Snow College Athletics

The Snow College volleyball team suffered a 3-2 loss to top-seeded and No. 8 Utah State University Eastern in the Region 18 championship last Thursday. The No. 19 Badgers defeated No. 12 Salt Lake Community College on the way to the title game 3-1.
 
The Badgers were coming off a pair of victories during the last week of the regular season. Snow College defeated Colorado Northwestern Community College 3-0 and SLCC 3-1. 
 
The Badgers met the Bruins in the first round of the Region 18 Tournament after claiming the second seed in the conference tournament. 
 
The first set stayed close as the Badgers held onto a two-point leading 13-11. The Bruins then went on a four-point burst but was quickly answered back by the Badgers with a five-point run to go up 18-15.
 
Snow College then had a four-point lead when SLCC scored four unanswered points to knot the game at 21. The Badgers then scored four of the next five points to take the first set 25-22.
 
The Bruins got up to a quick 7-3 lead in the second set before the Badgers pulled the score back within two. The set remained close until the Bruins were up 19-16. SLCC then pulled away to a 22-16 lead and eventually took the second set 25-19.
 
The Badgers got a hot start of the third set with a four-point burst. Snow College then held onto a decent lead until up 11-6. SLCC then pulled the game back within one with a four-point run. 
 
Snow College then tallied five of the next six points to go up 16-11. The rally then ping-ponged back-and-forth to 21-17 in favor of the Badgers. SLCC then went on a three-point burst to push the game back within one. The Badgers then scored four of the last five points to win set three 25-21.
 
The fourth set remained close and was knotted at 13. The Bruins then went on a five-point burst to go up 18-13. The next four-points were split before the Badgers went on a six-point run to go up 21-20.
 
SLCC then took the next three points to regain the lead at 23-21. The Badgers then tallied the last four points to take the fourth set 25-21 and move to the championship match against USUE.
 
The Eagles took the first four points of the first set before the Badgers knotted the score at four with their own run. USUE then took the lead and maintained a few point lead until the set was knotted again at 14.  The Eagles retook the lead before taking five of the last six points to win the set 25-19.
 
The second set went back-and-forth until the game was tied at 17. The Eagles then went on a five-point burst before the Badgers answered back with a four-point run and USUE led 22-21. The Eagles then tallied three of the next four points to take the set 25-22 and a two set lead.
 
The Eagles got out to a quick 10-3 lead before the Badgers pulled the game back within two after a five-point run. Snow College then went up 13-12 before giving up the lead at 14-13. The Badgers then went on another five-point run to go up 18-14. 
 
The Eagles quickly responded with a four-point burst to tie the set at 18. Snow College then took seven of the last 11 points to take the third set 25-22 and push the match into a fourth set.
 
The fourth set was tied at 8 when the Badgers went on a six-point burst to jump up 14-8. The Eagles then took six of the next seven points to pull the set back to one. Snow College then went on a late, five-point run to push the Eagles out of reach. The Badgers ended up taking the fourth set 25-19 and pushed the match into a do-or-die fifth set.
 
The Eagles jumped out to an early 8-4 lead. The Badgers took four of the next seven points to push the score 11-8 in favor of USUE. However, the Eagles won each of the last four points to take the last set, 15-8.
 
Maggie Larsen led the Badgers offensively with 30 kills across the tournament. Kinley Kerbs tallied 62 assists across the two matches. While Aspen Anderson led the Badger defense with 38 digs throughout the Region 18 tournament. As a result of the tournament, Larsen and Kerbs were named to the Region 18 All-Tournament team.
 
The Badgers will now host the Region 1 champion Eastern Arizona College Monday Nov. 11 at 6 p.m in the Rocky Mountain B District Championships. The match will take place inside the Horne Activity Center in Ephraim, Utah. For video streaming and live stat information, visit snowbadgers.com.