CHADRON, Neb. - November 6, 2015 - The Chadron State Eagles broke a streak of five straight losses tonight to their neighbors to the north, the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, getting it done in emphatic fashion. The Eagles, down early in the first set, rallied quickly for a solid 25-17 victory and then never trailed again, winning 25-21 and 25-17 in sets two and three.
CSC hit at a clip of .322 as a team, their best number of the season and easily the best in conference play. They were an astonishing .552 in the decisive set three, limiting themselves to only two errors in each of the final two thirds of the match. Meanwhile, the Hardrockers' hitting percentage was a mere .083, committing 27 errors on the attack.
On the defensive side, the Eagles dominated the match in team blocks, with 11 to the opponents' one. However, SDSM&T was able to cling to a 39-38 advantage in digs despite 18 more total offensive attempts than the home team.
Sina Mauga pulled off a whopping seven total blocks for Chadron State, all assisted, doubling up the rest of the squad.
Gaby Varela's performance on the attack was impressive as well, collecting 12 kills and only two errors for a .500 hitting percentage individually.
Rudy Leasau continued her fine season, grabbing 10 kills and hitting .310 with only one error.
Alexis Farris produced three service aces for the Eagles, all coming in a critical first set. Her first two were part of a 7-1 swing that the Hardrockers never recovered from.
Tatyana Tuialii-Umi was a huge part of CSC's third-set dominance. In her only appearance of the night, she produced possibly her strongest performance of the year, putting down three kills on three tries, nailing two blocks (one solo, one assisted), and providing one assist. She also added a dig in that set.
Chadron State gets another shot at redemption versus Black Hills State tomorrow night. The Yellow Jackets are winners in eight of the last nine matches with the Eagles, including the last seven straight. They were victorious at home, by a 3-2 score, when CSC visited earlier in the season. That match is at 7 p.m. in the Chicoine Center.
