Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team continued their sizzling start to the season as they pulled out two more victories Friday to extend their winning streak to five after wins over Eastern New Mexico and Dixie State at the I.C. Bhakta Invitational.


It was an in-state battle to the end in the first matchup of the day as WNMU was able to come away with the 3-2 (25-17, 26-28, 27-25, 27-29, 15-12) win over Eastern New Mexico.


The Lady Mustangs opened strong jumping out to a 4-1 lead behind three kills from Kaysee Pilgrim (Phoenix, AZ/Barry Goldwater) and one from Seluia "Ria" Falealili (Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Poly). Eastern New Mexico would get back to within one at 12-11, but the Lady Mustangs had the answer with a 3-0 run sparked by a kill from Bobbi Bayer (Granby, CO/Eddyville Blakesburg ), a service ace by Destiney Mebane (Upland, CA/Etiwanda High School) and a double-block orchestrated by Falealili and Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) for a 15-11 lead.


WNMU would control the set the rest of the way, as Eastern New Mexico would get as close as three at 18-15, when the Lady Mustangs closed on a 7-2 run for the 25-17 set win with WNMU closing on a 4-0 run helped by three Eastern New Mexico errors and a kill by Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School).


The second set had Eastern New Mexico taking control as they posted a 10-7 lead. The Lady Mustangs began to chip away, coming back to tie the set at 18 benefiting from a pair of errors. An attack error put the Lady Mustangs in front at 21-20. They would later hold a 22-21 lead on a kill by Bayer on an assist from Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School). WNMU then had a chance to close out the set at 25-24 following a bad set error on Eastern New Mexico, but a kill by the Zias tied the set. That would be the last chance WNMU would have to close out the set, as they would come back to tie at 26 on a double-block from Pilgrim and Lauren Buseman (Eagar, AZ/Round Valley), but the Zias collected the next two points for a 28-26 set win to tie the match at one.


Eastern New Mexico started strong in the third set, jumping out to a 13-9 lead. The Lady Mustangs responded with a 6-0 run to open a 15-13 lead with Bayer tallying a kill, a solo block from Pulu and then three kills by Pulu around a Zia error to cap the run. The teams would go back-and-forth over the next several points trading the lead until being tied again at 25 when Bayer and Pulu pounded kills to seal the set at 27-25 and give WNMU the 2-1 match lead.


WNMU appeared ready to take the match in four, as they held a 14-11 lead in the fourth frame following a kill by Bayer. WNMU moved within two of the set at 23-19 following an attack error, but the Zias fought back, scoring the next two points and after the Lady Mustangs moved to within a point of the set at 24-21 on a kill by Pilgrim, a 4-0 run had Eastern New Mexico all of a sudden just one point away at 25-24. WNMU would answer back to take a 26-25 lead and again would have a chance to put the match away ahead at 27-26, when the Zias scored the next three points to come back and take the set, 29-27, to force the match into a final fifth set.


The Lady Mustangs regrouped and moved out to a 7-3 lead with Bayer and Falealili collecting kills to help open the early start. Ahead just one at 11-10, the Lady Mustangs finished strong, with Pulu starting the last run with a kill and after she added another to move the lead to 13-11, Pilgrim added a kill and Buseman closed the match with a solo block for the 15-12 set win and 3-2 match victory.


Four Lady Mustangs had double-digits in kills led by 19 from Bayer, 18 from Pulu, 16 from Falealili and 11 from Pilgrim. Meihack dished out 52 assists, Pulu led in digs with 20 and also in solo blocks with two. Rich led the team in overall blocks with five block assists.


In the second match, the Lady Mustangs won a pair of sets by five and then took the fourth set by two to come away with the 3-1 (25-20, 16-25, 25-20, 25-23) victory over Dixie State.


A kill by Rich helped break a 11-all tie to which Keirsa Pakani-Tsukiyama (Hilo, HI/Waiakea) added two service aces and an attack error by Dixie State left the Lady Mustangs ahead, 15-11. With Dixie State getting as close as three at 23-20, Pulu and Falealili combined for two kills to close the set and give WNMU the 25-20 win.


Dixie State raced out to an 11-6 lead in the second set, only to watch the Lady Mustangs come back to eventually tie the set at 12 on a kill by Rich. A Pulu ace a few points later moved WNMU in front, 14-13. They would open a 15-13 lead on an attack error, but Dixie State came back with a 7-0 spurt to take a 20-15 lead. After Rich scored the next point for the Lady Mustangs on a kill, Dixie State closed on a 5-0 run to take the set, 25-16 and even the match at one.


WNMU responded in a big way in the third, quickly opening a 10-3 lead as Falealili and Pulu tallied kills sandwiched around a Dixie State timeout. The lead reached eight at 15-7 on a kill by Meihack. Dixie State made a late run to get back to within four at 24-20, but the Lady Mustangs sealed the set on a kill by Bayer for the 25-20 set win and 2-1 match lead.


Dixie State looked ready to take WNMU to a fifth set, as they held an 11-5 lead in the fourth. With Dixie State still in control at 21-15, the Lady Mustangs made their move. Meihack posted a kill, which was followed by an ace from Pulu, two attack errors by Dixie State, a service ace from Pakani-Tsukiyama, a pair of kills from Bayer, a double-block from Rich and Bayer and another attack error closed the 9-0 run to push WNMU in front at 24-21 and just one point away from the match victory. Dixie State came back with the next two points before a solo block from Bayer closed it for the Lady Mustangs for the 25-23 set win and 3-1 match victory.


Bayer and Pulu led the attack with 14 kills apiece, while Meihack added 44 assists. Pulu led again in digs with 17 and added two more solo blocks.


WNMU will play two more to close out the I.C. Bhakta Invitational on Saturday against McMurry and Colorado Christian.