Photo Courtesy of ASC Sports Information: Dominique Davis
Scott Kretzmann
ASC Sports Information Director
In a match-up featuring two of the three teams that entered Saturday night tied for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) West Division lead, Adams State was led by 18 kills from junior Dominique Davis (Denver, Colo.) en route to a 25-18, 23-25, 25-15, 25-17 victory at Plachy Hall.
The win allowed the Grizzlies to earn a weekend sweep, and improve their record to 16-8 overall and 10-6 in the RMAC.
For the ThunderWolves, the loss leaves them at 13-11 on the season and 9-7 in league play. It also leaves CSU-Pueblo a game back of the Grizzlies and Mustangs in the hunt for the RMAC West No. 1 seed.
ASC recorded at least 13 kills in all but the final set Saturday, and hit a match-best .257 clip in the first, which they capped with a kill from Davis.
The second set saw the ThunderWolves come out swinging to grab a quick 11-5 lead thanks in part to six Grizzly errors.
But ASC steadily chipped away at the CSU-Pueblo lead before a Davis tied the match and on of AJ Palmer’s (Colorado Springs, Colo.) three service aces in the match gave the Grizzlies a 23-21 lead.
However, the ThunderWolves rattled off three straight points to take the set, the last two on Kacy Griffin blocks.
A quick rebound out of the intermission saw ASC grab a commanding 7-0 lead on the serve of Palmer in the third, and the Grizzlies wouldn’t let CSU-P any closer the remainder of the set.
The Grizzlies hit just .074 in the fourth and final set, but once against cruised out a 7-0 lead and won the final six points in the 25-17 clincher. The ThunderWolves made 11 errors in the set, including five in the final six points.
Sophomore Megan Tapia (Pueblo, Colo.) added nine kills, hitting a team high .316 in the process and led the way a career-high five solo blocks as the Grizzlies blocked 11 CSU-Pueblo attacks in the match.
Sophomores Letisha Spencer (Rio Rancho, N.M.) and Deprece Washington (Johnstown, Colo.) each chipped in with eight kills.
Sophomore Gabriella Rifilato (Bayfield, Colo.) recorded 48 assists and matched Palmer’s match-best three aces. Tapia and junior Kelsey Huckle (Gunnison, Colo.) also had two aces each to accumulate for the Grizzlies 10 total.
Prior to the start of Saturday’s match, the Grizzlies took a moment to recognize the contributions of seniors Palmer and Crissy Skokan (Manitou Springs, Colo.) before their final regular season match at Plachy Hall.
Palmer reached several milestones on the night during which she was celebrated.
It was her 106th match for the Grizzlies, a mark that brings her one shy of third on the Grizzlies career list, and she also saw action in her 410th set which ties for second in a career in the Grizzlies Division II-era (1992-present history).
Additionally, she upped her career total to 79 aces, which ranks seventh in the DII era, and her now 1,519 digs moves her just 29 away from the DII era career record for the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies, who clinched their spot in the RMAC Tournament with their win over Western State on Friday will be in action for the final weekend of regular season play next weekend against Colorado Mesa and Fort Lewis on the road, with hopes of clinching the West Division’s top seed.
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