Considering where the Fort Lewis College volleyball season started, this weekend takes a bump in importance.
Win both this weekend, and FLC will hang on to the No. 8 and final spot in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament, which would be quite the accomplishment for a team that opened the year 0-9.
FLC holds a one-game edge in the standings on UC-Colorado Springs and CSU-Pueblo, the latter of which will come to town Saturday night. A CSU-Pueblo win would give the ThunderWolves the tiebreaker on FLC by virtue of a season sweep.
But if the Skyhawks can take care of business against New Mexico Highlands and the ThunderWolves, the bid, and with it a shot at the NCAA Tournament, is theirs.
CSU-Pueblo was the ninth loss in the season-opening slide, and the Cowgirls were victory No. 1 for FLC, both coming in five games.
“You can’t take anything for granted, and I think we definitely have to secure our position this weekend and win both of our matches,” FLC head coach Kelley Rifilato said. “I think, and I said this last weekend, just trying to get on a winning roll.”
A three-player senior class – Jenna Kinzer, Hannah Starbuck and Kristin Stephan – is after a sweep for personal reasons, as well. Should FLC not make the RMAC Tournament, their FLC careers will come to an end.
Starbuck, for one, isn’t planning on playing her final college match this weekend.
“It’s scary how fast time flies, but we’re ready,” Starbuck said at Thursday’s practice. “We’re ready to get some wins on our court and go to the RMAC Tournament.”
The key for FLC will be their performance at the service line and at the net. Most teams are capable offensively, and for the Skyhawks, their serves and block make the difference. When they do both well, they win. When they don’t, they lose. A spot of defense wouldn’t hurt matters, either.
“We need to start our blocking early; that’s going to be a big thing,” Rifilato said. “Playing defense and blocking.”
But how well they do both, and whether they keep playing beyond this weekend, is in the Skyhawks’ hands this weekend, where they’ll take to the home court for the final time this season. A team can do worse than having the ability to decide its own fate.
“I expect us to go 2-0 this weekend, and I expect it to be difficult and challenging, but I expect to win on both Friday and Saturday night,” Starbuck said.
rowens@durangoherald.com
