SILVER CITY, N.M. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team battled through being down set point in the opening set to sweep Western State, 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-16) Saturday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action inside Drag's Court.


With the win, the Mustangs have secured the West Division title, even though they ended up tied with Adams State, because WNMU defeated the Grizzlies in three, whereas Adams defeated WNMU in five became the tiebreaker to give the Mustangs the title. They will host New Mexico Highlands on Tuesday evening beginning at 7 p.m. in the quarterfinal round of the RMAC Tournament, as the Cowgirls lost to CSU-Pueblo tonight, but by virtue of owning the tiebreaker against Colorado Mesa, they became the fourth seed. The other matchup will pit No. 2 Adams State hosting No. 3 CSU-Pueblo. Adams State swept CSU-Pueblo this year, just as WNMU swept New Mexico Highlands.


WNMU (16-11, 12-6 RMAC) fell behind WSC (6-20, 3-15 RMAC) by five, 21-16, before making a run to get within two, 21-19, following an attack error and a kill by Marilee Frost (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School).


After the Mountaineers looked poised to take the first set up, 24-21, the Mustangs came to life taking the next five points and eventually the set.


Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) started the run with a kill and after she teamed with Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) for a block, Western State followed with a timeout ahead by just one, 24-23.


An attack error after a long rally by the Mountaineers tied the set and after Rux added another kill, WSC followed with another attack error to give the Mustangs the set, 26-24.


The Mustangs broke open a 12-12 tie in the second set with a 3-0 run, as Ziona Verhulsdonk (Kailua, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) tallied two straight kills, before she teamed with Jordan Johnston (Boise, ID/Centennial High School) for a double-block to expand the lead to three, 15-12.


The Mountaineers refused to go away, coming back to score the next four points and take a one-point lead, prompting a WNMU timeout.


Out of the timeout WSC pushed their lead as high as three, 19-16, before the Mustangs came storming back.


WNMU came back to knot the set at 20 on a ball handling error and then took the lead on an attack error by WSC.


After the Mountaineers tied the set at 21, a kill from Pulu and an attack error pushed the Mustangs to a 23-21 lead.


They finished the set off on the next two points, as WSC committed an attacking error and then Pulu capped the set with another big kill to take the set, 25-21.


In the third and final set, the Mustangs controlled the action throughout.


They raced out to a 7-2 lead, with Verhulsdonk tallying two kills, Pulu a kill, two from Johnston and another from Sarah Koster (Corona, CA/) and one error from the Mountaineers.


After a WSC timeout, the Mountaineers would get back to within four, 8-4, before the Mustangs again rolled off several points, as they went on to take four of the next six points for a 12-6 lead.


After a service error by the Mustangs brought WSC to within five, 12-7, that would be as close as they would get the rest of the way, with Johnston and Pulu combining on a double-block at set point to give the Mustangs a 25-16 set victory and match win.


Pulu pounded out 12 kills, while Verhulsdonk and Rux each added eight kills. Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) setup the offense again with 32 assists, while Pulu led the team in digs with 20. Johnston added 14, senior Marilee Frost (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) 14 and Meihack with 11.


WNMU had six team blocks, with Johnston adding three block-assists, and Pulu three, with one solo.


Frost was also honored between the second and third sets, as she played all four of her collegiate seasons as a Mustang and will have at least one more game left at WNMU.


The Mustangs will now prepare for the RMAC Tournament Tuesday night.

 
     Western State vs Western New Mexico (Nov 05, 2011 at Silver City, NM)
 
  Western New Mexico def. Western State 26-24,25-21,25-16
 
  Western State (6-20, 3-15 RMAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Molly Dolson
  7-0-1; Josie Hopkins 6-1-0; Kelsie Dardis 6-0-1; Stephanie Schlis
  5-2-3; Kallee Cool 4-0-1; Sara Larson 4-1-2; Sami Fuentes 1-0-0;
  Totals 33-4-4.0. (Assists) - Molly Dolson 24. (Dig leaders) - Sami
  Fuentes 15; Josie Hopkins 12; Kyona Hunt 9; Molly Dolson 9; Kallee
  Cool 8
 
  Western New Mexico (16-11, 12-6 RMAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Angelina
  Pulu 12-1-3; Ziona Verhulsdonk (Kailua, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) 8-0-1; Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) 8-0-1; Sarah Koster (Corona, CA/)
  3-0-1; Malayzha Dinkins (Corona, CA/Santiago High School) 3-0-1; Jordan Johnston (Boise, ID/Centennial High School) 3-0-3; Alyssa Melhack
  1-0-1; Marilee Frost (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) 1-1-0; Taylor Henderson (Pocatello, ID/Century High School) 1-0-0; Totals 40-2-6.0.
  (Assists) - Alyssa Melhack 32. (Dig leaders) - Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) 20;
  Jordan Johnston (Boise, ID/Centennial High School) 14; Marilee Frost (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) 14; Alyssa Melhack 11; Ziona
  Verhulsdonk 8
 
  Site: Silver City, NM (Drag's Court)
  Date: Nov 05, 2011   Attend: 659   Time: 1:20