After four games in Hawaii over the weekend and a marathon match tonight against Grand Canyon University, the WNMU volleyball team is looking forward to some much needed rest this weekend. Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA, Robert A. Millikan High School) and Natali Murdock (Phoenix, AZ, Pinnacle High School) combined for 111 attacking attempts tonight while Kayla Greseth (Prescott, AZ, Prescott High School) and Marilee Frost (Long Beach, CA, Robert A. Millikan High School) were all over the court defensively, posting double digit digs. The team's large numbers, however, could not help them get past the Lopes. They fell, 3-2 (28-26, 15-25, 20-25, 25-16, 15-12).

The Mustangs slip to 2-3 on the season. They will open up conference play in a little over a week with three consecutive matches.

In the first set against GCU, it was neck and neck. Errors, in the end, cost the Mustangs the match. WNMU had a chance to capitalize on a GCU service error, making the score tied at 25, but the Mustangs posted their own service error. Sophomore Taylor Henderson (Pocatello, ID, Century High School) then tied the set at 26 with a solo block, but the Mustangs were blocked themselves on the next point. The set ended with a WNMU hitting error.

The Mustangs bounced back in the second set thanks to long services and strong hitting by the purple and gold. Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV, Churchill County High School) served six in a row to jump ahead, 10-5. The rallies kept on coming with Frost and Schalicia Degase (Truth or Consequences, NM, Hot Springs High School) behind the service line. WNMU put the exclamation point on the set with kill by Murdock. Murdock finished the match with 21 kills, a match high. The Mustangs hit .250 in the second set.

The hitting percentage went up for WNMU in the third set (.273) to put the Mustangs up, 2-1, in the match but then the hitting began to sputter. WNMU hit only .083 in the fourth set to fall, 25-16, and force a fifth set.

In the fifth and final set, the hitting still suffered (-.038). WNMU went up 3-0 after three consecutive hitting errors by GCU. The Lopes were forced to call a timeout. GCU did gain possession on the next serve, but it ended quickly because of a kill by Murdock. This was one of only four kills in the set.

With the score at 12-8 Mustangs, GCU's Laurann Durbin served the next seven points to finish the match.

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