Conference leader and No. 23 ranked Colorado School of Mines bounced back from a first-set loss to defeat Westminster, 3-1, and stay perfect in RMAC play this season. The loss drops Westminster to 4-8, 1-3 RMAC on the season.
The Orediggers (10-3, 4-0 RMAC) were led by Madeline Behr, Lindsey Jin and Abby Tiesman, with Delaney Duis pushing out 54 assists. Behr led all players with 21 kills hitting .417, Jin had 18 kills hitting .361 and Tiesman swung for 16 kills as Mines rebounded from a negative first set to hit .179 for the match.
Defensively Mines totaled 43 digs in the match. Westminster stayed in it with outstanding blocking, stuffing 15 total blocks, as Audrey Green led with nine kills and 12 digs. Amber Lamborn added eight kills, while Taylor Harvey had seven kills, five block assists and two solo. Whitney Wakefield added six kills and was the leading attacker, hitting .294 along with two block assists and one solo. Taylor Gustafson finished the match with 31 assists and three block assists.
"Our kids really battled and fought hard. We had a swing at 25-24 to extend the match to the fifth set, before Mines made three key plays in a row. We out-blocked Mines in the match, 15 to eight," said Westminster head coach Al Givens.
In the first set, the Griffins got up early winning 25-18. Mines hit -.026 with 13 errors, and Westminster had five total blocks to carry its defensive effort.
Mines also won the second set, 25-14. The Orediggers hit .441 as Jin had six kills in the set to even the match. Mines controlled the third set to win, 25-20.
Westminster took control of the fourth in the middle of the set on a string of three-straight Hannah Stearman aces, going up 15-10, but Mines answered back with an 8-3 run to knot it at 18-18. It was point-for-point from there, with Mines answering Westminster's set point at 24-23 to eventually go up 26-25, and then close it out at 27-25.
RMAC play continues for Westminster as it returns home to host Chadron State on Friday at 7:00 p.m., and Regis at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, in the Behnken Field House. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the door prior to match time. Both matches will be broadcast on the RMAC Network.
ABOUT WESTMINSTER:
Westminster is a private, independent, and comprehensive college in Salt Lake City, Utah. The intercollegiate athletics program is a provisional member of NCAA II and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).