GUNNISON – The 2016 senior class will be remembered for putting Western State Colorado University women's volleyball back on the map in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Unfortunately, their final match in Paul Wright Gymnasium did not go as they wanted, as Adams State University knocked Western out of the RMAC Tournament with a three-set sweep (23-25, 23-25, 21-25) Saturday night.
 
Western dominated all phases of the game, leading the first two sets by as much as five points. The largest difference for Western was the side out percentage. Adams defeated Western in side out in every set, including a two-thirds side out in the third set.
 
Tori Gaherty and Allison Walker came together to provide the offense, as Gaherty had 11 kills and Walker had 32 assists. Both middles Avery Burkholder and Molly Hothan had seven kills.
 
Defensively, the Mountaineers dominated up front with 11 total blocks. Burkholder had six block assists, while Hothan had four and a solo block. Gaherty was a part of four blocks as well. In the back row, Amanda Maestas walks off with 17 final digs to add to her career-record. She was joined by Jordan Eatwell with 14 digs and Walker with 11.
 
Western finished tied for eighth in the conference with CSU-Pueblo. The Thunderwolves advance to the RMAC Tournament having defeated the Mountaineers earlier in the season.
 
Western will finish with the first winning season in conference and overall play since 2006. Ironically, that team had the same conference record and did not make it to the RMAC Tournament either.