a 4-1 lead. The Eagles went on a 5-2 run to lead 9-3. Black Hills was able to flip the momentum, tying the game at 12 apiece. CSC had match point three times, but BHSU finished its comeback victory on a 3-0 run and a Kindra Cerrone kill.
The Eagles offense had one of its best performances, hitting .240 on the night and totaling 49 kills. Fago had a .385 with Adams, Vrbka, and Ferguson all hitting over .200 on the night. Fago also led the team in total kills with 18, while Adams had eight, and Ferguson recorded seven. Hurtado added five.
The Eagles had a brick wall at the net as they totaled 12 team blocks on the night. Adams was partially credited with six, while Fujiyama and Fago contributed five total blocks each.
The Eagles totaled 71 digs on the night with Greiman, Hurtado, and Schaefer all tallying double digits.
CSC finished the season tied for 10th in the RMAC standings, up from 14th in 2021.