SPEARFISH, S.D. – The momentum and the match hung in the balance in the third set. With Black Hills State University holding a set point, the Western New Mexico University volleyball team fought off set point and won the set and eventually the match, 3-1 (25-18, 24-26, 26-24, 25-14), Saturday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

With the win, the Lady Mustangs (10-3, 5-0 RMAC) remain in first in the RMAC and are now on a five-match winning streak. The 10 win season already ties the win total all of last season.

WNMU jumped ahead early in the opening set taking advantage of BHSU (4-8, 1-3 RMAC) errors for the 7-3 advantage. Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ) boosted the lead to six with a kill at 16-10. After Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.) and Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) combined for a block at 19-15, WNMU would close the set on a 6-1 run to take the set at 25-16. During the run to clinch the set Rich, Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) and Hughes posted points. Rich dominated the net with a pair of solo blocks in the final six points.

The second set swung back-and-forth with the Lady Mustangs taking a late 20-19 led on a bad set. Morgan Lyneis (Victorville, CA/Apple Valley) and Menezes added kills over the next few points to help tie the set, with the last coming at 23-all. A Rich solo block had WNMU in position to take the set at 24-23 when the Yellow Jackets caught fire to take the final three points and the set at 26-24.

The third set then held all the momentum for the match with the teams looking to break the tie. BHSU had the momentum from winning the previous set and held a 21-17 lead. WNMU began to work their way back, fighting back to tie at 23 on an attack error. The Yellow Jackets then won the next point to move to set point at 24-23. BHSU went for the kill, but the attack sailed wide giving the point to the Lady Mustangs and knotting the set at 24. From that point on, WNMU rode the momentum in their favor as the Yellow Jackets committed two more errors and WNMU took the set, 26-24.

Then it was just like Friday night when WNMU came out on fire in the fourth set against South Dakota Mines to seal the victory. They would do the same against BHSU. WNMU quickly moved out to a 14-4 lead with Rich, Menezes, Lyneis, Verrill and Taryn Schriner (Dayton, NV/Dayton ) all collecting points. The Lady Mustangs never let off the gas as they continued to apply the pressure and following a kill by Menezes, an attack error by the Yellow Jackets gave WNMU the set, 25-14, and the match, 3-1.

WNMU hit .188 (46-18-149), but held BHSU to a .110 clip (48-31-155) as WNMU added nine blocks. Rich led three Lady Mustangs in double-figures in terms of kills as she had 12 and hit .611. Menezes added 11 and hit .310, while Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) had 10. Hughes posted 21 assists, while three had at least 10 digs with both Grap and Ashley Mataele (Laie, HI/Kahuku) tallying 16 and Menezes with 10. Rich had four blocks, with three solo, while Verrill added three and one solo.

Danielle Torpey led BHSU and all players with 15 kills and Lacy Stevens had a match-high 27 digs.

WNMU will look to keep their hot streak going when they return home to open up the first of four straight at Drag's Court on Friday night at 7 p.m. against RMAC newcomer Westminster (Utah).