LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Cowgirls won the first two sets with ease but had to scratch out a tough fourth set as New Mexico Highlands volleyball (9-12, 4-7 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) claimed a 25-19, 25-15, 24-26, 25-22 win over Western State (0-15, 0-11 RMAC) Friday night (Oct. 17).
With the Cowgirls trailing 22-20 in the fourth set, senior
Elizabeth Gomez notched a kill and freshman
Lexis Satele subbed in and immediately paid dividends with an ace to tie the score. Two Mountaineer attack errors and a kill from senior
Alicia Moreno gave the Cowgirls a three-point set win and the match.
Freshman
Kristin Woody hit .348 for the match with 13 kills and five errors on 23 attempts. Senior
Jessica Piper chipped in with 15 digs while freshman
Shayli Schulz contributed a tidy six kills with one error on 10 swings (.500 hitting percentage).
For the visitors, Amanda Maestas contributed a match-best 19 digs while Jordan Eatwell led a trio of Mountaineers with double-digit kills, finishing with 14 slams.
The first set was tight at the onset with the Cowgirls clinging to a 10-9 leads. Satale, who was a serving specialist all night, started a 10-1 run as Highlands opened a 10-point lead. Freshman
Katie Trammel gave the Cowgirls the serve and Satale subbed in. She preceded to see Highlands score five points on her serve, thanks to two Mountaineer errors, a duo of Woody kills and a Trammel-Moreno block.
After both teams sided out, Piper tallied both her service aces and an error by Western State ballooned the lead to 10. The Cowgirls had 11 aces in the match and outhit Western State .433-.375 in the set.
Holding a 20-15 lead in set two, it was Satale who again who flexed her serving muscle. Freshman
Talise Babbitt recorded the kill and Satale again subbed in. She did not leave the service line as the Cowboys scored in four different ways to go in the locker room a pair of sets. It started with a bad set by the Mountaineers before Satale got the ace. Gomez and Moreno teamed up for the block for set point.
Gomez closed the frame with a kill.
Set three saw a furious Cowgirls rally fall short. With Highlands down 23-19, an attack error put the home team on serve. This time it was Schulz stepping to the service line. An ace and an assisted block by Trammel-Babbitt brought the home team within two. Another Schulz service ace and a Western State attack error put Highlands on match point. However, a kill by Tori Gaherty, a solo block from Crystal Powell and an attack error by the Cowgirls sent the match to the fourth.
The Cowgirls complete the weekend Saturday night (Oct. 18) when they take on CSU-Pueblo. Match time is set for 7 p.m.
