SILVER CITY, N.M. – It wasn't easy, but Head Coach Jim Callender is now in the 700 win club following Western New Mexico University's tight back-and-forth 3-2 (22-25, 25-20, 26-24, 23-25, 15-12) win over in-state rival New Mexico Highlands Saturday afternoon in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.

The win moves the Lady Mustangs to 19-7 overall and 14-4 in the RMAC. They will have to wait and see how both MSU Denver and Regis do tonight to see if they will host a first round RMAC Tournament game on Tuesday night. Stay tuned to wnmumustangs.com for updates on where WNMU will play.

NMHU (7-21, 3-15 RMAC) made it anything but easy on Senior Day for WNMU, as they came out ready in the first set. Although the Cowgirls would end up winning the set, it looked like the Lady Mustangs were in good shape early on. A kill by Kelli McGhiey (Pearl City, HI/Sacred Hearts Academy ) had WNMU in front 12-7. NMHU responded with a 5-0 run to knot the set at 12. As the teams would trade ties, a big double-block by Tianna Matthews and Caroline Hansen helped ignite the Cowgirls as that broke a 20-all tie and sent them on a 5-2 run to take the first set, 25-22. NMHU took advantage of a 16-12 kill edge in the set.

The second set hung in the balance for a while until a big kill helped ignite WNMU. With the Lady Mustangs trailing 9-8, Ashley Mataele (Laie, HI/Kahuku) would end up coming through with a big dig that was just off the floor and as it went back over, the Cowgirls thought the point was over and Mataele claimed the kill to tie the set at nine. That led to two straight kills by Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) and then a double-block by Rich and Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) had WNMU off and running at 12-9. The lead reached six at 18-12 on an attack error. NMHU would get a late rally going getting as close as three a couple of times before Rich and Menezes collected kills to take the set at 25-20.

The third set was controlled by the Cowgirls early on as they moved in front 14-11. Despite WNMU taking the lead at 19-17 on a kill by Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) and double-block from Taryn Schriner (Dayton, NV/Dayton ) and Taimane Passi (Honolulu, HI/Iolani), the Cowgirls refused to go away. They would tally the next three points to take a 20-19 lead. With the set tied at 24, a big service error by NMHU opened the door for the Lady Mustangs and they took full advantage as Passi and Grap would combine for a block to give WNMU the set at 26-24 and a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Lady Mustangs looked ready to end the match in four sets, jumping out to a 10-6 lead. Grap, Schriner and Menezes all came through with points during the strong start. Menezes would post another kill later in the set and after Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.) spun in a service ace, WNMU held a 15-11 advantage. The lead would stretch to five at 21-16 on another Menezes kill when NMHU would begin to come on strong. The Cowgirls came back to tie the set at 23 and then after a WNMU error, closed the set with a kill by Andrea Nunez to take the set, 25-23, and send the match to a decisive fifth set.

The fifth set was close throughout until WNMU was able to pull away from a tied set at 11. Grap began to take over as she posted four straight kills around a kill by NMHU to close the decisive set in style giving WNMU the set at 15-12 and the match, 3-2. WNMU posted their best hitting percentage in the fifth coming away with a .308 percentage (11-3-26).

Both teams hit nearly .200 as WNMU had a .198 clip (67-30-187), while NMHU was right behind with a .195 percentage (65-29-185). It was a block party most of the match with the teams combining for 28 blocks, led by WNMU's 15.

Grap came through on Senior Day going for 20 kills and hitting .314. Rich added 16 kills and hit .429, while Menezes was right behind with 14 kills and a .308 percentage. Chyler Imai (Kapaau, HI/Kohala) led in assists with 35, while Hughes added 25. On defense, Mataele claimed 23 digs, while Grap added 17. Rich had seven blocks, with one coming solo. Taimane Passi (Honolulu, HI/Iolani) added five blocks, with one solo.

Hansen paced the Cowgirls with 18 kills and hit .302. Matthews was a force at the net coming away with nine blocks, including four of the solo variety.

Seniors Barbara Soranzo (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil/Mestre Santa Barbara), Chyler Imai (Kapaau, HI/Kohala), Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) and Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) were all honored after the game.

WNMU will now wait on the results from the other matches tonight to see where they will play Tuesday night in the first round of the RMAC Tournament.