SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – It was a day in which the Western New Mexico University volleyball team dropped the opening set of both matches, just to come back and sweep the next three sets as they won a pair of matches against CSU-Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly Pomona by a score of 3-1 Friday at the Coyote Classic. 

WNMU (4-2) rallied from a tough opening set to take the next three and the match against CSU-Dominguez Hills (12-25, 25-14, 26-24, 25-20).

In the opening set, the Toros (1-4) jumped ahead early and never looked back. The Lady Mustangs would get to within six points on a few occasions, but that would be as close as they would get before CSU-Dominguez Hills came away with the 25-12 first set win.

Everything changed in the second set. The Lady Mustangs moved out to an early 8-4 lead on a service ace from Chyler Imai (Kapaau, HI/Kohala). The lead stretched to six at 13-7 on an attack error. Ahead 15-10, WNMU sealed the set going on a 6-0 run with points from Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy), Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ) and Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.). Kalie Lyle (Phoenix, AZ/Sandra Day O' Connor ) and Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) would close the set with back-to-back kills for the 25-14 second set win and to knot the match at one set apiece.

The third set was the closest of the four and went right down to the wire. Neither team could break away, with the largest advantage of three belonging to the Toros at 7-4. WNMU looked prime to take the set following a kill from Hughes at 23-22, just to watch the Toros come back with the next two points to move to set point at 24-23. A key timeout by the Lady Mustangs gave them time to refocus and capture the next three points to take the set. After a ball handling error tied it at 24, Lyle and Rich combined for a double-block, right before an attack error by the Toros helped seal the 26-24 set win and 2-1 match lead.

CSU-Dominguez Hills came out strong to start the fourth set, before WNMU quickly answered. Trailing 3-5, WNMU tallied the next six points to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish. A service error helped start the six-point spurt, then Lyle added a kill before three attack errors led to another Lyle kill for the 9-5 lead. The Toros would come back to tie a couple of times, with the last coming at 20 when WNMU went on a 5-0 run to win going away. Verill began the run with a kill and after an attack error by the Toros, Grap would collect a couple of kills around a service ace from Hughes to take the set, 25-20, and the match, 3-1.

WNMU hit .240 (61-24-154) for the match, with Grap again leading the way with 21, as she hit .312. Lyle collected 16 kills and hit .343, while Verrill hit .364 and added 10 kills. Hughes recorded 36 assists, while Imai added 15. WNMU spread out the digs as a team posted 65 led by Ashley Mataele (Laie, HI/Kahuku)'s 18, followed by 14 from Imai and 12 from Grap. Verrill posted three block assists.

Rylee Kiger paced the Toros with 15 kills, as WNMU held them to a .188 hitting percentage.

In the second match of the day, WNMU used the same script from the first match dropping the opening set against Cal Poly Pomona (2-4) before claiming the next three sets for the 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-22).

In the opening set, WNMU used a pair of service aces from Imai to open an early 6-4 lead. After briefly falling behind, a pair of double-blocks, first by Taryn Schriner (Dayton, NV/Dayton ) and Grap and then by Grap and Verrill had the advantage back to two at 10-8. Lyle had WNMU back in front at 14-13 with a kill, but that would turn out to be the last lead of the set for the Lady Mustangs. The Broncos would take the lead at 18-17 and hold on down the stretch, despite several solid attempts by WNMU. A Hughes service ace and a kill by Verrill helped bring the Lady Mustangs back to within one at 24-23, before Cal Poly Pomona sealed the set on the next point for the 25-23 set win.

In the second set, Cal Poly Pomona raced out to an early 14-7 lead. A Grap killed then helped trigger a 4-0 run, as Rich concluded the spurt with a kill leaving it 14-11. The Lady Mustangs kept coming, pulling back to within a point at 16-15 following a double-block by Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) and Verrill and an attack error by the Broncos. It would continue to be either a one or two-point lead for the Broncos over the next several points before they pulled in front, 20-17. WNMU answered right back like they had been throughout the set, as Kelli McGhiey (Pearl City, HI/Sacred Hearts Academy ) posted a kill and after an attack error, Rich recorded a kill to knot the set at 20-all. The back-and-forth set continued with the Broncos claiming the next two points, just to watch WNMU answer back, as Schriner tied the set at 22 with a kill. Out of a Cal Poly Pomona timeout, WNMU regained the lead taking advantage of an attack error and then a kill by Grap had them at set point. Grap then finished the set with another kill giving WNMU the big comeback set win, 25-22, to even the match at one.

The momentum carried over for WNMU in the third set as they broke open a close 9-8 set. Grap started to help the Lady Mustangs pull away with a kill, which was followed by a service ace from Hughes and then kills from Rich and Grap made it 13-8. The Broncos would make a run, getting it back to 19-18, but WNMU kept calm and finished the set as Grap answered with a kill and around an attack error, McGhiey drilled a kill for the 22-18 lead. A double-block from Rich and Schriner set the table for Grap to finish the set with a kill at 25-20 to give WNMU the 2-1 set lead.

The fourth set looked to be the Lady Mustangs early, before Cal Poly Pomona came back to take the lead at 14-13. A kill by Schriner followed to open a 4-0 run that would put WNMU in front for good. Grap added a service ace and then kills from Menezes and Verrill boosted the lead to 17-14.The Broncos would make one last run, getting back to within two at 24-22 before Schriner sealed the set and the match with a kill for the 25-22 fourth set win and 3-1 match victory.

WNMU hit .193 (54-22-166), while holding the Broncos to just over .100 at .103 (53-35-174). Grap posted another 21 kill performance and hit over .300 again at .314. Menezes, Rich and McGhiey added seven apiece. Hughes dished out 31 assists and Opal Drapeau (Denver, CO/Bishop Machebeuf Catholic ) added 12. Menezes led in digs with 17, while Mataele added 14, Grap with 12 and Hughes with 11. In terms of blocks, Verrill had four, with one solo.

Nicoletta Stork led the Broncos with 15 kills, while Deanna Blaine added 12. 

WNMU will wrap up the Coyote Classic on Saturday as they will play CSU-San Marcos at 11 a.m. (MST) and then against No. 16 and host CSU-San Bernardino at 3:30 p.m.