SILVER CITY, N.M. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team opened up a 2-0 lead and after No. 12 Colorado School of Mines came back to send the match to a fifth set, the Lady Mustangs were ready coming away with the 3-2 (25-17, 25-21, 21-25, 10-25, 19-17) Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory Friday night inside Drag's Court.


The win for Western New Mexico University (WNMU) is their second over a ranked conference opponent having bested then ranked No. 17 Metro State, 3-1, earlier this season.


WNMU (11-11, 8-4 RMAC) started strong in the opening set. The Lady Mustangs had the lead reach 11-6 following a pair of blocks, first a double-block from Seluia “Ria” Falealili and Lauren Buseman (Eagar, AZ/Round Valley) and then a solo block by Buseman that forced a Colorado School of Mines (CSM) timeout. The lead continued to build for WNMU, opening an 18-11 lead on a kill by Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School). CSM (16-5, 10-2 RMAC) would get to within six, 23-17, when Falealili and Alysaa Meihack posted a pair of back-to-back kills to take the set, 25-17.


WNMU opened the second set just like the first, racing out to a 10-5 lead with Falealili pounded back-to-back kills. The Orediggers would get to within two, 10-8, when WNMU went on a 7-1 run for a 17-9 lead with Buseman and Pulu combining on a double-block. CSM would fight back to within three, 22-19, when the Lady Mustangs put the set away. Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) recorded a kill and after an attack error put WNMU at set point, 24-19, the Orediggers tallied a pair of points before Rux came away with a solo block for the 25-21 set win and 2-0 match lead.


CSM didn't go away, coming back with strong play in the third and fourth sets. The third would witness 11 ties, with the last coming at 20. From that point, CSM would begin to pull away, posting five of the next six points for the 25-21 set win and extended the match to four.


The Orediggers controlled the fourth, jumping out to a 12-6 lead before a 9-0 run stretched the lead to 21-6 lead. They would go on to take the set, 25-10.


Then it all came down to the fifth. WNMU held the early 2-0 lead and later CSM had a 7-5 advantage. They would hold the lead at 9-8 when a service error and an attack error gave WNMU a 10-9 lead. The lead would reach 12-10 on a kill from Buseman and a 13-11 lead on a kill from Ziona Verhulsdonk (Kailua, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy). CSM stormed back out of a timeout with three straight points for a 14-13 lead putting them at match point and leading to a WNMU timeout. The Lady Mustangs responded with a kill from Verhulsdonk to knot the set at 14. CSM came back with the next point to again have match point at 15-14. An attack error by the Orediggers extended the match to 15-all. CSM countered to go back in front 16-15, by Pulu answered with a kill to tie it up again at 16. A ball handling error put WNMU in front, 17-16, when a kill by the Orediggers tied the match for the last time at 17. Pulu delivered a kill on the next point and then Buseman put away a rally after CSM barely got the ball back over to end the match, 19-17.


Falealili led the Lady Mustangs with 16 kills, followed by 15 from Pulu and 12 from Verhulsdonk. Meihack dished out 52 assists and Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School) led in digs with 20, while Pulu and Meihack added 16 apiece. Buseman led in blocks with three, one solo and Pulu added one solo block and three block-assists.


WNMU will turn around to host Colorado Christian Saturday night at 7 p.m. Colorado Christian defeated New Mexico Highlands, 3-0, Friday night.
 
 
   #12 Colorado Mines vs Western New Mexico (Oct 19, 2012 at Silver City, NM)
 
  Western New Mexico def. Colorado Mines 25-17,25-21,21-25,10-25,19-17
 
  Colorado Mines (16-5. 10-2 RMAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Melanie
  Wannamaker 15-2-4; Jackie Stabell 13-0-2; Laura Beckmann 13-0-2; Holly
  Hutchison 10-0-3; Sarah Pekarek 8-0-3; Anna Padget-Shields 3-0-0; D.
  Johnson-Hazlewood 1-1-1; Corrine Din 0-1-0; Totals 63-4-8.0. (Assists)
  - D. Johnson-Hazlewood 54. (Dig leaders) - Hannah Margheim 19; Corrine
  Din 15; Sarah Pekarek 13; D. Johnson-Hazlewood 12
 
  Western New Mexico (11-11, 8-4 RMAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Seluia
  Falealili 16-0-1; Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) 15-0-4; Ziona Verhulsdonk (Kailua, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) 12-0-0;
  Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) 9-0-2; Lauren Buseman (Eagar, AZ/Round Valley) 7-0-5; Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) 4-0-1;
  Destiney Mebane (Upland, CA/Etiwanda High School) 1-0-0; Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School) 0-1-0; Totals 64-1-8.0. (Assists)
  - Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) 52. (Dig leaders) - Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School) 20; Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School)
  16; Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) 16; Chyler Imai (Kapaau, HI/Kohala) 12; Reyna Acosta (Pearl City, HI/Pearl City) 11
 
  Site: Silver City, NM (Drag's Court)
  Date: Oct 19, 2012   Attend: 275   Time: 2:01