LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Cowgirls celebrated senior night on Saturday (Nov. 1), but it was the Skyhawks who claimed the victory as the New Mexico Highlands volleyball team (10-16, 5-11 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) lost to Fort Lewis (7-17, 4-12 RMAC) 25-23, 29-27, 21-15, 25-22 at the Wilson Complex.
The Cowgirls lost the first two sets by a pair of points, but they came back after the intermission to extend the match. Tied at 14, Highlands scored five unanswered to take control of the set. Freshman
Katie Trammel put the Cowgirls up for good with a kill before classmate
Tianna Matthews cleaned up an overpass. A Fort Lewis attack error led to a visitor's timeout. The break did not deter Highlands as a Fort Lewis error and the only ace of the match by freshman
Riley Smith put the home team up five.
Fort Lewis pulled within 22-20 in the set, but a Highlands timeout saw senior
Alicia Moreno stop the bleeding with a kill and a Fort Lewis error forced set point. Both teams sided out and the match went to the fourth.
Set four looked all Fort Lewis until the Cowgirls put a solid comeback together. The Skyhawks built a 19-10 lead before Highlands climbed back to within one. Freshman
Kristin Woody, who finished with 11 kills, started a mini service run for freshman
Lexis Satele. A Fort Lewis error and a Moreno kill cut the deficit to three. After both teams traded a pair of sideouts, seniors
Elizabeth Gomez and Moreno wrapped a pair of kills around a Fort Lewis error to cut the deficit to three. Both teams sided out and on Moreno's serve, the Cowgirls cut the deficit to one on a pair of Fort Lewis errors. The Skyhawks' Ashley Wells, who led the team in both kills (18) and digs (20), stopped the bleeding with a kill. Heather Danny then hit a service ace to put the visitors on match point. Both teams sided out as Fort Lewis took the match.
Moreno had saved the best for senior night as she had a career-best 24 kills and 12 digs to complete the double-doubler. However, she got help by senior
Jessica Piper's 11 digs and classmate
Elizabeth Gomez's six kills.
Tied a 21 in the first set, the Skyhawks' Wells put the visitors up two. Moreno and a wall from Matthews, Woody and freshman
Shayli Schulz retied the set. Stephanie Sonka put Fort Lewis on set point with a kill before a Woody attack error gave the Skyhawks set one.
Set two went back and forth as both teams were on set point in extra time. However, with Highlands leading 27-26, Woody hit a pair of errors to put the visitors back on set point. A kill from Ciara Krenning put the Skyhawks in the early lead.
Both teams fought neck-and-neck before the Cowgirls fell fort. Highlands had 64 kills, 58 assists and eight blocks while the visitors countered with 59 kills and 58 assists. Fort Lewis outhit Highlands .272 to .179.
The Cowgirls finish their home play Tuesday (Nov. 4) when they host rival Easter New M
