GOLDEN/LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The Western New Mexico University volleyball team begins a four-match road swing this coming weekend when they will play at No. 18 Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Christian University.
The Lady Mustangs are 15-6 overall and 10-3 in the RMAC and sit in a five-way tie for second place in the conference standings. Colorado Mines leads the RMAC by a game.
Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) leads WNMU with 288 kills (3.74 per set) and she is second in digs with 238 (3.09 per set), along with 20 blocks. She ranks third in the RMAC in attacks per set (10.43), 57
th nationally, third in total kills (288), 66
th nationally, third in kills per set (3.74), 51
st nationally, third in total attacks (803), 90
th nationally and fifth in points per set (4.09), 71
st nationally. Four other Lady Mustangs have over 100 kills including
Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) (148),
Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ) (145),
Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) (116) and
Kelli McGhiey (Pearl City, HI/Sacred Hearts Academy ) (105).
Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.) leads the way in assists with 480 (7.74 per set) and in service aces with 22. On defense
Ashley Mataele (Laie, HI/Kahuku) has 350 digs (4.55 per set) and in blocks Rich leads with 72, followed closely by Verrill's 69.
Chyler Imai (Kapaau, HI/Kohala) (148) and Hughes (121) are also over 100 digs.
Rich and Verrill remain in the top-10 in the conference in both blocks per set and hitting percentage. Rich is sixth in blocks per set at 0.94, while Verrill is eighth at 0.90. Verrill is sixth in hitting percentage (.286) and Rich is 10
th (.274). Mataele is sixth in the RMAC in digs per set (4.55) and seventh in total digs (350). Hughes ranks sixth in aces per set (0.35) and 10
th in assists per set (7.74) in the RMAC.
As a team the Lady Mustangs rank in the top-five in the RMAC in several categories including fifth in blocks per set (2.00), first in digs per set (16.97), fifth in hitting percentage (.188), second in match win-loss percentage (.714), first in opposition hitting percentage (.130), third in team attacks per set (37.44) and fourth in team digs (1,307). They rank in the top-25 in the nation in opposition hitting percentage coming in 22
nd.
WNMU will open up the weekend on Friday night at 7 p.m. against No. 18 Colorado School of Mines. The Orediggers are 17-4 overall and 11-2 in the RMAC. They have a non-conference game against MSU Denver Wednesday night at 7 p.m. before facing the Lady Mustangs.
Colorado School of Mines is 10-1 at home this season and are currently on a six-match winning streak with their last loss coming at home against MSU Denver. Alanna Winfield leads the offense with 276 kills, while two other players have gone for over 200 including Megan Peterson (241) and Frannie Cormier (220). They post a .242 team hitting percentage while holding the opposition to a .185 clip. Danielle Johnson-Hazlewood, already a four-time RMAC Setter of the Week this season, leads the way in assists with 948 (12.47 per set). She also has shown her versatility with 212 digs, 35 kills and 23 blocks. Taryn Huber leads the team in digs with 295, while in terms on blocking Peterson has 63 to 53 for Winfield.
Last year the Orediggers claimed a 3-1 win in Silver City, The year before in 2013, the teams went down-to-the-wire in Golden with Colorado Mines saving several match points before defeating the Lady Mustangs in five sets.
WNMU will finish the weekend on Saturday at Colorado Christian beginning at 6 p.m. The Cougars have been an interesting team this season as they come in with a 10-13 overall record and are 6-6 in RMAC play. Their biggest win so far this season was a 3-2 home win against Regis back on Oct. 16. They are just a match back of the eighth and final spot for the RMAC Tournament.
As a team Colorado Christian hits at a .164 clip and the opposition connects at a .180 clip. Six Cougars have over 100 kills led by Sophia Proano's 167, followed by Connie Olson's 163. Jordan Carswell leads in assists with 439, while Kylee Wurster adds 325. On defense Joelle LeFevre leads in digs with 357, while in terms of blocking Hope Baldrica has 94 blocks.
Last season, WNMU came away with a thrilling 3-2 win at home against Colorado Chrisitan rallying to take both the fourth and fifth sets. Back in 2013 when the teams met in Lakewood the Cougars claimed a 3-1 victory.
Live video and stats will be available for both matches.
