GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Fairmont State split its final day of the Volley in the Valley at Brownson Arena, starting with a victory over Sul Ross State before falling to Colorado Mesa.
In the first match, the Falcons defeated Sul Ross State 3-1, winning by set scores of 25-16, 25-23, 21-25, and 25-8. The Falcons finished with 53 kills compared to the Lobos' 36, hitting .191 for the match while limiting the Lobos to .074. Notably, Fairmont State closed the match with their highest hitting percentage of .333 in the fourth set.
The Falcons took control early, overcoming a 2-0 start by the Lobos to capture the first set 25-16.
Kailyn Connelly sparked the offense with back-to-back kills from
Belle DeVall to tie the set at 2-2. The Falcons then moved ahead 7-6 on a
Natalie Zemba kill and extended their lead to 12-7 with contributions from Connelly, Zemba, and a Zemba-
Elena Thompson block. Late in the set, Thompson added two kills and a service ace to secure the set point, finishing with a kill from DeVall.
In the second set, Fairmont State withstood a late push from the Lobos after leading 24-18, ultimately finishing the set 25-23 on a kill from
Rylee Burkhamer set up by
Addison Veigel. The Falcons responded to an early Lobos point with a 4-0 run and maintained their lead until the Lobos made a late comeback, but Fairmont managed to close it out.
The third set saw the Falcons erase a 16-12 deficit, scoring six straight points to take an 18-16 lead. However, the Lobos rallied, scoring seven of the last eight points to claim the set 25-21.
In the fourth set, Fairmont State dominated, moving from 17-7 to set point at 24-7 with seven consecutive points, highlighted by a Zemba kill and a service turn from Grace Devall that produced two aces. They continued to build on their lead, with Zemba, Connelly, and Thompson contributing kills, finishing the set 25-8.
Connelly led the Falcons with 12 kills and 14.5 points, adding five total blocks. Zemba recorded 11 kills on 16 attacks with a .625 hitting percentage and three block assists. Grace Devall collected a team-high 16 digs, nine assists, and two service aces.
Belle DeVall finished with 25 assists, 12 digs, and one service ace.
In the second match of the day, Fairmont State faced a tough challenge against Colorado Mesa, losing 3-0 with set scores of 10-25, 10-25, and 14-25. The Falcons struggled to maintain momentum, particularly during crucial stretches of the sets.
In the first set, Fairmont State stayed close early, trailing just 9-8 before the Mavericks went on an 8-point run to take a commanding 17-8 lead. Despite kills from Connelly, Nobbe, Thompson, and Zemba, the Mavericks capitalized on several Falcons' errors to take the set 25-10.
The second set began with Fairmont State jumping to a 5-2 lead, thanks to a Thompson service ace and Mavericks attack errors. However, the Mavericks responded with a run of their own, scoring five straight points. Fairmont managed to score a few points but ultimately lost the set 25-10.
In the third set, the Falcons initially built a 9-5 lead, leveraging kills from Nobbe and Ringer. But the Mavericks quickly turned the tide, scoring six straight points to take an 11-9 lead. Fairmont State fought back but fell behind again, with Nobbe scoring the final kill at 24-14 before the Mavericks claimed the set 25-14.
Nobbe led the Falcons in the second match with seven kills, totaling seven points.
Belle DeVall contributed with a team-high 10 assists and a service ace, while Thompson recorded eight digs, two kills, and a service ace. Connelly added four kills and a team-high two total blocks.
Fairmont State (5-3) returns to Joe Retton Arena on Tuesday, September 8 to face Ohio Dominican University. Start time is slated for 6:00 p.m.
