The road trip is off to a good start for the Western New Mexico University volleyball team as they opened their three-match road swing with a solid 3-0 (25-12, 25-20, 25-23) Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory over New Mexico Highlands University Tuesday evening.
WNMU (8-3, 3-0 RMAC) dominated the opening set on their way to beginning the conference slate 3-0. Shannon Rich (Folsom, CA/Folsom) ignited the early run with a pair of kills and the Lady Mustangs never looked back. NMHU (3-6, 1-2 RMAC) got back to within one at 5-4 and that would be as close as they would get the rest of the set. A service error followed and then a solo block byHeather Verrill (Barstow, CA/Barstow ), an attack error, service ace from Sheila Menezes (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Prof. Antonio Ablas Filho) had the lead at five, 9-4. The lead grew to 11 at 19-8 on a kill by Verrill and then she helped put WNMU on the brink of the set with another kill before a NMHU error gave WNMU the 25-12 set win.
The Cowgirls responded early in the second set holding several leads before WNMU worked their way back into the set. Leeta Grap (Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) collected a pair of kills to break open a 10-all tie to push WNMU in front. The Cowgirls rallied for one last run to knot the set again at 16 when an error, bad set and kill by Verrill gave WNMU a 19-16 lead they wouldn't relinquish. Grap and Rich combined for a pair of kills to close the set with WNMU taking it, 25-20.
Similar to the second set, NMHU started strong, only this time opening a pretty good lead at 13-7. Still trailing, 18-16, WNMU began to make their move with Grap posting three straight kills and after Rich added a kill, Grap made it four kills in five points to give WNMU a 5-0 run and 21-18 lead. Rich had the Lady Mustangs one point away at 24-21 when the Cowgirls reeled off the next two points before Menezes ended the set and the match with a kill at 25-23.
WNMU hit a strong .317 (44-12-101), while holding NMHU to a .162 attack percentage (36-18-111). WNMU held the edge in digs (45-42) and neither team had many blocks with the Lady Mustangs tallying three to two for the Cowgirls.
Grap and Rich powered the offensive attack with Grap recording 15 kills and a .323 hitting percentage, while Rich had 12 kills and a .556 hitting percentage. Melanie Hughes (Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King Jr.) had 21 assists, whileChyler Imai (Kapaau, HI/Kohala) added 12. On defense, Grap had 12 digs and Ashley Mataele (Laie, HI/Kahuku) with nine and in terms of blocks, Rich had two, with one solo and Verrill added a solo block.
Caroline Hansen led NMHU with 11 kills and 15 digs.
WNMU will continue their road swing this Friday night at 7 p.m. against South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.