Box Score GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team put up a strong fight against the No. 17 team in the nation, but Colorado Mesa University rallied when they had to coming away with set wins in the fourth and fifth for the 3-2 victory (22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 17-25, 6-15) Friday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.

In the opening set, WNMU (5-11, 2-7 RMAC) fought back from several early deficits including a 17-9 disadvantage before mounting a comeback. Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) helped start the run with a kill. Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) added a kill, which was followed by a double-block from Lauren Buseman (Eagar, AZ/Round Valley) and Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ) before an attack error by the Mavericks (14-3, 8-1 RMAC) helped bring the Lady Mustangs all the way back to tie at 21. Out of a CMU timeout, the Mavs would rip off three straight points to move to set point at 24-21. Buseman and Verrill combined for a block to prolong the set when CMU tallied the next point on a kill for the 25-22 set win.

In the second set, WNMU used the momentum they had gained from the previous set to come out on fire. Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) opened the set with a kill and after a WNMU attack error, they would go on a 6-0 run for the 7-1 lead. During the run, Buseman and Menezes posted kills, while the Lady Mustangs forced four Maverick errors. The rest of the set would be the same story with the Lady Mustangs holding a comfortable lead throughout. The Mavs would trim the lead down to five a few times, but each time WNMU had the answer. Still ahead at 21-16, a service error, kill by Morgan Lyneis (Victorville, CA/Apple Valley), and service ace by Kylie Fraga (Kennewick, WA/Southridge) helped bring the Lady Mustangs a point away from the set when the Mavs began to rally. CMU would string together four points before an attack error gave WNMU the 25-21 set win to tie the match at one.

WNMU used a solid net presence on defense, holding a 5-0 blocking advantage through the first two sets as both teams hit just over .100 (.111 CMU, .135 WNMU).
The third frame opened up quick for the Mavs, as they scored the first three points. Still down by two, 5-3, the Lady Mustangs answered with a 4-0 run on four attack errors by CMU, with the last one coming on a double-block by Verrill and Menezes. The lead would stretch to four at 11-7 on another block, this one by Lyneis and Rich. In a set that featured several runs by each team, CMU would counter with a 5-1 spurt to tie the set at 12. WNMU would regroup taking advantage of four CMU attack errors to take a 16-12 lead forcing a Mavs timeout. In-between another CMU timeout the Lady Mustangs would push the advantage to six at 19-13 with Verrill tallying a block, a kill from Menezes and a service ace from Chyler Imai (Kapaau, HI/Kohala). The Lady Mustangs would control the rest of the set as kills by Grap and Taryn Schriner (Dayton, NV/Dayton ) would result in a 25-19 third set victory for WNMU.

The fourth set started out strong for WNMU as they jumped out to a 5-2 lead with points from Rich, Schriner and Grap. CMU would answer like they did in the previous set to take a 9-7 lead and force a WNMU timeout. The Mavericks would slowly begin to move to a 15-11 lead on their way to taking the set, 25-17, and forcing the match into a decisive fifth set.

The momentum really carried over for the Mavs in the fifth, as they jumped in front 8-1 and never looked back taking the set, 15-6, and the match, 3-2.

Neither team hit very well until the last set when CMU used a seven kill to zero errors in 16 chances attack to post a .438 hitting percentage to take the fifth. WNMU was solid at the net, dominating in terms of blocks posting 13 to just five for the Mavs. WNMU posted 10 or more kills in the first three sets, but were held to just seven and four in the final two.

The offensive production was evenly distributed led by nine each from Grap and Menezes. Rich added eight. Kylie Fraga (Kennewick, WA/Southridge) dished out 22 assists, while Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.) had 12 more. Four players had at least 10 digs led by Grap (15), Barbara Soranzo (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil/Mestre Santa Barbara) (14), Menezes (13) and Fraga (10). Verrill posted eight blocks, while Rich added five and four from Buseman.

A trio of Mavericks led their offensive surge with 15 each from Melissa Hess and Casey Ball, while Erin Perez added 14. CMU held a 65 to 42edge in terms of kills, but also committed 13 more errors than the Lady Mustangs (40-27).

WNMU will play at Fort Lewis College on Saturday night beginning at 7 p.m. The Skyhawks went five sets with New Mexico Highlands before the Cowgirls came away with the 3-2 victory.