GUNNISON, Colo. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team opened Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play with a solid 3-1 victory over Western State (25-15, 29-27, 21-25, 25-15) Friday night at Paul Wright Gym.


WNMU (8-1, 1-0 RMAC) opened the match strong in the first set as the Lady Mustangs started out ahead 5-1 with Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom), Bobbi Bayer (Granby, CO/Eddyville Blakesburg ) and Angelina Pulu (Long Beach, CA/Robert A. Millikan High School) posting kills. The lead stretched to eight at 12-4 on a solo block from Alyssa Meihack (Fallon, NV/Churchill County High School). It became a nine-point lead (14-5) on a kill by Kaysee Pilgrim (Phoenix, AZ/Barry Goldwater). The lead would get as high as 11 at 19-8 on an attack error. WNMU would control the rest of the set with Seluia "Ria" Falealili closing the set with a kill for the 25-15 win.


WNMU appeared to be ready to run away with the second set as well, moving ahead 12-6 on a kill by Pulu. The lead quickly went away as Western State (1-9, 0-2 RMAC) fought back to tie the set at 15. The teams traded a few more ties before WNMU opened a two-point lead at 20-18 on a solo block by Rich. The Mountaineers came back to take a 24-23 to move within a point of the set when Pilgrim came away with a kill to tie the set back up. After tying three more times, WNMU pulled away with the final two points as Falealili closed the set with a kill for the 29-27 set win and 2-0 match lead.


The Lady Mustangs were in control throughout the early parts of the third set, racing out to a 14-9 lead following a pair of Mountaineer attack errors. The lead remained at four, 17-13, on another attack error when Western State began to comeback. They would reel off 12 of the next 16 points to take the set, 25-21, and extend the match to a fourth set.


Following a 9-all tie in the fourth set, WNMU began to take control with a kill by Pulu and an attack error by the Mountaineers. After a bad set moved Western State to within one, 12-11, WNMU posted the next six points to go ahead 18-11. During the run, Pulu had a pair of service aces, along with a kill, as did Falealili. WNMU continued with the momentum, pushing the lead as high as 10 at 24-14 on a service ace by Stephanie Ramirez (El Paso, TX/) and later closed the set and the match on a kill by Pulu two points later for the 25-15 set win and 3-1 match victory.


Pulu and Pilgrim posted double-digits kills with Pulu tallying 15 to 13 for Pilgrim. Meihack tallied 37 assists, while defensively Reyna Acosta (Pearl City, HI/Pearl City) had 20 digs and Pilgrim had two solo blocks.


WNMU, now winners of eight straight, will return to action Saturday afternoon when they will face Adams State in Alamosa at 3 p.m.