GUNNISON/PUEBLO, Colo. – It all comes down to this. The Western New Mexico University volleyball team has put themselves in a position to make the RMAC Tournament, but will need to come away with a solid performance this week to try to make it into the field of eight.

Entering the final weekend of the regular season, the Lady Mustangs are tied with Black Hills State at 7-9 for the eighth and final spot. If the season ended right now, WNMU would claim the last slot based off of holding the set tiebreaker over the Yellow Jackets. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head, but the teams never faced each other this season. Possibilities still include making it as high as five if WNMU wins out, while CSU-Pueblo would have to lose out and Adams State and Colorado Christian could only win one match, then it would come down to head-to-head if only tied with one of those teams or then set tiebreakers. The sixth and seventh slots are just a game out of reach with Colorado Christian and Adams State occupying those slots at 8-8. WNMU holds the head-to-head tiebreaker on both teams, so if they were to end in a tie with one of those teams, they could move up in the standings. Not to be counted out, UC-Colorado Springs is in tenth, but still very much alive. With a 6-10 mark, if they were to win out or win one match while other teams faltered, they could get in as well. UCCS holds the tiebreaker over WNMU based on head-to-head.

The top four teams are set, but the order can still change. Colorado Mines (16-1), Colorado Mesa (15-1), MSU Denver (15-2) and Regis (11-5) will occupy the one through four slots, but every one of them could move except for Regis, which is locked in at four. Colorado Mesa is in the driver's seat to take the top spot as they hold the tiebreaker over Colorado Mines.

First up on Friday night at 7 p.m. WNMU (10-13, 7-9 RMAC) will battle Western State Colorado University. The Mountaineers (0-20, 0-16 RMAC) are still without a win, but have come close, including a five-set match earlier this season at WNMU. They have also gone five against Black Hills State, and twice against Fort Lewis. This past weekend they fell at home to CSU-Pueblo (3-1) and Adams State (3-0).

Jordan Eatwell leads four Lady Mountaineers in kills with 194. Crystal Powell (111), Taylor Castillo (107) and Hailey Rehage (103) round out the group over 100. Tepora Su'a (388) and Allison Walker (304) lead the way in assists. On defense, Morgan Stansberry has 263 digs, while Powell has 44 blocks.

WNMU will wrap the regular season on Saturday night at 7 p.m. against CSU-Pueblo. The Lady ThunderWolves are 15-11 overall and 9-7 in the RMAC and are in control of the fifth seed. With two wins they will lock up the five slot and even with a win could still have the chance to be the five. They have won three straight against Fort Lewis (3-0), Western State (3-1) and Adams State (3-2). They won the earlier meeting in Silver City, 3-1.

Five players have at least 141 kills led by Mariangel Perez's 356. Morgan Wilkening (276), Oni Lattin (186), Megan Schultz (153) and Alex Winkler (141) round out the group. Alex Sansavera (546) and Jordan Bruere (469) lead the team in assists. On defense, Katie Burnett has 436 digs, while Perez has 325. Lattin has 124 blocks.

WNMU split this past weekend with a 3-2 win over Fort Lewis before a 3-0 loss against nationally-ranked Colorado Mesa. Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) leads the offense after going over 200 kills this past weekend (203), Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ) adds 174, while Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) (159) and Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) (150) aren't far behind. The Lady Mustangs have three over 100 assists led by 406 from Kylie Fraga (Kennewick, WA/Southridge). Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.) (284) and Opal Drapeau (Denver, CO/Bishop Machebeuf Catholic ) (129) have also seen significant time at setter this season. On defense, Barbara Soranzo (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil/Mestre Santa Barbara) has 256 digs, Grap has 242, while a trio have over 100 in Menezes (174), Fraga (128) and Hughes (106). Verrill went over 100 blocks this past weekend and leads the way with 102. Rich is close to breaking the century mark with 92.

In terms of rankings in the RMAC, Verrill is seventh in hitting percentage (.310), Hughes is sixth in service aces per set (.32), Verrill is fourth in blocks per set (1.13), while Rich is seventh (1.03). As a team WNMU holds opponents to the third best hitting percentage (.155), are third in blocks per set (2.40) and third in service aces per set (1.26).

In terms of NCAA rankings WNMU is 15^th in blocks per set and tied for 29^th in total blocks (216). Verrill is 30^th in blocks per set, and tied for 41^st in total blocks.

Both matches will have live video and stats available.