CHADRON, Neb. -- September 24, 2016 -- The Chadron State College volleyball team (2-10, 1-3 RMAC) fought hard tonight, but their match against Colorado Mesa University (9-3, 3-1 RMAC) came down to the final few points. The Mavericks took control with the final set tied at seven apiece, getting five kills to corral the final eight points in the decisive frame.

The Eagles pushed their second straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponent to the brink, after falling 3-2 to both the Mavericks as well as the Western State Mountaineers on Friday.

Chadron State held early leads in all five sets. In both of the first two sets, which they lost, CSC scored first and knotted things up at several points, only to see runs of five or more deny them the advantage.

However, the Eagles battled back in sets three and four, never trailing in either set. They appeared to have all the momentum headed into the final showdown, after a decisive 25-18 set four.

CSC had seven total team blocks in that fourth set alone, with two solo blocks by middle blocker Kenzie Chrisman. The team finished with 14 total blocks.

Despite the success early, the Eagles hit only .134 for the match.

Rudy Leasau was a star for Chadron State, collecting a match-high 16 kills for a .286 hitting percentage. Chrisman and Alia Brennan each had seven total blocks, contributing to half of the team's total.

The Eagles have a quick turnaround, needing to get to Denver on Tuesday for a midweek RMAC match at Regis University (5-7, 1-3 RMAC). The Rangers, who generally share common opponents with the Eagles, defeated CMU on Friday in five sets but were swept by Western State tonight.