DENTON, Texas – After dropping a close first set, the Western New Mexico University volleyball team came back to win the second and were close the rest of the way to taking the other two sets before Texas Woman's University claimed the 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 20-25, 22-25) Lone Star Conference win Saturday afternoon.

WNMU (16-12, 8-9 LSC) hit a solid .229 with 50 kills, but TWU (9-18, 5-13 LSC) answered with a .225 percentage and 56 kills. TWU also held the edge in service aces (7-5), assists (52-48) and digs (66-65). The Lady Mustangs continue to hold the edge in blocking like they do most matches at 8-6.

Junior Samantha Haupeakui (San Mateo, CA/Aragon) did all she could to lead the way for WNMU with 12 kills to just one error in 27 swings for a .407 hitting percentage. She also added six digs and three blocks. Junior Kalie Lyle (Phoenix, AZ/Sandra Day O' Connor ) added 11 kills, senior Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) tallied six blocks, with one coming solo, while Junior Kelli McGhiey (Pearl City, HI/Sacred Hearts Academy ) recorded 10 kills and 11 digs. Freshman Cristal Carrizoza (Phoenix, AZ/North) led the way in assists with 26 and junior Ashley Mataele (Laie, HI/Kahuku) collected 20 digs.

The Lady Mustangs had a tough time stopping Sara Oxford as the senior got loose for 19 kills and hit .395, along with adding 14 digs. She continues to be one of the top offensive threats in the conference.

At first glance it looked like the first set was close, but WNMU took charge early racing out to a 10-3 lead. Haupeakui, juniors Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ), Lyle and Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.) all posted points during a 6-0 run that broke open a 4-3 early lead. The lead remained around eight, even until the 26^th point of the set when Haupeakui put down another kill at 17-9. After that, Texas Woman's came back out of nowhere. The Pioneers went on a 11-3 run to suddenly even the set at 20. Rich pushed WNMU back in front with a kill on the next point, just to watch TWU rip off the next three points for a 23-21 lead. Out of a WNMU timeout, the Lady Mustangs regrouped to tie the set at 23 with a double-blocks by Haupeakui and Rich and then Rich and Lyle. The Pioneers went back in front with a kill by Anna McGee and then a service ace by Mary Kate Hyde won the set for TWU at 25-23.

The Pioneers rode the momentum from their comeback win in the first set to take several leads in the second set when WNMU got things going down 9-7. McGhiey posted a kill to start a 5-0 run to move WNMU in front for the first time in the set. McGhiey, Mataele and Haupeakui all added points during the run for the 12-9 lead. The lead stretched to four at 16-12 and just like the first set, the Pioneers came charging back with a 4-0 run to tie the set at 16. Following a service error and kill by Lyle gave WNMU a two-point lead, Lyle took charge with three of the next four points to push WNMU to a 22-17 lead. Holding a 23-20 lead, Haupeakui delivered a kill and then teamed with Rich for a block for the set win at 25-20 to even the match at one.

The third set had both teams holding small leads before the Pioneers broke it open at 11-9 with a 4-0 run to expand the lead to 15-9. WNMU didn't go away, as Haupeakui tallied a kill and then a service ace by junior Morgan Lyneis (Victorville, CA/Apple Valley) trimmed the deficit back to three at 23-20. A service error by the Lady Mustangs and kill by Oxford gave TWU the 25-20 third set win and 2-1 match lead.

WNMU controlled play early on in the fourth set and had the lead up to four at 15-11 following a kill by Haupeakui and error by the Pioneers. A Lyneis kill kept the advantage at four when the Pioneers moved in front on a 5-0 run to take the 17-16 advantage. WNMU fought back to tie the set numerous times, with the last coming at 21. TWU scored four of the next five points to claim the set at 25-22 and the match, 3-1.

With the matches completed through Saturday, WNMU is in seventh in the conference standings, one back of West Texas A&M for sixth and three and a half clear of Texas Woman's in eighth. The Lady Mustangs have already clinched a spot in the conference tournament that will be hosted by top-seed Angelo State as they are 17-1 in the conference this season. Tarleton State is second (14-4), Texas A&M-Kingsville and Texas A&M-Commerce both tied for third at 12-6 and Eastern New Mexico is fifth (11-6).

WNMU returns home for the final three matches of the regular season starting with Eastern New Mexico on Tuesday night starting at 6 p.m. inside Drag's Court. The Greyhounds were swept by Texas A&M-Commerce earlier on Saturday.