SILVER CITY, N.M. – Behind another strong defensive effort, the Western New Mexico University volleyball team kept rolling as they picked up their seven straight win defeating Colorado Mesa University, 3-0 (30-28, 25-12, 25-23) Saturday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.
The WNMU defense was on fire from the start posting 14 blocks and limiting Colorado Mesa to a .058 hitting percentage (43-35-138).
Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ) led the way with eight blocks, with two coming solo.
Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) added five blocks, with one solo and
Morgan Lyneis (Victorville, CA/Apple Valley) added five blocks as well.
The opening set was classic Colorado Mesa and Western New Mexico, as the teams went back-and-forth throughout the set. The Lady Mustangs (12-3, 7-0 RMAC) looked to be in good shape to grab the set when they moved in front 20-17 on a kill by
Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy). The Mavericks (7-8, 5-2 RMAC) would fight back to knot the set at 22 and then take a 23-22 lead. The teams would then alternate small one-point leads down the stretch. CMU held a 28-27 lead and after a service error re-tied the set, WNMU never looked back. An attack error and then a kill by Grap gave WNMU the set at 30-28. WNMU recorded 17 kills in the set and posted five blocks.
The second set had the Lady Mustangs jump out early 6-1 as the Mavericks committed five errors before
Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) recorded a kill. The lead stretched to nine at 18-9 with Grap and
Ashley Mataele (Laie, HI/Kahuku) tallying points. After
Kelli McGhiey (Pearl City, HI/Sacred Hearts Academy ) recorded a kill, two more CMU attack errors gave WNMU the set at 25-12. The Mavericks had 17 attack errors in the set and hit negative .190.
With the momentum resting with the Lady Mustangs, they continued their strong play into the third set. Verrill helped break open a close one-point lead with a solo block, as WNMU followed that with a kill by McGhiey, a double-block from Verril and Lyneis and then kills from Verrill and Grap to pull in front 13-8. CMU wouldn't go down easy as they rallied to get back to within a point at 23-22. Verrill delivered a big kill to push the Lady Mustangs to match point and then Grap finished it off with a kill at 25-23.
Grap led the way with 11 kills, while McGhiey added seven. WNMU hit .200 for the match (36-11-125).
Chyler Imai (Kapaau, HI/Kohala) led in assists with 15, while
Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.) had 13. On defense, Mataele had 23 digs, while Hughes added 10.
Hattie Gianinetti led the Mavericks with 13 kills, while Taylor Woods had 25 digs.
WNMU, still the only undefeated team in conference play, will remain home this coming weekend for Homecoming when they will face Adams State on Friday night beginning at 7 p.m.
