Colorado State University Athletics
Thursday, October 23
Fort Collins, CO
7:00 PM
Colorado State
13-6,7-2Mountain West
3
vs
1
Air Force
11-10,3-6Mountain West
1
2
3
4
F
Air Force
17
25
25
14
1
Colorado St.
25
27
23
25
3
Power in Something New
10/23/2025 10:03:00 PM | Volleyball
The Rams’ evolving roster shows the strength on the sidelines
Even with the conference season underway, there's room for change.
The change came as Colorado State took on the Air Force Academy for a second time this conference season in a 3-1 (25-17; 27-25; 23-25; 25-14) win. Some faces even made their Moby Arena debut like outside hitter Riley Simpson who has recently recovered from an injury which had her sidelined for seven months.
She saw her first start against AFA on its home turf on Oct. 16. Though it's been a change, it's a welcome one.
"I'm not going to lie, I was a little bit nervous at the beginning," Simpson said. "I feel like as the game went on, I was able to settle in, and it really helps that I have the great support of my teammates."
It wasn't all new though, familiar faces like Eve Wilson had a career defining night with her first double-double of 15 kills and 12 blocks. Wilson was originally playing outside but was switched to middle for the past three games.
In her element, she is working the ball on all parts of the court. And part of it goes back to never being complacent.
"I think we talk about never being satisfied," Wilson said. "I feel like you can have a good game and anything can happen the next time or next set. So, I'm just trying to stay on top of my game and keep going."
Something CSU knew had to get locked down was the Falcons' blocks. They're powerful and perfectly placed, something which affected their hitting in the previous game in Colorado Springs.
A new and improved plan was set in place, its execution was spotty at times during the third set, but it made a difference by the end of the match.
"I think we're so much taller and at a higher contact point than Air Force," coach Emily Kohan said. "Sometimes when you see blockers smaller than you, you get tempted to swing down at them. We told our hitters, 'Hey, you've got to challenge the edges of the block versus trying to get down on top of them.' Halle (Jameson) though, I felt like in her fourth set she figured out how to swing in the right trajectory."
Jameson used to be somewhat of a secret weapon—new to the roster, full of potential. Now, after earning a string of starts, she's become a steady presence expected to perform under pressure.
That role of surprise has shifted to Simpson, who ended the night with 11 kills and four blocks. After spending seven months sidelined, she's back on the court and opponents don't have much film on her.
"I'm coming off an injury so I'm definitely getting back into it," Simpson said. "But, I mean, I think I'm just like an added secret weapon. A lot of teams don't have film or have scouted against me much yet. It's nice to be out there and hopefully we can have everyone back to full strength soon."
There's something to be said about the depth coming from the Ram bench despite the young roster. After all, decisions become a bit easier when there's multiple options to choose from.
The players know it too.
"It's just whatever we need in that situation," Wilson said. "I think it's great to have depth and have a bench that pushes us every day. Anything can happen and Riley getting healthy is just something to celebrate."
Wilson's point speaks to a larger theme that's starting to define this CSU team: resilience through versatility. Whether it's a freshman finding her rhythm or a veteran returning from injury, the Rams have learned to lean on whoever's ready to step up.
That adaptability showed in moments when things got tough.
"Our pregame talk was about doing hard things," Kohan said. "The more you do hard things the better you get at doing hard things. That second set was a hard thing. When we went back to the tunnel it was hard to come back. We were down 14-17 and had kind of faltered in our momentum. They were just gritty and kept on. We can win in a lot of different ways."
For a team in the thick of conference play, those "new things" have started to define who the Rams are becoming. New positions, new lineups, new players—all of it has forced CSU to evolve, not just react.
Every match brings a different challenge, but Kohan's group is proving they're not afraid of the unknown.
Because in this phase of the season, change isn't something to overcome but something to lean into. And for CSU, it's starting to look like the beginning of something new.
The change came as Colorado State took on the Air Force Academy for a second time this conference season in a 3-1 (25-17; 27-25; 23-25; 25-14) win. Some faces even made their Moby Arena debut like outside hitter Riley Simpson who has recently recovered from an injury which had her sidelined for seven months.
She saw her first start against AFA on its home turf on Oct. 16. Though it's been a change, it's a welcome one.
"I'm not going to lie, I was a little bit nervous at the beginning," Simpson said. "I feel like as the game went on, I was able to settle in, and it really helps that I have the great support of my teammates."
It wasn't all new though, familiar faces like Eve Wilson had a career defining night with her first double-double of 15 kills and 12 blocks. Wilson was originally playing outside but was switched to middle for the past three games.
In her element, she is working the ball on all parts of the court. And part of it goes back to never being complacent.
"I think we talk about never being satisfied," Wilson said. "I feel like you can have a good game and anything can happen the next time or next set. So, I'm just trying to stay on top of my game and keep going."
Something CSU knew had to get locked down was the Falcons' blocks. They're powerful and perfectly placed, something which affected their hitting in the previous game in Colorado Springs.
A new and improved plan was set in place, its execution was spotty at times during the third set, but it made a difference by the end of the match.
"I think we're so much taller and at a higher contact point than Air Force," coach Emily Kohan said. "Sometimes when you see blockers smaller than you, you get tempted to swing down at them. We told our hitters, 'Hey, you've got to challenge the edges of the block versus trying to get down on top of them.' Halle (Jameson) though, I felt like in her fourth set she figured out how to swing in the right trajectory."
Jameson used to be somewhat of a secret weapon—new to the roster, full of potential. Now, after earning a string of starts, she's become a steady presence expected to perform under pressure.
That role of surprise has shifted to Simpson, who ended the night with 11 kills and four blocks. After spending seven months sidelined, she's back on the court and opponents don't have much film on her.
"I'm coming off an injury so I'm definitely getting back into it," Simpson said. "But, I mean, I think I'm just like an added secret weapon. A lot of teams don't have film or have scouted against me much yet. It's nice to be out there and hopefully we can have everyone back to full strength soon."
There's something to be said about the depth coming from the Ram bench despite the young roster. After all, decisions become a bit easier when there's multiple options to choose from.
The players know it too.
"It's just whatever we need in that situation," Wilson said. "I think it's great to have depth and have a bench that pushes us every day. Anything can happen and Riley getting healthy is just something to celebrate."
Wilson's point speaks to a larger theme that's starting to define this CSU team: resilience through versatility. Whether it's a freshman finding her rhythm or a veteran returning from injury, the Rams have learned to lean on whoever's ready to step up.
That adaptability showed in moments when things got tough.
"Our pregame talk was about doing hard things," Kohan said. "The more you do hard things the better you get at doing hard things. That second set was a hard thing. When we went back to the tunnel it was hard to come back. We were down 14-17 and had kind of faltered in our momentum. They were just gritty and kept on. We can win in a lot of different ways."
For a team in the thick of conference play, those "new things" have started to define who the Rams are becoming. New positions, new lineups, new players—all of it has forced CSU to evolve, not just react.
Every match brings a different challenge, but Kohan's group is proving they're not afraid of the unknown.
Because in this phase of the season, change isn't something to overcome but something to lean into. And for CSU, it's starting to look like the beginning of something new.
Team Stats
USAFA
CSU
Kills
45
59
Errors
29
22
Attempts
147
145
Hitting %
.109
.255
Points
60.0
80.0
Assists
42
55
Aces
5
5
Blocks
10
16
Game Leaders
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
12
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
OH
/ VolleyballMB/OPP
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