Box Score SILVER CITY, N.M. – It took five sets, but the Western New Mexico University volleyball team held off Western State Colorado University to claim the 3-2 victory (25-23, 25-16, 21-25, 17-25, 15-10) Saturday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.
The first set looked to be heading the way of WSCU (0-16, 0-12 RMAC) after jumping out to a 16-11 lead. WNMU (7-12, 4-8 RMAC) would begin to chip away, with an attack error and bad set by the Mountaineers helping to tie the set at 22. Two more attack errors would push the Lady Mustangs to set point when
Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) would finish the comeback with a kill for the 25-23 set win.
The second set was controlled by WNMU from the outset.
Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) posted back-to-back kills to open a 9-4 lead for the Lady Mustangs. The lead would stretch to 10 at 18-8 on a kill by Grap, which followed a pair of solo blocks by
Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom).
Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ) helped get WNMU within a point of the set before a service error gave WNMU the set, 25-16, and 2-0 match lead. WNMU hit .263 in the set with 14 kills.
WNMU looked ready to close the set in three, jumping ahead 14-10 on another solo block by Rich. The Mountaineers would fight back to take the lead at 18-17. Verrill posted a solo block to tie the set at 20 when WSCU would go on a 5-1 run to close the set with a 25-21 win to force the match to the fourth.
The Lady Mustangs looked to be in good shape in the fourth holding a 13-10 lead on a solo block by Rich. Out of a WSCU timeout, they would go on a 9-0 run to take a 19-13 lead. The Mountaineers wouldn't let up, keeping the pressure going to take the set, 25-17, to send the match to a decisive fifth.
WNMU would regroup in the fifth, racing out to a 5-1 lead with WSCU committing three attack errors, while Menezes tallied two kills. WSCU would fight back to within two a couple of times, with the last coming at 11-9 when the Lady Mustangs would again force a pair of attack errors to go in front 13-9. Later, Verrill recorded a solo block and then Grap ended the night with a kill for the 15-10 victory and 3-2 match win.
WNMU hit a solid .223, posting 59 kills to 22 errors in 166 chances. They also had 13 team blocks. Rich and Grap led the way with 11 kills each, while Verrill added 10 while hitting .360.
Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.) dished out 23 assists, while
Opal Drapeau (Denver, CO/Bishop Machebeuf Catholic ) added 20.
Barbara Soranzo (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil/Mestre Santa Barbara) again led the Lady Mustangs in digs, this time with 18. Verrill and Rich added six blocks each.
Jordan Eatwell led WSCU with 15 kills, Hailey Rehage added 13.
WNMU will remain home this coming Wednesday when they will face New Mexico Highlands at 5 p.m. The Cowgirls defeated CSU-Pueblo, 3-2, earlier tonight.
