Box Score SILVER CITY, N.M. – Behind a 13 kill, eight block performance from Seluia "Ria" Falealili, the Western New Mexico University volleyball team kept their strong play at home going as they rolled past No. 24 Regis University, 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 27-25) Friday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action inside Drag's Court.


Ahead 9-7 in the opening set, WNMU (13-3, 6-2 RMAC) kept the pressure coming pushing the lead to 15-9 with points from Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom), Bobbi Bayer (Granby, CO/Eddyville Blakesburg ), Falealili and a double-block from Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) and Kaysee Pilgrim (Phoenix, AZ/Barry Goldwater). RU (10-7, 6-2 RMAC) didn't go down quietly in the set, however, fighting back to tie at 16, 18 and again at 19 when the Lady Mustangs were able to pull ahead for good. An attack error and then kill from Falealili moved it to 21-19. Later, ahead 22-21, a pair of attack errors moved it to set point in which Pulu connected on a kill giving WNMU the 25-21 set win. WNMU hit a blistering .345, connecting on 13 kills to three errors in 29 total chances. They held Regis to a .071 hitting percentage (13 kills, 10 errors in 42 swings).


In the second set, WNMU ran out to a 10-5 lead on a kill by Bayer. Just like the first set, the Rangers would fight back to tie things at 15. After a couple more ties, the Lady Mustangs broke open a 20-all tie with five unanswered points to take the set. Falealili started the run with a kill and after an attack error, WNMU posted three straight blocks to end the set. Pulu and Pilgrim combined for two of the blocks, then Falealili and Pilgrim closed the set with a double block for the 25-20 set win and 2-0 match victory.


In the third set, the teams went back-and-forth, tying nine times over the first 20 points. With the set tied at 10, WNMU would push in front 13-11 following an attack error. RU would come back to tie the set several times and with the score tied at 23, RU moved one point away after a quick kill on a short rally put them ahead 24-23. The Lady Mustangs took a timeout and responded as RU committed a service error out of the break and then Falealili and Pilgrim combined for another block to move WNMU ahead 25-24. Following an RU point to tie the set, WNMU put the set and match away with a kill from Rich and then a double block from Falealili and Pilgrim for the 27-25 set win and 3-0 match victory.


WNMU hit .267 on the night, ripping off 40 kills to 13 errors in 101 chances. They also had 13 blocks as a team. Falealili led the team in kills with 13, while also recording eight blocks, with five coming solo. Falealili hit an amazing .600 on the night (13 kills, 1 error, in 20 chances). Bayer added 11 kills. Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) had 35 assists, while on defense Pulu came away with 14 digs and Pilgrim had six block assists.


The win gives the Lady Mustangs a four-match winning streak heading into their matchup with Metro State Saturday night with gametime set for 7 p.m. inside Drag's Court.