COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team battled back to take the third set, but the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs answered taking the fourth set and the match, 3-1 (16-25, 21-25, 25-23, 14-25) over the Lady Mustangs Thursday in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.


The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) opened the first set strong, jumping out to a 6-0 lead. Western New Mexico University (WNMU) would fight back to within one at 8-7 on a kill from Ziona Verhulsdonk (Kailua, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy). UCCS (10-4, 5-2 RMAC) would call a timeout and then come out on fire ripping off the next 13 points for a 21-7 lead. WNMU (7-10, 4-3 RMAC) would get to within eight, 23-15, following a 4-0 run that ended with a kill from Seliua Falealili. UCCS would win two of the next three points to take the set, 25-16.


The Lady Mustangs held an early 6-4 lead in the second set after a kill from Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School). Similar to the first set, another big run by UCCS opened up the set thanks to an 11-4 run for a 15-10 lead. WNMU came back quickly, tying the set at 17 and then regaining the lead on the next point on a kill by Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) for an 18-17 advantage. A kill from Falealili helped tie the set at 20 before UCCS took control ending the set on a 5-1 run for a 25-21 set win and 2-0 match lead.


WNMU came back strong in the third set, opening with a three-point lead at 10-7 on another kill from Falealili and forcing a Mountain Lion timeout. The lead would remain three at 13-10 following a bad set when UCCS would answer back to take an 18-15 lead. The Lady Mustangs found a way to come back and tie the set at 22 on a double-block from Rux and Shannon Niemeier (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad). After the teams would tie again at 23, Pulu made sure the teams would go another set with back-to-back kills for a 25-23 set win.


WNMU kept the momentum going early in the fourth set, jumping out to an 8-4 lead on an attack error forcing a UCCS timeout. Out of the timeout, UCCS came back quickly to take the lead, 10-9, and wouldn't look back. They would outscore WNMU, 15-5 over the remaining points to take the set, 25-14, and the match, 3-1.


Pulu led the team once again in kills with 15, posting a .222 hitting percentage. She also led the team in digs with 16 and added four block-assists. Falealili added double-digit kills with 10, along with 13 digs. Niemeier had a strong match with eight kills and two digs. Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) led in assists with 25, while Diamond Morrill (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) added 14 helpers. Meihack (12) and Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School) (10) rounded out the other Lady Mustangs with double-digit digs. Rux led the block party with four blocks (one solo, six block-assists).


WNMU will have a quick turnaround as they will play at Regis tomorrow night beginning at 7 p.m.


 
                   Western New Mexico vs UC-Colorado Springs
                     (Oct 04, 2012 at Colorado Springs, CO)
 
  UC-Colorado Springs def. Western New Mexico 25-16,25-21,23-25,25-14
 
  Western New Mexico (7-10 (4-3 RMAC)) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Angelina
  Pulu 15-0-4; Seluia Falealili 10-0-1; Shannon Niemeier (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) 8-0-1; Ziona
  Verhulsdonk 4-0-0; Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) 4-0-7; Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) 2-0-0; Shelley
  Wermuth 1-0-0; Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School) 0-1-0; Totals 44-1-7.0. (Assists) -
  Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) 25; Diamond Morrill (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) 14. (Dig leaders) - Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School)
  16; Seluia Falealili 13; Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) 12; Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School) 10
 
  UC-Colorado Springs (10-4 (5-2 RMAC)) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Jordan
  Banich 12-0-2; Nikki Kinzer 10-1-10; Amy Einspahr 8-0-4; Megan Koop
  7-0-9; Kim Catlett 7-2-2; Amanda Bloom 3-0-4; Heather Sanders 0-0-1;
  Grace Gordon 0-3-0; Totals 47-6-17.0. (Assists) - Grace Gordon 21;
  Lindsey Stich 18. (Dig leaders) - Kim Catlett 13; Grace Gordon 10;
  Katie Maguire 9; Heather Sanders 8
 
  Site: Colorado Springs, CO (Gallogly Events Ctr.)
  Date: Oct 04, 2012   Attend: 457   Time: 1:51   
  Referees: Rodney Martinez, Carl Higbee