The College of the Rockies Avalanche wrapped up their PACWEST regular season with a weekend series against the Douglas College Royals. With both teams vying for position in the standings, the Royals, sitting in 5th place, bested the 6th-place Avalanche in both matchups.
On Friday night, the Avalanche showed resilience, starting strong with a dominant first-set win. The Royals fought back in the second, edging out the Av's 26-24 after a thrilling comeback attempt by COTR. Douglas then went on to take the next two sets for a 3-1 victory. Stat leaders for the Avalanche included Hannah Zurakowski with 28 assists, Hannah Gray with 13 kills, and Stevie Friesen, who contributed 19 digs.
Saturday's match began with a special recognition of the Avalanche's three graduating seniors—Ella Nichols, Krista McKnight, and Rylee Bell—all of whom were in the starting lineup. Despite a strong effort from the Av's, the Royals secured a 3-0 victory. Winter Knudsgaard led the team with 22 assists, Rylee Bell added 10 kills, and Cassie Fahselt recorded 8 digs.
Head coach Bryan reflected on the weekend's games: "We came into the weekend prepared to play spoiler, and while we showed some great moments, Douglas proved to be a tough opponent, coming out on top in all aspects. We played some good volleyball this season and had several close sets. As we look ahead, we'll focus on improving our ability to close out games. A big thank you to our graduating athletes who've left the program in a stronger place."
The Avalanche will now turn their attention to the offseason, building on their progress and experiences from the 2024-2025 season.
