GUNNISON/ALAMOSA, Colo. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team will look to continue their strong start when they open the 2013 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule Friday night against Western State in Gunnison.


Up first for the 7-1 Lady Mustangs will be Western State, as this will be the home opener for the Mountaineers on Friday night at 7 p.m. WNMU will actually end up being the last team Western State faced at home in 2012 and the first to face at home in 2013. WNMU swept the 2012 season, winning both matches by scores of 3-1. The Lady Mustangs have won the last four matches against Western State, having also swept in 2011. The teams split in 2010 with WNMU winning at home, 3-0, before the Mountaineers won at home, 3-1. Western State enters with a record of 1-8 and 0-1 in the conference after falling to Adams State on Tuesday, 3-0. They are currently on a six-game slide, with their win coming against Texas-Permian Basin, 3-2. Western State took a set from then No. 10 West Texas A&M in their second match of the season, as they won the first, 25-19, before dropping the next three, 12-25, 13-25, 20-25.


The Mountaineers are led by Sara Larson who has 46 kills, followed by 43 from Josie Hopkins. The main setter is Allison Walker who has 213, while on defense Morgan Stansberry has 80 digs and Ashley Milan leads in total blocks with 12.


On Saturday, WNMU will matchup against Adams State at 3 p.m. at Plachy Hall. The Grizzlies are 3-6 on the season and 1-0 in the conference. Outside of the win over Western State, Adams State has also defeated St. Mary's and Merrimack. They have also dropped four matches in five sets against Texas Woman's, #17 West Florida, #9 West Texas A&M and Metro State. The Grizzlies are led by Lindsey Stindt, Letisha Spencer and Deprece Washington on offense with each over 80 kills. Gabriella Riffilato leads in assists as she is just under 400 on the season, while on defense Savannah Smith has over 100 digs and Washington and Megan Tapai are both over 20 total blocks.


Adams State swept the Lady Mustangs last year with the match in Alamosa going five sets. The year before in 2011 the teams split with WNMU beating Adams State in Silver and Adams State winning in Alamosa.


So far this season, the Lady Mustangs have already collected two RMAC Player of the Week honors in Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School) as Setter of the Week and Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) as Defensive Player of the Week. Bobbi Bayer (Granby, CO/Eddyville Blakesburg ) leads the team in kills with 106, followed by 83 from Pulu. Meihack has dished out 344 assists, while defensively, Pulu has 135 digs and Kaysee Pilgrim (Phoenix, AZ/Barry Goldwater) leads in total blocks with 27.


Live stats and live video will be available for the match against Western State, while live video will be available for the Adams State contest.