By Paxton Ritchey-CSC Sports Information
SALT LAKE CITY – With three of the four sets as close as can be, Chadron State volleyball came up short in a four-set RMAC match against Westminster Saturday afternoon in Utah, with the host Griffins defeating the Eagles 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 25-19.
Alejandra Briseno had 14 kills to lead the Eagles, with Mataya Ward also in double digits with 10. Kendyl Kirkwood had a season-high 40 assists from the setter position.
The loss drops Chadron State to 4-16 on the year. The Eagles are still searching for their first RMAC win, as they are 0-10 in conference play. Westminster improves to 9-10 and 5-6 in the RMAC.
Chadron State trailed 7-2 early in the first set, but the Eagles used a 4-0 scoring run to pull within a point of the Griffins at 9-8. That would be a theme of the first set, however, as on no less than 11 occasions in set one alone, the Eagles won a point and trailed Westminster by one, yet Chadron State never tied it or took the lead.
Westminster led 23-20, but Chadron State answered with back-to-back kills from Aiyana Fujiyama and Briseno to make it 23-22. Westminster won the next point to go up by two, but CSC saved the first set point courtesy of a Griffins service error to make it 24-23. Breegan Huntsman answered with a kill for Westminster, however, giving the first set to the hosts.
With set two tied 6-6, the Eagles put together a 4-0 scoring run with a Griffins service error followed by an Avery Lacy service ace, a Briseno kill and a Fujiyama block to make it 10-6, Chadron State. The Eagles led by two or three points for the majority of the set until the Griffins won three points in a row to tie the set score at 22-22.
The Eagles held their nerve, with a Bella Adams kill stopping the run to give CSC another lead. An attack error from Westminster put the Eagles up 24-23 before a block from Mataya Ward and Aiyana Fujiyama sealed the set for Chadron State.
Westminster raced out to a 9-3 lead in the third set, but the Eagles chipped away. Three straight kills, first from Briseno then two straight from Adams, tied the score at 12-12. Westminster wrestled momentum back and took a 23-19 lead, but the Eagles instantly got back in the set with another 3-0 run, taking advantage of two Griffin errors and a bad set. Westminster recovered, however, two kills sandwiched around a service error were enough to win set three for the hosts, once again 25-23.
Mataya Ward started the fourth set on fire, recording a solo block and a kill on the first two points to put Chadron State up 2-0. The two teams traded scoring runs throughout the set, but Westminster landed the decisive punch with an 8-1 scoring run that turned a 16-15 Eagles lead into a 23-17 advantage for the Griffins.
Briseno recorded two more kills for CSC’s final points, but Westminster went to Claire Cook, who finished with a game-high 16 kills, twice for the final two points needed as Westminster clinched the fourth set 25-19.
Chadron State takes the court next week for the second of three matchups with South Dakota Mines on Thursday, October 31. Thursday’s match, as well as the match against CSU Pueblo the next day, will be non conference matches as part of the RMAC’s “competition pod.”
CSU Pueblo, South Dakota Mines and Chadron State have been assigned to play one another in the competition pod due to those schools finishing fourth, fifth and sixth in the RMAC standings last season. First serve for Thursday’s match is set for 6 p.m.