Falling down two sets in their first match against Angelo State University, the Western New Mexico University volleyball team refused to go away. They fought back to force a decisive fifth set before falling, 3-2 (21-25, 15-25, 25-23, 25-19, 11-15). In the second match against Tarleton State University, the Lady Mustangs fell in three sets (25-27, 22-25, 23-25) as they wrapped up the Angelo State University Invitational Saturday.
WNMU (2-2) looked poised to claim the first set against Angelo State, a team currently receiving votes in the AVCA Poll. Leeta Grap began her string of kills posting a pair back-to-back to move WNMU ahead 14-9. Grap would go on to record a match-high 25 kills in the contest. Morgan Lyneis had WNMU back in front, 20-19, but that would be the last lead of the set. The Belles would close the set on a 6-1 run to take the opening set, 25-21.
The second set was close through the early portions of the set, with WNMU holding a 10-9 lead on a kill by Aspen Luna. After a spurt by ASU, Grap would get WNMU back to within one at 14-13, when the Belles went on an 11-2 run to win the second set, 25-15 and hold a 2-0 match lead.
The Lady Mustangs refused to go away. A string of ASU attack errors had WNMU in front, 9-5. Another set of attack errors and a kill by Grap pushed WNMU ahead 13-10. Despite the Belles coming back to take a few leads down the stretch, the Lady Mustangs kept answering. Down 22-21, Grap tied it with a kill, Shannon Rich and Sheila Menezes combined for a double-block and then an attack error pushed WNMU to set point at 24-22. ASU tallied the next point, but it wouldn’t be enough to slow down the Lady Mustangs’ momentum with Menezes closing the set with a kill off an assists by Melanie Hughes for the 25-23 set win.
The fourth set again had WNMU ahead early at 13-9 on a kill by Grap. Following a tie at 16, a service error and kill by Heather Verrill had WNMU in control the rest of the set. Ahead 21-19 after an ASU point, WNMU would step on the gas not allowing another point closing the set on a 4-0 run for the 25-19 fourth set win. During the final run Grap recorded a kill and a double-block by Rich and Menezes happened before a pair of attack errors sealed the set.
The decisive fifth set started well for the Lady Mustangs as they enjoyed a 4-1 lead on kills by Rich and Grap. The Belles fought back to tie at six and then move in front 12-6 following a 7-0 run that began when they trailed 5-6. A pair of Rich kills helped get WNMU back to within three at 14-11, but that would be as close as they would get with the Belles taking the 15-11 hard-fought victory.
Grap accounted for 25 of WNMU’s 61 kills as she hit .303. Verrill was also in double-figures with 10 kills. Hughes dished out 46 of the team’s 58 assists, while on defense Ashley Mataele had a team-high 26 digs. Grap added 20 and Hughes with 15. Rich led in blocks with three, as WNMU had five as a squad.
Brianna Sotello led ASU with 17 kills and also added 17 digs. They posted 62 kills and seven blocks while improving to 3-0.
In the second and final match of the weekend, WNMU went up against another future Lone Star Conference opponent in Tarleton State. The Texanns were also receiving votes in the latest AVCA Poll.
Although the Lady Mustangs went down in three sets, it was anything but easy for Tarleton State with each set coming down to the wire. WNMU quickly erased an early 6-2 deficit in the first set coming back to tie at nine on an attack error. Rich helped push WNMU in front with a pair of kills for the 13-11 advantage. Following a double-block by Rich and Hughes to tie the set at 20, the teams would tie five more times down the stretch with the Texanns holding the lead each time out of the ties. The final tie came at 25 before a pair of kills from Hailey Roberts gave Tarleton State the 27-25 first set win.
The second set had a similar feel to it with WNMU erasing an early four-point deficit to come back and take the lead at 11-10 on a kill by Verrill. Verrill then combined with Grap to post back-to-back kills to boost the Lady Mustangs in front, 15-13. TSU answered back to take the lead and held it all the way until WNMU tied the match at 19 and again at 21 on a kill by Grap. But, the Texanns closed the set on a 4-1 run to take the second set, 25-22.
WNMU held several leads early on in the third set, opening an 11-9 advantage on a kill by Grap. A run would follow by TSU, just to watch WNMU respond coming back to tie at 19. Verrill had the Lady Mustangs in front at 20-19 and Grap again had the lead in favor of WNMU at 21-20, but that would be the last lead of the night for WNMU. The Texanns came back with a 5-2 run to take the third set, 25-23 and the match, 3-0.
Grap once again posted double-digits in kills with 14, while hitting .290 as WNMU had 40 kills. Hughes had 38 of the team’s 39 assists, while Chyler Imai led in digs with 11. Grap and Mataele added 10 digs apiece as the team tallied 47. Rich and Menezes posted four block assists each, as the team posted six.
WNMU will remain on the road this coming Friday and Saturday when they will compete in the Coyote Classic that will take place in San Bernardino, Calif.