Sometimes, all it takes is one win to get a season turned around. That may be the case for the Fort Lewis College volleyball program, as they won their third consecutive match in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, defeating Adams State in straight sets Tuesday night in Alamosa, 25-22, 25-19 and 25-14.
Freshman outside hitter Tye Wedhorn led the way for the Skyhawks with 12 kills and junior middle blocker Haley Christiansen was just behind Wedhorn with 11. Wedhorn also led the way with eight blocks and recorded a hitting percentage of .632 percent.
The Skyhawks (4-9, 4-5 RMAC) recorded a hitting percentage of .300 and had 57 digs in their first road win of the season.
In the first set, after a kill from Bailey Longacre gave Fort Lewis a 17-16 lead, the Skyhawks went on a 3-1 run and eventually won the set on an 8-6 run. The middle of the second set was also another crucial turning point in the match, when Fort Lewis extended its four-point lead at 12-8 to 18-12, and the team did not look back, winning 25-19. The Grizzlies (6-11, 3-6 RMAC), committed 10 attack errors, had four service errors and hit just .022 percent.
In the final set, Fort Lewis cruised to victory as it hit its highest hitting percentage of the night at .368 and Adams State committed eight errors. Fort Lewis ended the match on a 7-4 run and Longacre got the final kill of the match.
The Skyhawks will take to the road again on Friday when they take on Regis at 7 p.m. in Denver.
The Fort Lewis College men’s golf team wrapped up play at the Western New Mexico Fall Intercollegiate held at the University of New Mexico Championship Course in Albuquerque Monday and Tuesday. The Skyhawks finished tied for 16th out of 18 teams, finishing at 73-over-par and shot a 937 overall, with rounds of 303, 313 and 317. Hosts Western New Mexico won the event, shooting a 21-over-par 880 as a team.
On the day it was announced that Fort Lewis coach Guy Begay has resigned from the program, the Skyhawks still competed hard and posted consistent scores.
Eric Neal led the Skyhawks and posted a 14-over-par 230 to tie with four other golfers. The junior from Lake Havasu City, Arizona, shot the lowest round of his career, with a final round score of 1-over-par 73. Neal made two birdies and made 13 pars on the afternoon.
Darren Edwards was five strokes behind Neal, shooting a 19-over-par 235 to finish second for FLC, while Austin Linemann finished the final round at 2-over-par with a total score of 20-over-par 236. He led the team with nine birdies.
Zane Sauer shot a 240 overall and tied for 81st and had a final-round score of 81. Sauer led the Skyhawks with par-three scoring at 3.30, which was the third best mark in the field.
The Skyhawks will return to action when they travel to Westminster next Monday and Tuesday to compete at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Fall Preview, hosted by Regis at the Walnut Creek Golf Preserve.
bploen@durangoherald.com
