SILVER CITY, N.M. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team battled, but ultimately the Colorado Christian Cougars were too much defeating the Lady Mustangs, 3-0 (25-12, 26-24, 25-19) Saturday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action inside Drag's Court.


Colorado Christian University (CCU) opened the first set with a solid run racing out to an 18-9 lead. CCU (18-4, 9-4 RMAC) continued with the run, taking the set, 25-12.


The second set went back-and-forth. CCU opened with an 8-1 lead, and later held a 17-12 lead when Western New Mexico University (WNMU) worked their way back into the set. They would go on a 7-2 run to tie the set at 19, with Ziona Verhulsdonk (Kailua, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) and Lauren Buseman (Eagar, AZ/Round Valley) posting kills to knot the set. CCU would go back ahead, 21-19, but another Lady Mustang run tied things at 21 behind a kill by Seluia “Ria” Falealili and a service error. The teams would tie again at 23 and 24, before the Cougars pulled away for good with back-to-back kills to take the set, 26-24.


In the third, CCU would hold the lead throughout, although the Lady Mustangs tied the set on a number of occasions. Following a tie at six, CCU would tally the next two points and wouldn't look back. Ahead 20-14, WNMU came back to within three, 20-17, on kills from Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) and Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) around a service ace for Rux. CCU responded with a 3-0 run to push the lead to 23-17. The teams would then trade the final four points down the stretch with CCU pulling out the 25-19 set win and 3-0 match win.


Verhulsdonk led the team in kills with nine, followed by six from Falealili. Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) led in assists with 14, while Diamond Morrill (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) had five. Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School) led in digs with 15, while Meihack added nine. Buseman tallied two blocks, with one solo to lead the way.


WNMU will hit the road next week as they will play at CSU-Pueblo at 7 p.m. Friday night.

 
   Colorado Christian vs Western New Mexico (Oct 20, 2012 at Silver City, NM)
 
  Colorado Christian def. Western New Mexico 25-12,26-24,25-19
 
  Colorado Christian (19-5, 9-4 RMAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Taylor
  Sturms 17-0-1; Andi Weber 12-0-6; Ali Weber 10-0-5; Summer Greager
  8-0-1; Bri Ridley 3-0-5; Ellen Huffman 0-1-0; Jordan Carswell 0-2-1;
  Totals 50-3-10.0. (Assists) - Jordan Carswell 39. (Dig leaders) -
  Cassidy Burke 25; Taylor Sturms 13; Jordan Carswell 9
 
  Western New Mexico (11-12, 8-5 RMAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Ziona
  Verhulsdonk 9-0-1; Seluia Falealili 6-0-1; Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) 4-0-1;
  Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) 3-1-2; Lauren Buseman (Eagar, AZ/Round Valley) 3-0-3; Destiney Mebane (Upland, CA/Etiwanda High School) 1-1-0; Alyssa
  Meihack 1-0-0; Shelley Wermuth (San Diego, CA/Mt. Carmel) 0-0-1; Totals 27-2-5.0. (Assists) -
  Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) 14. (Dig leaders) - Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School) 15; Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) 9
 
  Site: Silver City, NM (Drag's Court)
  Date: Oct 20, 2012   Attend: 305   Time: 1:25