GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Western State Colorado University women's volleyball team played its first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament match since 2003 tonight in Grand Junction, Colorado. Despite the teams' best efforts, the second seed Colorado Mesa University was too much for Western State, winning the match in three sets (25-22, 25-18, 25-17).
 
Both teams came out firing, trading points throughout the first half of the first set. Colorado Mesa hit its way into a 19-14 lead, but the Mountaineers clawed back into it behind good serving and better blocking. Western State brought the set within a point at 22-21, but Colorado Mesa closed out the set with two well placed kills down the line.
 
In the start of the second set, both teams swapped points to a tie at 12 points each. The Mavericks went on an 8-2 run to bring the score to 20-14, with the RMAC Freshman of the Year Taylor Woods flying around the court with 10 of her 25 digs in the second set. Colorado Mesa went on to take set two 25-18.
 
On the brink of elimination, the Mountaineers battled from an early setback to take the lead at 7-6. Colorado Mesa turned the tide, taking a seven point lead at 19-12. Western State put on a rebuttal, scoring three points facing match point, but came up short in the comeback.
 
Jordan Eatwell led the Mountaineers with 10 kills. Taylor Castillo added six kills and Molly Hothan had five Allison Walker finished the match with 25 assists.
 
Western State put up a wall for Mesa, out blocking its opponent six total blocks to none in the first two sets. The Mountaineers finished the match with eight total blocks, led by Avery Burkholder's five.
 
Also for the Mountaineers, Amanda Maestas and Logan Franek led the team with 14 digs each. Maestas came into the match with 994 career digs, eclipsing 1,000 late in the first set. She came into the match 344 digs shy of the career record.
 
Despite not having an RMAC Athlete of the Week, the Mountaineers had four student-athletes named to the All-RMAC team for the first time since 2002. Gaherty and Maestas were named to the second team, while Eatwell and Walker earned honorable mentions. Western State was one of six teams with four student-athletes selected. Head coach Keven John was named the Co-Coach of the Year along with Western New Mexico University head coach Jim Callendar. John is the second Western State coach to earn RMAC Coach of the Year, and the first since Darin Weber in 2000.