Schreiner University’s historic volleyball season slipped away on Saturday afternoon in the waning moments of the fourth set, with the Mountaineers clinging to a 17-15 lead and clear momentum toward winning its first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title.

Volleyball, however, is a game of wild momentum shifts, and the seasoned Colorado College Tigers, seeking an eighth conference title, seized it away from the Mountaineers to outscore Schreiner late in the fourth set to tie the match at 2-2.

In the fifth set, which would earn the winner an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament, Colorado’s offense unleashed a torrent of attacks that helped the Tigers roll to a 15-8 win and the SCAC title.

It was a haunting end for the Mountaineers, who finished a school-best 24-6 and reached the conference final for the first time. Schreiner controlled the match with a 2-1 lead, but Colorado’s poise and defense proved difficult to overcome.

The Tigers got 28 kills from Camille Sherill and 22 kills from Carolyn Dormady. Sherill had five kills in the final set, including the last two points to send the Tigers to the NCAA tournament. Sherill was named tournament MVP.

The Mountaineers got 21 kills from junior Gianna Hilliard, who hit .232 on the day, but they could not slow Colorado’s offense. The Tigers had won eight consecutive matches coming into the tournament final. In its history with Colorado College, Schreiner had never beaten the Tigers until this season, with a 3-2 win in Colorado Springs on Oct. 10.

For three sets, it looked like the Mountaineers were going to send the Tigers packing. Schreiner’s offense clicked, with setters Harlie Gallaspy and Gaby Torres distributing the ball to Hilliard, Jesse Garner, McKenzie Strban, Lauren Monaco, Rylie Jones and Ashlyn Willburn. Garner finished with 11 kills, while Strban had 13.

While it’s unlikely the Mountaineers will receive an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament, Schreiner is ranked 64th in the NPI rankings. However, the Mountaineers return most of their team next year, including Hilliard, who earned all-tournament team honors. The Mountaineers will lose senior libero Jenna Palomarez, who earned all-tournament honors for her efforts to anchor the Schreiner defense.