WINTER PARK, FLORIDA -- SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 -- The Chadron State volleyball team finished 1-1 on day one of the Rollins College Invitational in Winter Park, Florida on Friday.
 
The Eagles fell to Florida Tech in four sets before defeating the host Rollins College in four sets.
 
A highlight of the day for CSC included graduate student Rylee Greiman, of Windsor, Colorado, recording her 1000^th career dig.
 
In match one against Florida Tech, the Panthers won 25-11, 21-25, 25-20 and 26-24.
 
In set one, with the scored tied at seven, Florida Tech scored eight straight points to take a 16-8 lead. The Eagles scored three points compared to their opponents nine points to finish the set.   
 
After trailing 5-4 in set two, the Eagles manufactured a 10-2 scoring run helping them earn the set victory.
 
In sets three and four, the Panthers put together two different scoring ones. The set was tied 10-10 in set three and 15-15 in set four, but the Eagles never regained the lead.
 
Lexi Hurtado, a graduate student from Aurora, Colorado, led the Eagles offensively once again with 15 kills and a hitting percentage of .286. Kally Kirwood, a freshman from Fleming, Colorado, led the team with a hitting percentage of .393 while adding twelve kills. Mayson Fago, a senior from Evans, Colorado, added 10 kills.
 
Kendyl Kirkwood, a junior from Fleming, Colorado and Kally's sister, led CSC with 39 assists.
 
Defensively, Alondra Hernandez, a junior from Provo, Utah, recorded a new season high with 30 digs. Avery Lacy, a freshman from Windsor, Colorado, finished second for CSC with 14 digs.
 
Hurtado extended her streak of double-doubles to four after recording 12 digs.
 
Fago and Bella Adams, a sophomore from Pueblo, Colorado, each recorded four blocks in the loss. The Eagles finished with a hitting percentage of .186 while Florida Tech had an attack percentage of .232.
 
In match two against Rollins, Chadron State had an attack percentage of .186 compared to their opponents at .166.
 
The Eagles won in four sets, 25-16, 18-25, 25-18 and 27-25.
 
CSC scored five straight at the beginning of the set one and never lost the lead. In set two, Chadron State led 16-15 but the Tars responded with a 10-2 scoring run to earn the set victory.
 
The Eagles never trailed in the set three victory and had a late comeback to win set four. Rollins led 21-16 in the final set but an Eagle run gave CSC the lead 25-24. The hosts tied the match at 25 but kills by Kally Kirkwood and Hurtado sealed the victory for CSC.
 
Fago led the Eagles with 14 kills and a hitting percentage of .343 in the victory. Adams added nine kills and had an attack percentage of .391.
 
Jadyn Troutman had a match high 21 kills for Rollins.
 
Kendyl Kirkwood once again led the team in assists, this time recording 37.
 
Defensively, Hernandez led CSC with 22 digs, while Greiman added 12. Adams and Kendyl Kirkwood each added three blocks.
 
Hurtado, who didn't reach double-digit kills and digs for the first time this season, led both teams with five service aces.
 
The Eagle, who improved to 3-2 overall, will face Tusculum University and Auburn University- Montgomery tomorrow.