With the game hanging in the balance of just a couple of points, the tension in Moby Arena could be cut with a knife — or a crushing swing from Eve Wilson.
Although Colorado State volleyball is still working to create that chemistry on the court that some teams have had years to build up, it found ways to continuously be scrappy and not back down against a dominant team such as Washington. Yet in the end, the Rams’ momentum was lost Saturday and they ultimately fell 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 24-26, 25-14, 11-15).
“I’ve been in these tense moments before, and I’ve made my fair share of mistakes in those moments,” Wilson said. “But I think just like remembering we do this every day, we know what we’re doing and just staying calm (helps).”
Similar to CSU’s recent match against Colgate, the offense delivered well-thought-out attacks, and even setter Erin Deibec was constantly up at the net, dumping or going up for a joust. The connection she has built with her hitters is clear, proving that she is the backbone for the Rams.
In total, she had 48 assists, 7 blocks — the highest individual block count in the match — and 13 digs, determined to win the game. It was her steady sets that allowed players such as Wilson and first-year Sofia Zabjek to rack up a combined total of 33 kills.
“The story of our season has kind of been, ‘Hey, it’s gonna take all of us,’” head coach Emily Kohan said after the win against the Raiders. “And on any given night, it might be (Maria Brun), it might be Eve or it might be (Kekua Richards). Everybody’s got to be ready when their number’s called.”
And Saturday, that was Zabjek.
Despite not having the most kills or the highest hitting percentage, she made kills right when the team needed them the most. In the first set, with a mix of firm, swift serves from Delaney McIntosh, Zabjek scored kills that helped build the energy that the Rams rode on for the rest of the first.
It was also Zabjek who scored CSU’s first kill in the second, attempting to set the tone that UW would later steal. Statistically, the Rams performed better. They had a 10% higher hitting percentage, 10 more kills and more total assists and digs.
But what the numbers lack to show is how strong the front row for the Huskies was. Each wind-up and spike came down with a force that came close to the former star hitter for CSU, Malaya Jones. Yes, the Rams did have strong hits, but they produced more technical attacks than forceful ones.
But if the ball was slammed down against the Huskies, there was a good chance it came from Wilson.
“I think it’s huge, especially with a young team, being able to (work) as a team,” Wilson said. “I’ve said before, I want to be able to be a rock. It’s a huge honor to have a big impact.”
With 20 kills and a hitting percentage of 36%, Wilson scored the most individually out of any player that night, already naming herself as a top hitter for the Rams after just two games in Moby.
Barely into the game, the Huskies had already declared themselves as a tough opponent, and as a result, Ram fans saw fewer roster changes throughout the match. About halfway through the match, Sydney Black became the primary libero, and Karsyn Fetzer took over for Zabjek in the back row — both playing fairly well — but it was Brun who flourished both in the front and back row.
Although Brun didn’t have the highest stats of the evening, she remains a steady player for CSU and shows consistency with hitting and had the second highest dig count for the Rams with 10, proving herself to be a valuable resource all around the court as she is one of two players — Debiec being the other — who didn’t come out the entire game.
“I’ve always dreamed about playing like this as a kid, so it’s cool to come out and finally experience it,” Debiec said. “I had a year to watch (Emery Herman) play, and the learning experience was definitely fun.”
Despite adding its first loss to the schedule, CSU performed very well, and it’s hard to tell that the team is still getting used to playing with each other. But as Wilson described it, the loss will teach the team a few things before they hit the road for the next four games.
“We definitely still have a lot to work on,” Debiec said.
But Kohan is busy building champions to win championships, and while Saturday’s loss might come as a disappointment, it shows that the Rams don’t crumble under pressure. Although they have a couple of areas to work on in practice, there’s still time left to grow.
Reach Sophie Webb at sports@collegian.com or on social media @sophgwebb.
