Box Score SILVER CITY, N.M. – Knowing that a win would secure the second seed in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the Western New Mexico University volleyball team came out strong in sets three and four to break open a one-set all match with a 3-1 victory (25-20, 18-25, 25-22, 25-20) over Adams State University Friday night inside Drag's Court.


WNMU, now 22-5 on the season and 14-4 in the RMAC, have clinched the No. 2 seed and will host the first round of the RMAC Tournament this coming Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The Lady Mustangs will face the seventh seed that is yet to be determined, with four teams still tied in the fourth spot with 12-6 records in Colorado Mesa, Metro State, Colorado Christian and Regis. Colorado Mines, who improved to 17-2 with a four-set win over UC-Colorado Springs, will host the No. 8 seed on Tuesday which will be Fort Lewis by virtue of their five-set win over New Mexico Highlands. That win, coupled with losses by both CSU-Pueblo and UC-Colorado Springs gave FLC a 9-9 mark and a two-game lead over both schools with just one match to play. Adams State at 13-6 remains the No. 3 seed, but has concluded their regular season matches and is likely to have company from some of the other schools for the third spot following Saturday's matches.


In the opening set, the Lady Mustangs moved ahead 11-7 on a kill from Bobbi Bayer (Granby, CO/Eddyville Blakesburg ). ASU (15-12, 13-6 RMAC) would fight back taking a 17-16 lead, but WNMU responded out of a timeout taking a 22-18 lead following a kill by Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom). The Lady Mustangs moved a point away from the set at 24-19 on a kill by Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) and after a Grizzlies point, a service error gave WNMU the 25-20 set win. WNMU hit at a .344 clip, connecting on 16 kills to just five errors in 32 chances.


In the second set, ASU responded as they broke open a 15-all tie with a 5-0 run to take a 20-15 lead. WNMU would get back to within three at 21-18 on an attack error, but that would be as close as they would get with the Grizzlies tallying the next four points for a 25-18 set win to tie the match at one.


The third set was close through the first 20 points with the teams tied at 10 when a kill by Seluia "Ria" Falealili (Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Poly) started what would turn out to be a 8-0 run as Kaysee Pilgrim (Phoenix, AZ/Barry Goldwater) and Pulu followed with kills and around a ASU error, Pulu added another kill and after a solo block by Falealili a pair of Grizzly errors gave WNMU a 18-10 lead. ASU would come back with their own run, this one a 5-0 variety to get within three and later to within two at 20-18, but WNMU would have an answer. A kill by Rich and an attack error boosted the lead to four at 22-18. WNMU moved a point away at 24-20 and after two points from ASU, a service error secured the 25-22 set win for WNMU and a 2-1 match lead.


The momentum carried into the fourth set, as WNMU jumped out early to a 10-4 lead on a kill by Rich. The Grizzlies would make a late run pulling to within two at 19-17, but a kill by Pulu and then a pair of attack errors had the Lady Mustang lead at 22-17. After ASU got it back to 24-20, Bayer closed the set with a kill for the 25-20 set win and 3-1 match victory.


Bayer led the team with 18 kills, as she hit at a .324 clip with just six errors in 37 chances. Pulu added 13 kills. Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) had 51 of the 53 team assists, while on defense, Reyna Acosta (Pearl City, HI/Pearl City) led with 13 and Meihack added 11 and in terms of blocks, Falealili had four total, with three solo.


WNMU will close the regular season on Saturday night at 7 p.m. inside Drag's Court against Western State that will also be senior night for Pulu, Bayer, Acosta, Kassie Kagawa (Hilo, HI/Waiakea High School), Falealili and Meihack.