Wichita Falls, Texas. -Â The 2024 Volleyball season was officially underway for the Western New Mexico Mustangs. They would kick off the start of the season with a total of four matches at the Midwestern State Invitational in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Mustangs would battle tough early with each of the sets but would ultimately fall 0-3 against Adams State.
"This morning was a lesson in playing nervous," said Mustangs Head Coach,
Geno Frugoli. "Adams State did a good job bouncing back from a bad performance last night and things were a little too new for us. Hopefully that gets turned around quickly tonight."
Adams State:
Jazmyne Walker (Las Vegas, NV/Legacy HS) and
Carley Deck (Tucson, AZ/Tanque Verde HS) would lead the offense for the Mustangs with eight kills.
Ava Wadley (Wichita, KS/) would spread the ball around the court nicely with 14 assists. Three different Mustangs would record an ace.
The back row of the Mustangs had a busy game as
Lilouann Bechec (Cannes, France/) would record 20 digs on the court.
Jade Rampton (Nelson, New Zealand/) had one solo block, while
Maria Osorio (Pereira, Colombia/Calasanz) protected the net valiantly with two block assists.Â
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Set 1
The Mustangs and Grizzlies started things out by trading points, being all tied at 16s. Adams State would deploy a 3-0 run after that causing them to never look back, taking the set 25-20.
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Grizzlies 1, Mustangs 0.
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Set 2
In set two, the Grizzlies jumped out quickly to a 13-6 advantage. The Grizzlies would keep their lead to finish off the Mustangs 25-15.Â
Grizzlies 2, Mustangs 0.
Set 3Â
For set number three the Mustangs started off stronger with a 17-14 lead. The Grizzlies would come back battling towards the end and finish off the game against the Mustangs 25-22.
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Grizzlies 3, Mustangs 0.
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Drury:
Jazmyne Walker (Las Vegas, NV/Legacy HS) would be the Mustangs leader on offense with 14 kills.
Eimaya Medina (Las Cruces, NM/) would spread the ball around the court with 35 assists.
Chase Kallevig (Louisburg, KS/Louisburg High School) leads our service round with seven aces. Â
The back row for the Mustangs had
Lilouann Bechec (Cannes, France/) staying the leader with 26 digs.
Jade Rampton (Nelson, New Zealand/) leads single blocks with two, while
Carley Deck (Tucson, AZ/Tanque Verde HS) and Jéssica Sales gain four block assists each.
Set 1
Set one would start with the Mustangs staying head to head with the Panthers all the way till the end, making them go into extra points. Ultimately, the Panthers pull through in the end ending the set with 26-24.Â
Panthers 1, Mustangs 0.
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Set 2
The Mustangs would continue to push and gain a small lead in the beginning. The set continues to go back and forth of who is in the lead. Gaining a small victory for the Mustangs with a score of 25-23.
Panthers 1, Mustangs 1.
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Set 3
In set number three, the Panthers will find themselves starting off the set ahead. After 3-3, the Mustangs gain a four point run 7-3. The Mustangs will continue to stay in front until 15-15 when they become tied. The Panthers then gain their momentum and stay in the lead until the end of the set winning 25-23.
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Panthers 2, Mustangs 1.
Set 4
In set number 4, the Mustangs will gain a 3-0 lead and continue to stay in the lead little by little gaining a strong momentum. Shutting down the Panthers at 14 points, the Mustangs will win the set at 25-14.
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Panthers 2, Mustangs 2.
Set 5
For the final set, the Mustangs will continue to fight and keep the momentum giving them a five point lead 5-0. Like the last set, the Mustangs stay in the lead through the whole set and ending the game with a big win of 15-11.
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Panthers 2, Mustangs 3.
"It was great to see the resilience of this group and to see our players come up big when it counted while relying on our veterans," said Mustangs Head Coach
Geno Frugoli after the win. "This is one to build on."
The Mustangs will finish the Midwestern State Invitational tomorrow with match ups against Southern Arkansas (8AM MT) and Northwestern Oklahoma State (2PM MT).
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This game recap is presented by First American Bank. First American Bank is a proud supporter of WNMU Athletics! Â
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Western New Mexico University is a member of the NCAA Division II, and the Lone Star Conference (LSC). For additional information regarding Mustang Athletics, visit www.wnmumustangs.com; visit wnmu.edu for more information about Western New Mexico University. Follow the Mustangs on social media: @WNMUathletics (Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube & Instagram).
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