LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team came back to force a fifth set against Colorado Christian, before falling in a tight final set, 16-14, to drop the match, 3-2 (15-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-14, 14-16) Friday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.


Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) opened the first set for WNMU (10-9, 6-5 RMAC) strong with a kill to open the scoring.


Colorado Christian (12-10, 7-4 RMAC) responded to open up a 6-3 lead.


Another kill by Pulu at 10-6 in favor of CCU would be as close as the Mustangs would get the rest of the set, as the Cougars reeled off six of the next seven points on their way to a 25-15 first set win.


WNMU came out on fire in the second set, scoring the first two points, as Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School) recorded a service ace that was followed by a kill from Jordan Johnston (Boise, ID/Centennial High School) for the 2-0 start.


The Mustangs would break open a 3-2 set by scoring the next four points. Ziona Verhulsdonk (Kailua, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) began the spurt with a kill, which Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) and Johnson added to that a double block and then two errors by CCU gave the Mustangs a 7-2 advantage.


The Cougars came back to within one, 12-11, before WNMU was able to find their groove, with Pulu pounding a kill and then two attack errors by CCU boosted the Mustangs lead to three, 15-12.


The Mustangs would control the rest of the set which was finished off by Pulu on a kill to give WNMU the 25-20 second set win and tied the match at one.


WNMU held the early lead in the third set, as a service ace by Pulu gave the Mustangs a 3-1 lead.


CCU came back to open up a four-point lead, 9-5, and wouldn't get threatened again until a kill by Rux put the Mustangs down by just one at 14-13.


But, the next five points went to the Cougars and after a ball handling error by CCU put the Mustangs back to within three, 21-18, CCU closed the set on a 4-2 run to take the set, 25-20.


WNMU wasn't about to go away, as the fourth set belonged to the Mustangs from the start.


After CCU tallied the first point of the set, WNMU came back with a vengeance, scoring the next six points for a 6-1 lead.


Johnston started the run with a kill and then teamed with Pulu on a block. Pulu then delivered another kill before a solo block by Verhulsdonk and then she teamed with Johnston for another block to give the Mustangs the early lead.


The Cougars would get back to within six, 13-7, before the Mustangs made sure to put the set out of reach with the next five points.


Pulu dominated the five points, coming away with two kills and two blocks, one solo and then another she teamed with Johnston to make it an 18-7 lead for the Mustangs.


The Cougars made a little run late in the set, scoring five points to make it 24-14, but a service error gave the Mustangs a 25-14 set victory and evened the match at two.


The decisive set was as tight as ever, with the teams tied throughout in the early going.


CCU opened a 9-7 lead before a kill by Malayzha Dinkins (Corona, CA/Santiago High School) and a ball handling error tied the set at nine.


The Cougars posted the next point to go up 10-9, but the Mustangs answered with a kill by Johnston to tie it at ten.


The back-and-forth battled continued, with CCU going back up one, 11-10, which was followed by a kill from Pulu and another by Verhulsdonk to put WNMU in front, 12-11.


That prompted a CCU timeout and out of the timeout, the Cougars benefited from a service error to tie the set up again, this time at 12.


Rux and Johnston followed with a big double block on the next point to help the Mustangs re-gain the lead at 13-12.


CCU answered with the next two points for a 14-13 lead and then a kill by Rux kept WNMU alive, tying the set at 14.


The Cougars would then have just enough left, as they posted back-to-back kills to take the set, 16-14, and the match, 3-2.


Pulu, Rux and Verhulsdonk all posted double-digit kills, with Pulu tallying 16, Rux 12 and Verhulsdonk 11.


Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) added 41 assists and nine digs.


Pulu also led the team in digs (20), and added four total blocks.


The Mustangs had 12 blocks and were led by Johnston's six.


WNMU will finish off their three-game road swing around the Denver area when they will battle the Colorado School of Mines in Golden Saturday night beginning at 7 p.m.


 
                            Short Box Score (Match)
    Western New Mexico vs Colorado Christian (Oct 14, 2011 at Lakewood, CO)
 
  Colorado Christian def. Western New Mexico 25-15,20-25,25-20,14-25,16-14
 
  Western New Mexico (10-9, 6-5 RMAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Angelina
  Pulu 16-1-4; Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) 12-1-2; Ziona Verhulsdonk (Kailua, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) 11-0-3; Jordan
  Johnston 9-1-6; Malayzha Dinkins (Corona, CA/Santiago High School) 3-0-0; Marilee Frost (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) 2-0-0; Sarah
  Koster 2-0-4; Alyssa Melhack 1-1-3; Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School) 0-2-0; Totals
  56-6-12.0. (Assists) - Alyssa Melhack 41. (Dig leaders) - Angelina
  Pulu 20; Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) 11; Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School) 11; Alyssa Melhack 9
 
  Colorado Christian (12-10, 7-4 RMAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Ali Weber
  19-0-1; Andi Weber 14-0-4; Tija Rudzitis 8-0-4; Danika Denooy 7-0-1;
  Lauren Rosenthal 6-0-2; Crista Hays 4-0-1; Megan VanFarowe 0-0-1;
  Renee Hemmie 0-1-0; Jenna Larson 0-1-0; Totals 58-2-7.0. (Assists) -
  Lauren Rosenthal 45. (Dig leaders) - Brooke Wittmayer 16; Jenna Larson
  13; Cassidy Burke 12; Lauren Rosenthal 12; Andi Weber 8
 
  Site: Lakewood, CO (CCU Event Center)
  Date: Oct 14, 2011   Attend: 764   Time: 2:01   
  Referees: Tony Clark, Jim Henthorn