CHADRON, Neb. - October 17, 2015 - True freshman Sierra Winkle matched her season and career highs for digs per set (5.2) and the Eagles (5-14, 4-7 RMAC) held on to win in five sets (25-18, 16-25, 25-19, 18-25, 15-6) against Colorado Christian University (10-11, 5-6 RMAC) on Saturday night in Chicoine Center. They snagged a much-needed conference win from an opponent who stands between them and conference postseason play. CSC remains one match behind both CCU and Adams State University for the right to participate in the RMAC Tournament, with seven left to play.

Getting back on the winning side of things was not at all easy. The Eagles required a tight defensive front, with seven different players credited with blocks in the match. Among them freshman Kenzie Chrisman stood out, with four assisted stops. It took five hard-fought sets and the ability to overcome a trend of going ahead in their last four matches only to see their leads disappear.

Set one saw the Eagles go up 5-2 and never look back. They had 18 kills, attacking at a .351 clip for the best part of their night offensively. Sina Mauga delivered the winning blow, assisted by Madison Webb who had 49 assists on the evening.

The second frame began as a slugfest, with the two sides tied 10 times and three lead changes, but CCU closed it out on a 12-3 run.

In the third, Chrisman got three of her four total blocks, and Rudy Leasau saw eight of her game-high 20 kills, as the pair powered CSC to a 20-10 lead, then withstood a late charge to hold on 25-19.

But the CCU hitters dug in, earning 18 of their 25 points by way of attack and doing it efficiently - with a .268 hitting percentage.

Then it was down to the fifth set, a scene where the Eagles have struggled to close out matches this season. This time, however, the script was flipped and CSC scored seven points in a row to earn the win.

"Considering the week we've had, I'm so incredibly proud of the team for their effort," said acting head coach Whitney Roth. "It was a total team effort and this is just the beginning of where we're going. In just these last three matches we have changed the atmosphere and it feels great."

To qualify for the RMAC tournament, the Eagles will first have to make the trek far south to the Land of Enchantment, where Western New Mexico University, tied for the league lead, and New Mexico Highlands await this weekend. The schedule gets no easier after that, as they stay on the road for another week at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Metropolitan State University of Denver. Both are currently tied for tops in the RMAC as well.

The Eagles play at 7 p.m. on Friday night and 5 p.m. on Saturday. Both games will be streamed live on http://portal.stretchinternet.com/chadron/.