It’s homecoming week at Fort Lewis College, and the Skyhawks volleyball team at Whalen Gymnasium Friday and Saturday for a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference matchups.
FLC will play Westminster College at 6 p.m. Friday and No. 20 Colorado Mesa at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Fort Lewis split its games last weekend on the road, losing 3-0 to South Dakota Mines and beating Black Hills State, 3-1. In the match versus the Hardrockers, sophomore Alexis Hobie notched a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs to pace the team. Junior Lauren Shea followed with seven kills to go along with two blocks. Sophomore Natalia Lambos had 23 assists, and senior Kamryn Lopez matched Hobie with 10 digs.
Saturday, the Skyhawks' pressure from the service line was the game-changer. Shea led the team with two aces to go with 10 kills and nine digs.
Hobie picked up another double-double with 17 kills (. 326) and 11 digs. Lopez led the team with 16 digs with no error on 15 receptions. Lambos picked up 30 assists, seven digs and four kills.
The Griffins are amid a five-match losing skid that began when the Skyhawks topped the squad 3-1 on Oct. 1. Westminster has fallen in a trio of 3-1 matches since, including a pair last week to CSU Pueblo and UCCS.
Lydia Parkinson leads the team with 2.58 kills per set, followed by Olivia Curtis at 2.44 kills per set. Leila Cornejo coordinates the offense with 7.35 assists per set and leads the team with 29 service aces. Alanna Lee has 251 digs on the year, or 3.75 per set.
The Mavericks have won seven in a row and are ranked No. 20 in the recent AVCA coaches poll.
Fort Lewis faced Mesa on Sept. 30 in Grand Junction and fell in straight sets. Junior JJ Curry led the team with five kills to go along with four digs. Senior Joviana Romero and Shea followed with four kills apiece. Sophomore Jade Martinez led the team with 18 assists and seven digs. Freshman Ella Butler racked up four aces.
Sierra Hunt leads CMU with 3.24 kills per set while Savannah Spitzer is the most efficient outlet with a .382 efficiency. Sabrina VanDeList is averaging 11.27 assists per set to go along with 36 total aces.
The Skyhawks are 2-3 at home, with each loss coming to a team ranked in the AVCA Top-25 poll. Fort Lewis earned home wins over Western Colorado and UCCS. Of the team's seven victories, the Skyhawks have hit .210 or better in three matches. Fort Lewis is 4-3 when putting away 10 or more blocks in a match.
Hobie leads the team at 3.28 kills per set and has put together five double-doubles on the year. Lambos averages 7.58 assists per set with four double-doubles to her credit. Lopez is the leading defender at 3.94 digs per set – a career-high – to go along with a .949 reception percentage.
After this weekend, Fort Lewis will head out on the road and face Colorado Christian University at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 and No. 2 MSU Denver at 4 p.m. Oct. 29.
