SALT LAKE CITY - Westminster volleyball (5-19, 3-11 RMAC) won the opening set, 25-18, but loss the next three in a 3-1, four-set loss to Western Colorado (12-10, 7-7 RMAC) on Saturday night at the Behnken Field House.

Avery Alger set season-highs in both kills (16) and hitting percentage (.448) while Bri Mortensen dished out 39 assists in the four-set loss.

The Griffins came out strong, riding the momentum of their five-set win on Friday night, and hit .342 in the opening set as they jumped out to a 12-1 lead to begin the match.  Westminster held Western to just .130 hitting in the first set and led the whole way in a 25-18 opening-set win.

Western Colorado turned the tables in set two and held Westminster to -.122 hitting in the second as the Mountaineers jumped in front 8-1 and never trailed in the second as it evened the match with a 25-13 second-set win.

The third set would prove to be the most tightly contested of the match, with Westminster hitting .277 to Western's .222 in the set.  The Griffins had 16 kills as a team in the third set and led 22-21 after a late sideout in the set from a Maya Hamaoka kill.  Western came right back, however, and won the next three points to earn the first set point at 24-22.  The Griffins fought back with another sideout and Hamaoka kill but Jaeda Davis-Golliher finished off the next point for Western to finish off the third frame at 25-23.

Western went on a 7-1 run to begin the fourth set, taking a lead that it would not surrender.  The Mountaineers held a 23-17 late when Westminster made a comeback attempt in a late 5-0 run, but a bad set from the Griffins followed by a kill from Savanna Meyer closed out the match in four sets.

The Griffins will make their final weekend road trip of the Fall 2021 season next week as they travel to face Colorado School of Mines and Chadron State next Friday and Saturday, respectively.

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