RAPID CITY, SD. The Western Colorado volleyball team traveled to South Dakota Mines on Friday night for its RMAC opener. The Mountaineers returned to the mainland following their four-match trip to Hawaii and opened conference play against the Hardrockers.
JUST THE FACTS
Final score: South Dakota Mines def. Western Colorado, 3-1 (25-9, 25-22, 25-23, 25-20)
Records: Western Colorado 4-5 (0-1 RMAC), South Dakota Mines 7-2 (1-0 RMAC)
Location: King Center
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first set saw the Mountaineers struggle to find their rhythm, as they dropped the opening set 25-9.
- Western battled hard in the second set and pushed the Hardrockers to the end, but came up just short, 25-22. The Mountaineers responded with a strong third set, led by Andrea Torres, who paced Western with a team-high 17 kills. Western took the third set 25-23 to cut into the deficit.
- The Mountaineers jumped out to an early lead in the fourth set, but South Dakota Mines stormed back and took the lead midway through the set. Western continued to battle until the final point but ultimately fell 25-20.
- Sierra Long reached double-digit kills with 11, while Emily Robins added five kills for the Mountaineers.
- Anuhea Ka'alele led Western's offense with 15 assists, while Olivia Moore added 12 assists.
- Defensively, Makaelah Paulino led the Mountaineers with 17 digs. Maggie Legg also made an impact in the back row, finishing with 11 digs.
UP NEXT
Western returns to action on Saturday, September 12, when the Mountaineers travel to Black Hills State for their next RMAC matchup. First serve is set for 5:30 PM MT.
