Box Score LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Faced with another road match on an already long road trip, the Western New Mexico University volleyball team nearly claimed the second and third sets against New Mexico Highlands University, but the Cowgirls claimed a 3-0 victory (18-25, 23-25, 23-25) Tuesday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.

The first set belonged to NMHU (6-10, 2-5 RMAC) as after WNMU (4-10, 1-6 RMAC) posted the first two points of the set, the Cowgirls would go on a 16-5 run to open a 16-7 lead. The Lady Mustangs would make a run to get to within five at 19-14, but NMHU would close the set to take the 25-18 victory.

The second set was all Lady Mustangs through the early going. After the Cowgirls tied the set at seven, Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) posted a kill that would trigger a 6-1 run. Lauren Buseman (Eagar, AZ/Round Valley) added three kills during the run around a pair of Cowgirl errors to open a 13-8 advantage. Out of a NMHU timeout, the Cowgirls would fight back to tie the set at 17. It would then be back-and-forth the rest of the way with NMHU each time seemingly holding a one-point lead to watch WNMU tie. Menezes helped the Lady Mustangs come back to tie at 23 when the Cowgirls used a pair of kills from Shayli Schulz for the 25-23 set win.

WNMU would again take an early lead in the third set. Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) recorded a pair of kills to open an 11-9 lead. Still ahead 12-11, NMHU would come charging back to take an 18-14 lead. Buseman would help the Lady Mustangs claw back to within a point on a kill at 19-18, but like the other sets, NMHU would have an answer. The Cowgirls would hold the lead the rest of the way, even though WNMU would get back to within a point at 24-23 on a kill by Kelli McGhiey (Pearl City, HI/Sacred Hearts Academy ), just to watch NMHU close the set and the match with a kill on the next point.

Although NMHU only posted five more kills then WNMU (46-41), the hitting percentage told the story. The Cowgirls hit .308, while limiting WNMU to a .198 percentage.
Grap led WNMU with 10 kills, Menezes added nine. Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.) posted 13 assists, Kylie Fraga (Kennewick, WA/Southridge) added 12. On defense, Grap had nine digs to eight for Barbara Soranzo (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil/Mestre Santa Barbara). Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom), Grap and Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ) had three blocks each.

Andrea Nunez led NMHU with 11 kills.

WNMU will finally return home this coming Saturday for Homecoming against Adams State University beginning at 7 p.m.