Volleyball Opens 2017 Campaign at Oredigger Classic This Weekend

GOLDEN, Colo. – Following a strong 2016 season in which the Western New Mexico University volleyball team reached the Lone Star Conference tournament in their first year in the league, the Lady Mustangs will start year two in the LSC in 2017 by opening the season with a challenging four-match tournament at the Oredigger Classic this Friday and Saturday hosted by Colorado School of Mines.

WNMU went 16-16 last year and opened last year going 3-1 in San Diego as the Lady Mustangs came back from a tough 3-1 loss to Cal Baptist to defeat CSU Dominguez Hills, Chadron State and Point Loma. Following a setback to Concordia (CA), another 3-1 tournament followed in Salt Lake City with wins against Minot State, Texas A&M-International and host Westminster.

The conference slate started well with a pair of wins over Cameron and Midwestern State, both sweeps. Later in the LSC season victories came against UT Permian Basin (twice), Texas Woman's, Texas A&M-Commerce, Midwestern State again and a big win over West Texas A&M.

Senior Heather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow) looks to continue her strong play entering her final year as a Lady Mustang. In her move from middle blocker to right side, the consistency continued as she led the team in kills with 312 and points with 368.5. She ended up third in blocks with 100. Fellow seniors Kalie Lyle (Phoenix, AZ/Sandra Day O' Connor) and Kelli McGhiey (Pearl City, HI/Sacred Hearts Academy) also had over 100 kills with Lyle posting 179 and McGhiey with 141. Senior Ashley Mataele (Laie, HI/Kahuku) was the rock on the back row leading the team with 540 digs. Returning sophomore setters Cristal Carrizoza (Phoenix, AZ/North) (380) and Bailey Gin (Tucson, AZ/Tucson Magnet) (185) were second and third on the team respectively in assists. Sophomore middle blocker Hannah Tishlarich (Elk Grove, CA/Pleasant Grove) saw significant time trading off with last year's LSC Defensive Player of the Year Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) in the middle last year as Tishlarich sent back 64 blocks. Returners sophomores Erin Moss (Honolulu, HI/University Laboratory School), Kali Iago (Tucson, AZ/Cienega), Jaden Wright (Park City, UT/Park City), Kaitlyn Rutherford (Ridgway, CO/Ridgway Secondary) and Kealohi Hao (Waimanalo, HI/Kailua) all saw time last year and will be back in 2017.

Of the new players set to join the squad, Alanna Watt (Hague, Saskatchewan/Hague) will be a senior after spending time at Feather River College. The outside hitter originally from Hague, Saskatchewan, will look to provide power on the pins. Aspen Luna (Rota, Spain/Farragut) returns to the team after missing last year due to injury, while two other juniors will join her on the team in transfers Kijana Best (San Francisco, CA/Mercy) and Shayla Roby (El Paso, TX/Montwood). Best spent last year at the City College of San Francisco and piled up impressive numbers as an outside hitter. Roby is a defensive specialist that was a regular on the team at Ranger College. A pair of transfers also come from the same school in setter Sophia Mitchell (Katy, TX/Taylor) and middle blocker Christiana DuBose (Bowie, MD/Bowie), both arrive from the University of New Orleans. Both spent a year at UNO, with Mitchell playing last year and will be a sophomore, while DuBose redshirted and will be a redshirt freshman. The last transfer on the team will be middle blocker Deyzha Samuelu (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison) from Chadron State as she will be a redshirt sophomore.

Seven others are on the team as incoming freshmen in defensive specialist Adriana Leon (Sahuarita, AZ/Sahuarita), middle blocker Delaney Seitz (Hillsboro, OR/Century), outside hitter Selai Damuni (Pukalani, HI/Kamehameha), setter Naomi Dalley (Tonopah, AZ/Tonopah Valley), outside hitter Sarai Migao (Temecula, CA/Chaparral), outside hitter Rina-Jade Kalama (Maui, HI/King Kekaulike) and defensive specialist Ivoree Vailu'u (Buena Park, CA/Buena Park).

