ALAMOSA, Colo. – Despite a strong offensive performance and a dominant fourth-set victory, the Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball team suffered a heartbreaking five-set loss to Adams State University on Tuesday evening inside Plachy Hall. The ThunderWolves fell 3-2 (25-18, 21-25, 22-25, 25-12, 14-16) in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.
With the loss, CSU Pueblo drops to 10-14 overall and 4-7 in RMAC play, while Adams State improves to 13-12 overall and 7-4 in conference action.
The ThunderWolves put together one of their more efficient offensive performances of the season, hitting .261 as a team with 57 kills and just 15 attacking errors. The Pack also held a 9-7 advantage in total blocks and committed 19 fewer attacking errors than the Grizzlies, but Adams State managed to escape with the victory after a tightly contested fifth set.
Sophomore Brianna Pino led the ThunderWolves offensively with a match-high 19 kills while hitting an impressive .375, committing just one attacking error on 48 swings. Senior Lilly Zwart followed with 12 kills, eight digs, and a service ace, while Andi Nothdurft delivered an outstanding performance at the net, finishing with nine kills on 19 attacks without an error for a .474 hitting percentage. Nothdurft also added three blocks.
Senior libero Chinaru Pao anchored the defensive effort with a match-high 23 digs, while setter Kendall Schmitz directed the offense with 41 assists, six digs, two service aces, and three blocks.
First Set: CSU Pueblo 25, Adams State 18
The ThunderWolves opened the evening with an impressive first-set performance, overcoming an early 3-0 deficit to take control.
After the Grizzlies jumped ahead, CSU Pueblo responded with a strong offensive push, eventually building a 10-6 advantage. The Pack continued to extend its lead throughout the frame, using a balanced attack and timely defensive stops to take a 17-12 advantage.
A kill from Natalie Mobley followed by a service ace extended the lead to 19-13, and CSU Pueblo maintained control down the stretch. Zwart closed out the opening frame with a kill to secure the 25-18 victory.
The ThunderWolves hit .344 in the first set, collecting 14 kills against just three attacking errors.
Second Set: Adams State 25, CSU Pueblo 21
Adams State responded in the second set, jumping out to an early 8-2 lead and forcing the ThunderWolves to play from behind.
CSU Pueblo gradually worked its way back into contention behind several timely kills from Pino and Nothdurft. The Pack cut the deficit to 16-15, but the Grizzlies answered with a run that pushed their advantage to 21-16.
Despite a late surge that brought CSU Pueblo within three points at 24-21, Adams State closed out the set with a kill to even the match at one set apiece.
Pino provided a spark offensively throughout the frame, helping keep the ThunderWolves within striking distance.
Third Set: Adams State 25, CSU Pueblo 22
The third set proved to be another tightly contested battle, with CSU Pueblo opening an early 11-7 advantage.
However, the Grizzlies responded with an eight-point run, turning a 12-7 deficit into a 15-12 lead. The momentum swing proved costly for the ThunderWolves, who spent the remainder of the set attempting to erase the deficit.
CSU Pueblo fought back late, trimming the Adams State advantage to 24-22 behind a kill from Nothdurft, but the Grizzlies answered with a final kill to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Fourth Set: CSU Pueblo 25, Adams State 12
Facing elimination, the ThunderWolves delivered their most dominant performance of the evening in the fourth set.
CSU Pueblo raced out to a 4-0 lead and never looked back, controlling the tempo from start to finish. Behind a powerful offensive attack led by Pino, Zwart, and Nothdurft, the Pack pushed its advantage to 11-5 before using another decisive run to extend the lead to 16-6.
The ThunderWolves continued their offensive onslaught, eventually building a 23-12 lead before a service ace from Schmitz and a kill from Finja Schul secured the commanding 25-12 victory.
CSU Pueblo was nearly flawless offensively in the frame, recording 14 kills without a single attacking error on 29 swings for an outstanding .483 hitting percentage.
The dominant performance forced a decisive fifth set.
Fifth Set: Adams State 16, CSU Pueblo 14
The deciding frame featured another dramatic battle, with CSU Pueblo looking to complete the comeback on the road.
The ThunderWolves built an 8-5 advantage before Adams State responded with three consecutive points to even the score at 8-8.
The teams continued trading points throughout the closing stretch, with neither side able to establish separation.
After falling behind 13-12, CSU Pueblo answered with two consecutive points to take a 14-13 lead and earn a match-point opportunity.
However, the Grizzlies answered with a kill from Sienna Markovich to tie the set at 14-14. A setting error by the ThunderWolves gave Adams State a 15-14 advantage before Markovich delivered the match-winning kill to seal the 16-14 victory.
Despite the defeat, CSU Pueblo hit .273 in the deciding set without an attacking error, finishing with six kills on 22 attempts.
By the Numbers
The ThunderWolves finished the evening with several impressive individual performances.
Pino's 19 kills led all players in the match, while Zwart's 12 kills gave CSU Pueblo two attackers in double figures. Mobley added nine kills and eight digs, while Nothdurft finished with nine kills and three blocks.
Schul contributed five kills, two service aces, and two blocks, while Schmitz recorded 41 of the team's 47 assists.
Defensively, Pao's 23 digs led the match, while Zwart, Mobley, and Nicole Monge each contributed eight digs.
As a team, the ThunderWolves finished with 57 kills, a .261 hitting percentage, seven service aces, 70 digs, and nine total blocks.
Adams State was led offensively by Lizzie MacIntosh, who finished with 14 kills, while Katie Bauer added 12 kills, three service aces, and two blocks. Isabella DeLaRosa directed the Grizzlies' offense with 31 assists.
Up Next
The ThunderWolves will look to bounce back as they continue RMAC play following Tuesday's five-set setback in Alamosa. CSU Pueblo will enter its next match with a 10-14 overall record and a 4-7 mark in conference action.
