SILVER CITY, N.M. – UT Permian Basin didn't make things easy on the Western New Mexico University volleyball team Monday night. The Falcons, winners of just two Lone Star Conference games so far this season, nearly took the second set and came close in the third before the Lady Mustangs came away with the 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-21) sweep in LSC action.

WNMU (14-8, 6-5 LSC) got a solid rebound win after a tough road trip to get back on the winning side of things. The Lady Mustangs posted a .284 hitting percentage with 46 kills and held UTPB to a .156 percentage, including a -.028 effort in the first set. WNMU's best hitting set came in the second ripping off a .412 percentage, that was also the big set for the Falcons as they countered with a .344 percentage. UTPB matched WNMU with seven blocks and WNMU held advantages in service aces (4-2), assists (45-35) and digs (43-39).

Junior Kelli McGhiey (Pearl City, HI/Sacred Hearts Academy ) had a big night going for a game-high 13 kills, while junior Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ) and freshman Hannah Tishlarich (Elk Grove, CA/Pleasant Grove) added nine apiece, with Tishlarich hitting .500. Junior Ashley Mataele (Laie, HI/Kahuku) came away with 16 digs and senior Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) had five blocks, with one coming solo.

WNMU took over early on in the first set, as they trailed 4-3 and then went on a 7-0 spurt. McGhiey, Mataele, Verrill and Tishlarich contributed points during the run to push the Lady Mustangs to the 10-4 lead. The lead stretched to 11 at 21-10 on a double-block from Rich and Mcghiey and later, after a 4-0 run by the Falcons, a service error and attack error gave WNMU the 25-17 set win.

The second looked to be starting as a runaway for WNMU, as they bolted out to a 5-1 lead with Rich and Verrill tallying points. UTPB fought back to tie and it would be a one or two point slight lead throughout most of the set until Verrill, Mataele and Tishlarich claimed points to break open an 18-all tie and give WNMU the 21-18 lead. Ahead 23-20 on a kill by Tishlarich, UTPB refused to go away coming back with the next three points to knot the set at 23 forcing WNMU to use a timeout. Out of the break, the Lady Mustangs regrouped and sealed the deal with a kill from McGhiey and a service ace by redshirt junior Taimane Passi (Honolulu, HI/Iolani) to take the set at 25-23.

The third was tight from the start, as WNMU took back the lead at 9-7 with points from freshman Cristal Carrizoza (Phoenix, AZ/North), junior Samantha Haupeakui (San Mateo, CA/Aragon), Rich and a service ace by Mataele. The lead stretched to three a pair of times before junior Morgan Lyneis (Victorville, CA/Apple Valley) delivered a kill to move WNMU in front by four at 17-13. WNMU would hold onto the lead the rest of the way, but not despite several strong efforts from the Falcons as they got as close as three a couple of times, with the last coming at 24-21 when McGhiey came through with the clinching kill for the 25-21 set win and match victory.

Outside of the big offensive nights from McGhiey, Verrill and Tishlarich, Carrizoza and junior Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.) each dished out 19 assists. Verrill added three blocks.

Kaitlyn Embrey paced UTPB with 11 kills and hit .409, while Mallory Nicholson had 28 assists and both Nicholson and Margje Damstra tallied four blocks apiece.

WNMU will remain home this week as they will host Texas A&M-Kingsville Friday night at 6 p.m. The Javelinas are currently tied for third in the LSC standings with West Texas A&M at 7-3.