FRESNO, Calif. — Tom Hilbert was forced to coach with one hand tied behind his back.
Colorado State was without opposite hitter Olivia Nicholson on the road against Fresno State on Saturday after the freshman left the Rams' previous match against San Jose State with a concussion following a collision with teammate Cassidy Denny in the third set.
So Hilbert needed to improvise his lineup, using normal middle blockers like Kirstie Hillyer and Alexandra Poletto on the outside, while junior Sanja Cizmic played six rotations.
In the end, the young Rams showed their versatility throughout a contested sweep away from home and rebounded from their first Mountain West conference loss in a 25-20, 25-23, 25-22 victory.