In the opening tournament at the Oredigger Classic, the Lady Mustangs will see three teams from the South Central Region in former Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foes Regis, Colorado Mesa and No. 19 Colorado School of Mines. WNMU will also go against No. 13 Wayne State out of Nebraska.

Regis went 18-12 last year and advanced to the South Central Regional where they went five sets before falling to Tarleton State. Kelsey Green returns after finishing second on the team in kills with 280. Kristina Schell led the team in digs with 428 a year ago and is back for her junior year. WNMU and Regis last played in 2015 with the Rangers taking both matches first with a 3-0 win in Silver City and then in the RMAC Tournament grabbing the 3-1 victory. The Lady Mustangs and Rangers will open the tournament on Friday at 9 a.m.

To close the day on Friday at 1 p.m. WNMU will go against Colorado Mesa. The Mavericks went 18-10 last year and also reached the South Central Regional in which they fell in a tough five-set battle to MSU Denver. Colorado Mesa played in the Oredigger Classic last year as after falling to nationally-ranked Wayne State and Nebraska-Kearney, they came back to down Dallas Baptist and Indianapolis. Top offensive player Mackenzie Edwards is back for her junior year after posting 398 kills a year ago. Junior defensive specialist Taylor Woods returns after leading the team in digs with 504, while top blocker Hattie Gianinetti is also back for her junior year after sending back 51 blocks. WNMU claimed the only meeting between the two teams in 2015 taking the 3-0 victory in Silver City.

Saturday's matchups will feature a pair of ranked opponents in No. 13 Wayne State and No. 19 Colorado School of Mines. The Lady Mustangs will face Wayne State first at 9 a.m. as the Wildcats play in the ultra-competitive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference that has national powerhouse Concordia St. Paul in the league. Last year, Wayne State went 24-8, including a 4-0 run through the Oredigger Classic. They reached the Central Regional last season falling to Southwest Minnesota State. Senior Erin Gross is the top offensive returner as she was third on the team in kills with 288. Setting the table, junior Megan Gebhardt is back after dishing out 1,673 assists. Sophomore defensive specialist Haley Kauth was second on the team with 480 digs, while Gross is also the team returner in terms of blocks tying for second with 86.

The tournament will conclude at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon against host Colorado School of Mines. The Orediggers went 25-7 a season ago and posted a 4-0 mark in the Oredigger Classic. They advanced to the second round of the South Central Regional falling to Angelo State 3-1. Senior Ellie Monarch is back after posting the second-most kills on the team with 354. Senior Marina Hansen led the team in assists with 1,114, while on defense, senior LaRose Currie was second on the team in digs with 336 and Monarch led the way in blocks with 102. WNMU and Colorado Mines met once during the 2015 season with the Orediggers claiming the 3-0 victory in Golden.

Live stats will be available for all four matches, with the matches against Regis, Wayne State and Colorado Mines using this link found here. While the match against Colorado Mesa will utilize this link found here. Live video will be available for the match against Colorado Mines and can be found here.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#10 Shannon Rich: MB; 6' 4"; Senior

#1 Cristal Carrizoza: S; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#8 Bailey Gin: S; 5' 2"; Sophomore

#88 Kali Iago: MB/OH; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#12 Kalie Lyle: OH; 5' 7"; Senior

#23 Ashley Mataele: DS; 5' 7"; Senior

#7 Kelli McGhiey: OH/MB; 6' 0"; Senior

#6 Erin Moss: OH/OPP; 5' 6"; Sophomore

Kaitlyn Rutherford: OH; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#4 Hannah Tishlarich: MB; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#10 Shannon Rich
: 6' 4"; Senior
: MB

#1 Cristal Carrizoza
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: S

#8 Bailey Gin
: 5' 2"; Sophomore
: S

#88 Kali Iago
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: MB/OH

#12 Kalie Lyle
: 5' 7"; Senior
: OH

#23 Ashley Mataele
: 5' 7"; Senior
: DS

#7 Kelli McGhiey
: 6' 0"; Senior
: OH/MB

#6 Erin Moss
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: OH/OPP

Kaitlyn Rutherford
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: OH

#4 Hannah Tishlarich
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: MB