CHADRON, Neb. -- The Chadron State College volleyball team jumped to sixth in the RMAC standings after defeating Colorado Christian in four sets Wednesday night in the Chicoine Center, 25-14, 25-13, 23-25, 25-19.
 
The victory improves the Eagles to 13-10 overall and 6-5 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. CCU drops to 10-13 overall and 5-6 in the RMAC and remains in eighth in the conference standings.
 
As a team, CSC hit .209 in the victory compared to their opponents .118 attack percentage.
 
Both teams were tied at seven in set one before CSC gradually gained a 15-12 lead. The Eagles finished the set on a 10-2 scoring run that included six consecutive serves from freshman Avery Lacy of Windsor, Colorado.
 
In set two, it was Alondra Hernandez's turn to control the serve. Hernandez, a junior from Provo, Utah served six straight points, helping Chadron State gain a 19-11 lead. The Eagles scored six of the last eight points of the set to gain a 2-0 set advantage.
 
The Cougars lone set victory occurred in set three. A late rally by the Eagles tied the match at 20 but a Cougar kill was the last point of the set.
 
After being tied at 11 in the fourth and final set, Hernandez served five straight points giving CSC an 17-11 lead and the eventual set and match victory.
 
Rylee Greiman, a graduate student from Windsor, Colorado had a match and season high 14 kills for the home team while hitting .333. Lexi Hurtado, a graduate student from Aurora, Colorado added 13 kills.
 
Rylee Ward, a sophomore from La Grange, Wyoming and Kendyl Kirkwood, a junior from Fleming, Colorado split setting duties for CSC. Ward finished with 20 assists and Kirkwood had 17.
 
Defensively, Chadron State had its third highest block total for the season with 11 total blocks. Bella Adams, a sophomore from Pueblo, Colorado and Mayson Fago, a senior from Evans, Colorado, had eight and six blocks, respectively.
 
Hernandez had a match high 22 digs followed by Kiera Alfred, a sophomore from Phoenix, Arizona with 11.
 
The Eagles return to action on Friday when they travel to Spearfish, South Dakota for a matchup with the Black Hills State Yellowjackets at 6 p.m.

Volleyball in South Dakota for weekend matches

CHADRON, Neb. -- The Chadron State College volleyball team will look to solidify its first postseason berth since 2003 with matchups against Black Hills State and South Dakota School of Mines this weekend.
 
CSC plays the Yellow Jackets at 6 p.m., Friday before facing the Hardrockers at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
 
The Eagles, 13-10 overall and 6-5 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, are currently ranked sixth in the conference standings. The Yellow Jackets are last in the conference with an 0-10 RMAC record while South Dakota Mines is fifth with a 7-3 conference record.
 
Of course, the Eagles possible playoff seeding will depend on the outcome of their games and the rest of the conferences games this weekend. Wins for CSC over the South Dakota schools will guarantee a playoff berth though.
 
Wins over the two schools is something Chadron State has already done once this season but the victories didn't count towards conference records since occurring in an RMAC pod. The Eagles defeated both the Yellow Jackets and Hardrockers in three sets at the end of September. The Hardrockers did beat the Eagles in four sets at the two teams season opening tournament.
 
The Yellow Jackets are led offensively by Abigail Renner. Renner has 275 kills, an average of 3.24 per set while hitting .180, all team highs.
 
Hannah Lamon does the majority of setting duties for Black Hills, recording 658, an average of 7.74 per set this season.
 
Randi Wellhoefer has a team high 57 blocks while Haedyn Rhoades, the sister to CSC Volleyball assistant coach Harley Rhoades, has a team high 406 digs. Rhoades leads the conference in digs, ahead of Alondra Hernandez of CSC in second with 387 digs this season.
 
The Hardrockers libero, Hannah Benes, is third in the conference with 361 digs. Kierra Walsh leads the team at the net defensively, with 69 total blocks.
 
Alessandra Meoni has 265 kills, leading South Dakota Mines and ranking her fifth in the conference. Kiley Metzger does the setting duties, recording 611 assists for an average of 8.73 per set this season.
 
Both matches will be streamed on the rmacnetwork.

Women’s Wrestling opens season Friday

CHADRON, Neb. -- Under the direction of new Head Coach Taylor Summers, the Chadron State College Women's Wrestling team opens its season on the road Friday with duals against Snow College and Colorado Mesa.
 
On Saturday, the Eagles will enter the Maverick Open in Grand Junction, Colorado.
 
Summers and his coaching staff, assistant coaches Samuel deSeriere and Giovanni Cassioppi, take over the program after the departure of the programs first head coach, Alijah Jeffrey.
 
Last week, the Eagles were picked to finish fifth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and were tied for 22^nd in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Preseason Rankings.
 
Kamila Montenegro, a senior from Las Vegas, Nevada, is currently ranked eighth in the nation in the 170 pounds weight class. In Friday's duals, Montenegro will fill the 191-weight class for CSC.
 
The Eagles lineup has the 155- and 170-pound spots open on Friday, but Emma Meadows, a freshman from Roseville, California will fill the 143 pound spot for CSC.
 
Annika Lee, a freshman from Olympia, Washington will be wrestling at 136 pounds and Cassandra Witte, a freshman from Rapid City, South Dakota, will be CSC's wrestler at 116 pounds.
 
At least two wrestlers are competing to fill the 101, 109, 123 and 130 weight classes.
 
At 101 pounds, either Mana Chanthasone, a freshman from Liberal, Kansas or Britley Lopez, a sophomore from Borger, Texas, will wrestler in the season opening dual.
 
Heavynne Robles-Wright, a sophomore from Las Cruces, New Mexico and Brianna Vollendroff, a sophomore from Oroville, California, are both in contention to wrestle at 109 pounds.
 
The 123-pound weight class has Ana Rojas-Zamora, a sophomore from Sweeny, Texas or Shania Wear, a sophomore from Gothenburg, Nebraska on the probable lineup.
 
Lastly, three different wrestlers could fill spot at 130 pounds for CSC on Friday. Rojas-Zamora or Wear are options at the weight class, as is Raquel Moore, a sophomore from Beatrice, Nebraska.
 
Live results can be followed at trackwrestling.com