SILVER CITY, N.M. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team celebrated senior night by defeating Fort Lewis College, 3-1 (25-16, 25-21, 22-25, 25-15) Saturday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.


Western New Mexico University (WNMU) kept their hopes alive of hosting a first round match in the RMAC Tournament, as Colorado Christian, Metro State and UCCS are all vying with WNMU for the final spot to host a match. UCCS won to collect their 12 conference win, while Regis defeated Colorado Christian to keep them at 11. Metro State, also with 11 wins, was currently still in action playing Colorado Mines.


WNMU (14-13, 11-6 RMAC) fought through a pesky Fort Lewis College (FLC) squad in the opening set, as the teams went back-and-forth. With the teams tied at 12, the Lady Mustangs broke the tie and didn't look back thanks to a kill by Ziona Verhulsdonk (Kailua, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) and a block by Verhulsdonk and Lauren Buseman (Eagar, AZ/Round Valley) for the 14-12 lead. FLC (10-15, 6-11 RMAC) would keep the lead at right around two, with the last coming at 18-16 when Chyler Imai (Kapaau, HI/Kohala) began serving well and helped WNMU close the set on an 8-0 run, with the run starting on the point before to take the two-point lead. During the stretch, Seluia “Ria” Falealili tallied a pair of kills, while Imai ended up with a kill and a service ace and Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) tallied a solo block to take the set 25-16.


The second set was close early on, with the teams again tying at 12 when WNMU posted a pair of points to go up 14-12 with Verhulsdonk posting a kill and a block from Falealili and Rux. The Skyhawks fought back to take a 19-18 lead and would have the match tied at 20 when WNMU went on a 5-1 run to close the set. An attack error started the run, which followed with a kill from Pulu, a block by Pulu and Shelley Wermuth (San Diego, CA/Mt. Carmel) and later a kill by Verhulsdonk sealed the set at 25-21 to take a 2-0 match lead.


FLC refused to go away, coming out strong in the third set taking a 5-0 lead and forcing WNMU to take a timeout. Out of the break, FLC kept the pressure coming, pushing the lead to 15-7 when the Lady Mustangs came fighting back. Wermuth and Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) tallied a block to start the run, as a kill by Meihack and an attack error followed to trim the deficit to five, 15-10, and a FLC timeout. Out of the break, WNMU posted two more points with Pulu tallying a kill and then a ball handling error left it a 15-12 set. WNMU would get as close as two down the stretch, 21-19, on a kill by Pulu before FLC outscored WNMU by one down the stretch to take the set, 25-22, and send the match to four.


The fourth set started close, being tied at five when WNMU went on a run to put the match away. Pulu started things with a kill, which Pulu and Lauren Buseman (Eagar, AZ/Round Valley) followed with a double-block and then Buseman posted a pair of kills in a row to extend the lead to four, 9-5, and an FLC timeout. The run would reach 9-0 following an attack error for a 14-5 lead. WNMU would get the lead as high as 12 down the stretch before taking the set, 25-15, on a kill by Pulu.


Pulu had a monster game tallying 27 kills, to go along with 16 digs that also led the team. She posted a .291 hitting percentage. Falealili added 12 kills, while Verhulsdonk had 10. Meihack dished out 49 assists, while Destiney Mebane (Upland, CA/Etiwanda High School) also reached double-digit digs with 12. Falealili posted two solo blocks, while Buseman had four block-assists.


WNMU tallied a .259 hitting percentage, coming away with 60 kills to just 25 errors in 135 total chances, while holding FLC to a .099 hitting percentage (39 kills, 26 errors in 131 chances).


Between the second and third sets, seniors Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) and Ziona Verhulsdonk (Kailua, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) were honored.


WNMU will hit the road this coming week to close out the regular season as they will play at Adams State Friday night beginning at 7 p.m. and then at Western State on Saturday, also at 7 p.m.
 
  Western New Mexico def. Fort Lewis 25-16,25-21,22-25,25-15
 
  Fort Lewis (10-15, 6-11 RMAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Stephani Sonka
  11-0-3; Kristin Stephan 9-0-3; Hannah Starbuck 9-0-1; Taylor
  Frederking 5-0-4; Alexa Moser 4-0-0; Ashley Wells 1-0-2; Lindley
  Gallegos 0-1-0; Jenna Kinzer 0-1-0; Ciara Krening 0-1-1; Totals
  39-3-8.0. (Assists) - Ciara Krening 37. (Dig leaders) - Jenna Kinzer
  14; Ashley Wells 8; Hannah Starbuck 8
 
  Western New Mexico (14-13, 11-6 RMAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Angelina
  Pulu 27-0-3; Seluia Falealili 12-0-3; Ziona Verhulsdonk (Kailua, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) 10-0-2;
  Heather Rux (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union High School) 5-1-3; Lauren Buseman (Eagar, AZ/Round Valley) 3-0-4; Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) 2-1-3; Chyler
  Imai 1-1-0; Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School) 0-1-0; Destiney Mebane (Upland, CA/Etiwanda High School) 0-1-0; Shelley
  Wermuth 0-0-3; Totals 60-5-12.0. (Assists) - Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) 49. (Dig
  leaders) - Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) 16; Destiney Mebane (Upland, CA/Etiwanda High School) 12; Chyler Imai (Kapaau, HI/Kohala) 9
 
  Site: Silver City, NM (Drag's Court)
  Date: Nov 03, 2012   Attend: 275   Time: 1:44