Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAN ANGELO, Tex. – Facing a pair of tough regional opponents on Saturday, the Western New Mexico University volleyball team fell to the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in the first match, 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-14) and then against No. 19 Angelo State University in four sets (25-19, 25-18, 27-29, 25-16) to conclude the Angelo State University Invitational.

In the opening match of the day, Arkansas-Fort Smith came out firing in each set. WNMU would surge in front in the opening set at 9-8 after freshman Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ) tallied a kill and an attack error by the Lady Lions. UAFS countered going on a 7-0 run to quickly turn the set in their favor at 15-9. The Lady Mustangs wouldn't go quietly in the set, as senior Lauren Buseman (Eagar, AZ/Round Valley) and Verrill combined for kills to pull within four, 21-17. But, out of a Lady Lions timeout, they would go on to seal the set winning four of the next six points for the 25-19 first set win.

The Lady Mustangs would erase an early 4-1 deficit in the second set coming back to tie at six on a kill by junior Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy). Junior Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) pushed WNMU in front, 12-11. Similar to the opening frame, UAFS came back with a 3-0 run and would never look back. An attack error a few points later by the Lady Lions brought WNMU back to within striking distance at 17-15. UAFS had another run left in them, stringing together a 7-0 spurt on their way to grabbing the set, 25-16.

Sophomore Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) opened the scoring in the third with a kill, to which the Lions were ready going on a 10-3 run to open a 10-4 advantage. A Verrill kill on the next point would bring WNMU to within five, but that would be as close as the Lady Mustangs would get with UAFS taking the third set, 25-14, and the match, 3-0.

Verril had a big match for the Lady Mustangs leading the way with nine kills and posted a .529 hitting percentage with no errors in 17 chances. Freshman Kylie Fraga (Kennewick, WA/Southridge) set the table with 19 assists, while on defense, junior Barbara Soranzo (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil/Mestre Santa Barbara) came away with 10 digs and Rich added three block assists.

In the second match against home standing and nationally-ranked Angelo State, the Lady Mustangs held an early 7-5 lead in the first set following a kill from Menezes. The Belles came back with a 5-1 run to open a 12-8 lead. Grap helped close the gap to two at 16-14 with a kill, but that would be as close as the Lady Mustangs would get the rest of the set with the Belles coming away with a 25-19 set win.

Grap and Soranzo opened the scoring in the second set following a kill and service ace, respectively. Still ahead 5-4 off a service error, ASU went on a 6-1 spurt to pull in front 10-6. A Verrill kill later in the set kept the spread at four, 17-13, but the Belles would answer with the next four points on their way to a 25-18 second set win and 2-0 match lead.

The Lady Mustangs started the third frame strong jumping out to a 9-6 lead off a service ace from Fraga. WNMU would again hold a three-point lead at 16-13, which would lead to a tight finish the rest of the way. With the Belles closing in at 23-20, WNMU rallied with a kill from Grap, and a double block from Buseman and Verrill to get back to within one, 23-22. After a Belles' point pushed them on the brink, Grap and Verrill delivered kills to knot the set at 24. Each team would then trade chances trying to put the set away. WNMU would capitalize with freshman Kalie Lyle (Phoenix, AZ/Sandra Day O' Connor ) spinning in a service ace, followed by a Rich kill to take the third set for WNMU, 29-27, and push the match to the fourth set.

The Belles controlled the play early in the fourth, as following an early one-all tie off an attack error, they would go on a 10-4 run forcing a WNMU timeout. ASU wouldn't let up, as that would end up being as close as the Lady Mustangs would get the rest of the way with the Belles taking the set, 25-16, and the match, 3-1.

Grap and Verrill paced the offense posting 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Fraga accounted for 27 assists, while on defense, Soranzo accumulated 17 digs to 16 for Grap. Verrill had a solo block and three block assists, to five blocks assists for Buseman.

Soranzo landed on the All-Tournament Team after compiling 58 digs over the four matches.

The road trip will continue for WNMU as they will make a stop in Odessa, Tex., this coming Monday to face Texas-Permian Basin beginning at 2 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.