CHADRON, Neb. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team rallied to take the second set and would push the fourth set into extra time before Chadron State College held off the Lady Mustangs to win 3-1 (18-25, 25-14, 18-25, 26-28) Thursday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.

CSC (3-9, 2-2 RMAC) started strong in the first set, jumping out to a 13-4 lead. WNMU (4-7, 1-3 RMAC) would fight back to get as close as three at 16-13 on a kill by junior Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy). The Eagles, however, would keep the pressure on answering with a 5-0 run on their way to claiming the opening set, 25-18. The Eagles would use their best hitting percentage on the night of .286 (15 kills to five errors in 35 chances) to propel them to the first set.

The Lady Mustangs responded right away in the second set, racing out to a 13-3 lead. Freshman Kalie Lyle (Phoenix, AZ/Sandra Day O' Connor ), sophomore Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom), senior Lauren Buseman (Eagar, AZ/Round Valley), Grap, freshman Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.), and freshman Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ) all tallied points during the stretch. WNMU would keep CSC at a safe distance throughout the rest of the set with Verrill capturing the final point on a kill for the 25-14 second set. WNMU would hit a sizzling .324 (13 kills to two errors in 34 chances) in the set, their best of the night, to roll to the set victory.

The third set was close early, with Lyle tying the frame at eight with a kill. The Eagles would record the next two points and would hold the lead the rest of the way. The Lady Mustangs would fight back to within two late on a double-block by junior Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) and Rich, but the Eagles were not to be denied, scoring the next five points after that block for a 25-18 set win.

The fourth set then teetered back-and-forth, with each team having a chance to claim it. With CSC ahead 23-21, they appeared to be in position to take the set. WNMU came back out of a timeout with a kill by Rich and after an attack error, they had fought back to tie at 23. Out of an Eagle timeout, CSC would take the lead with the next point, when freshman Kylie Fraga (Kennewick, WA/Southridge) staved off match point with a kill to knot the set at 24. WNMU would end up fighting off two more match points with an attack error and then a kill by Verrill tying the set at 26. CSC would then close the set and the match following a service error and then a kill for the 28-26 set win and 3-1 match victory.

Verrill led the Lady Mustangs in kills with 10, while Rich added nine and eight apiece from Grap and Lyle. Fraga tallied 22 assists, while Hughes dished out 13. Junior Chyler Imai (Kapaau, HI/Kohala) posted 16 digs, while Verrill accumulated five total blocks.

Erika Roybal powered the Eagle attack ripping off 19 kills, while Lelalelei Nomura added 15 kills.

WNMU will continue their three-match road swing heading to Colorado to face UC-Colorado Springs Friday night at 7 p.m.