The Chadron State College volleyball team hits the road this week to take on New Mexico Highlands, (3-11, 0-6 RMAC) on Friday September 30th at 6 p.m. and Adams State (4-10, 1-5 RMAC) on Saturday October 1st at 3 p.m.
The Eagles are very familiar with both NMHU, and ASU, as they already played earlier this season. The Eagles’ lone conference loss is to Adams State back on September 9th, but they have won five straight in the RMAC since then, which includes a win over New Mexico Highlands.
The Eagles are coming off a sweep of Western Colorado where they hit .259 which is a season high. The second-best hitting percentage CSC has had this year comes against the Grizzlies at .233, followed by .218 against the Cowgirls.
The Eagles are hitting .160 on the season.
Freshman Bella Adams, leads the team with a .307 hitting percentage, which is eighth in the RMAC, and she is coming off back-to-back matches hitting .500. Adams also leads the Eagles in total kills with 116. Sophomore, Lexi Hurtado is also helping on offense with 108 total kills and a hitting percentage of .121. The offense also has help from sophomores Mayson Fago, and Aiyana Fujiyama with 95, and 91 kills respectively.
Fujiyama has been leading the Eagles’ defense at the net with 65 blocks on the season, which is currently second in the RMAC. Adams has added 44 blocks of her own. CSC has a total of 121 blocks on the season which ranks fourth in the conference.
CSC ranks second in digs behind NMHU in the conference. The Eagles are led in that category by senior Abby Schaefer with 184. Schaefer is questionable for this weekend after an injury last week, but freshman Kiera Alfred stepped in to fill the libero position. Junior Rylee Greiman has added 145 digs of her own, while also hitting .141 on the season.
New Mexico Highlands is hitting .137 on the season led by Mya Sullivan with .333. The last match they hit .157 against UCCS. Last time these two teams met, the Cowgirls hit .178, which is their second-best on the season.
Defensively the NMHU have totaled 81 total blocks, with Keegan Lopez and Layla Hooks leading the way with 31 each.
Elena Rivera leads the Cowgirls with 217 digs, which is eighth in the RMAC. NMHU has 902 digs on the season.
Adams State has lost four straight matches, and are winless at home so far this season. The Grizzlies are hitting .177, which is eighth in the RMAC, on the season, and coming off a match where they hit .197 against CSU-Pueblo. Last time ASU and CSC faced off, the Grizzlies hit .255 which is their third best on the season.
Cora Ellis, and Cindy Garcia are both hitting .268 for the Grizzlies. With Garcia second on the team in total kills with 153. ASU ranks eighth in the RMAC for total kills.
Defensively Garcia leads the team with 33 blocks. ASU have recorded only 75 blocks on the season which near the bottom of the RMAC.
Garcia is second on the team for digs with 133. Aileen Bugas leads the Grizzlies with 184 on the season. The Grizzlies rank sixth in the RMAC for digs.