SILVER CITY, N.M. — Western Western New Mexico Volleyball faced a challenging day at the first annual Mustang Invitational, splitting their matches with Sul Ross St. and Fort Lewis College. In a thrilling five-set encounter against Sul Ross State, the Mustangs fell short 25-22, 25-22, 15-25, 16-25, 15-11, but rallied to secure a victory over Fort Lewis in another five-set thriller, winning 25-22, 23-25, 15-25, 25-23, 16-14.

In the match against Sul Ross State, the Mustangs struggled initially, with the visiting team taking the first two sets. The opening set saw Sul Ross capitalize on several attack errors by WNMU, taking a 25-22 victory. Despite a strong start from the Mustangs in the second set with a 3-0 run, they couldn't maintain the momentum, eventually losing 25-22 again.

 However, WNMU roared back in the third set, winning 25-15, buoyed by three consecutive kills from Ava Frezza and Salgado, and a dominating performance leading to a decisive win. The fourth set mirrored this success, with the Mustangs taking it 25-16 through a six-point run. The decisive fifth set, however, saw Sul Ross regain control, winning 15-11 to take the match.

For the match against Fort Lewis, WNMU began strongly, taking the first set 25-22, with crucial contributions from Kaitlyn Salgado and Brynlee Barris. However, they faltered in the second set, losing 25-23 due to attack errors that allowed Fort Lewis to capitalize. 

The third set was dominated by the Skyhawks, who secured a 25-15 victory, leveraging WNMU's continued struggles. The Mustangs fought back in the fourth set, clinching a 25-23 win through solid offensive pressure and capitalizing on Fort Lewis errors. In a nail-biting fifth set, WNMU edged Fort Lewis 16-14, with critical performances from Ava Frezza and Posthumus.

Against Sul Ross State, Posthumus led the Mustangs with 12 kills on 20 attempts, hitting a .600 percentage, and added four blocks. Salgado was a key offensive contributor, posting 18 kills with a hitting percentage of .405. Haggard facilitated the offense with 28 assists while also recording nine digs and a solo block. Mikelle McAfee contributed defensively with 23 digs over five sets.

In the match against Fort Lewis, Posthumus posted 13 kills and contributed three blocks, totaling 15.5 points. Barris added 11 kills and four blocks, amassing 15.0 points. McAfee recorded 18 digs across the games, showcasing her defensive capabilities, while Haggard delivered 35 assists, providing crucial setups for the offensive plays.

Western New Mexico holds a 1-1 record in the Mustang Invitational and is set to face in-state rivals New Mexico Highlands at 2:00pm and Eastern New Mexico at 7:00pm.