LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Western NM swept Northwestern Okla. 3-0 on Saturday, winning 25-17, 25-17, 25-15. Western NM finished with 44 kills and a .327 hitting percentage, compared with 23 kills and a .057 percentage for Northwestern Okla.
Western NM broke open a 16-16 set by winning seven consecutive rallies, with Brynlee Barris starting the stretch with a kill and then serving six straight points to make it 23-16.
Daphne Posthumus (Lelystad, Netherlands/CCNV Harderwijk (Netherlands)) added two kills and a block during that run, while Barris also had a service ace.
Jade Rampton (Nelson, New Zealand/Shanghai American School) moved Western NM to 24-17 with a kill before Posthumus closed the 25-17 set win.
Western NM turned the second set with seven consecutive points after trailing 12-10, including six straight service points with
Mikelle McAfee (Casa Grande, AZ/Casa Grande Union High School.) serving, to go ahead 17-12. The stretch included a Rampton kill from
Hannah Haggard (Tucson, AZ/Tanque Verde High School), a
Jayden Hughes (High Rolls, NM/Cloudcroft High School) block and a Barris kill from Hughes. Western NM later reached set point at 24-16 and closed the set 25-17 on a Posthumus kill from Haggard.
Western NM erased a 9-8 Northwestern Okla. edge with four straight points, getting a Hailey Meeks kill, back-to-back Isabella Brewer kills and a Posthumus kill to go ahead 12-9. The visitors later added points on
Savanna Haefs' (Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista High School) serve from 20-14 to 24-14, including a Haefs ace, a Rampton kill, a Barris block and another Meeks kill. After Northwestern Okla. stopped that stretch,
McKenna Alvarez-Mittelsted (Katy, TX/Cinco Ranch HS) finished the set with a kill from Haefs to give Western NM a 25-15 third-set win.
Posthumus led Western NM with 12 kills on 18 attacks, hit .667 and added three blocks. Haefs recorded 18 assists, two service aces and four digs. McAfee collected 10 digs and added two assists. Meeks converted both of her attacks for two kills and a 1.000 hitting percentage.
Western NM is 5-3 overall.
Up next, Western New Mexico University volleyball team hosts Adams State University on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. MT at Drag's Court in Silver City, New Mexico.
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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 (X, TikTok & Instagram).
