COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Black Hills State University volleyball team fell 3-2 on Friday night against the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in a five set thriller.

The Mountain Lions took sets one, four and five while the Yellow Jackets took sets two and three. The sets went as follows: 25-15, 25-21, 25-20, 25-18 and 15-10.

Trailing 1-0 in the match, the Yellow Jackets and Mountain Lions traded off points until 20-all. After a service error by UCCS Natasha Habert, Sydney Ederhoff served for the go-ahead point with a block by Ellise Lechand Fehrin Ward to deny Cassidy Bush from a kill.

Ederhoff served for three more points with an attack error by UCCS Alyssa Brinton, kill by Fehrin Ward and at 23-21, Cassidy Bush got the kill but it was not enough for the Mountain Lions to overcome BHSU as the Green and Gold took the set 25-21 to tie the match 1-1.

The Yellow Jackets continued the momentum in set three taking a quick 8-0 lead with Lacy Stevens serving for the first nine points. The first six points came from errors by the Mountain Lions with three blocks by Cheyenne Palu, Ellise Lech and Cassidy Steele on three points. Steele and Palu each had kills and the first point to UCCS came from a service error by Stevens.

As the set went on the Mountain Lions cut the lead and came within one point at 13-12 and to tie it at 15-all. The Green and Gold went on the go-ahead with a kill by Palu and kept the lead to win the set 25-18 and take the lead in the match 2-1.

In set four, the two teams kept trading off points until 12-all when a kill from Lauren Brown gave UCCS the go-ahead point and momentum to finish the set out at 25-18 to tie the match 2-2 and to go on and win set five 15-10 to win the match 3-2.

Brynn Eckhardt led the offense with 17 assists and 13 kills with a .286 hitting percentage. Alongside Eckhardt, Laurel Lech had 16 assists while Palu registered 10 kills and Ward had seven. Both Ellise Lech and Steele assisted the offense as well with four kills each.

Lacy Stevens commanded the defense for the Green and Gold with 28 digs while Palu had eight blocks and Ward had four with two solo.

The Yellow Jackets fall to 4-9 in conference action and 6-15 overall while the Mountain Lions improve to 8-5 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play and 13-8 on the season.

Black Hills State travels to Denver to take on No. 20 MSU Denver on Saturday evening with first serve at 5:00 p.m.