Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 DURANT Okla. – The day started promising as the Cowgirls won the first set, but they lost the next six sets of the day as the New Mexico Highlands volleyball team (4-5) fell in four sets to Southern Nazarene (5-2) 19-25, 25-20, 25-23 before being swept in the afternoon by Central Oklahoma (8-0) 25-20, 25-18, 25-21.
Senior
Alicia Moreno and freshman
Tianna Matthews led the Cowgirls with 16 kills on the day while senior
Jessica Piper added 26 digs. Sophomore
Tarissa Mellin (23), freshman
Shayli Schulz (19) and sophomore
Riley Smith (16) all had double-digit assists.
Holding a slim 15-14 lead in set one, an attack error by Southern Nazarene put Mellin on serve. A kill by freshman
Miranda Hoffman and another error put the Cowgirls up by four. Highlands never led by less than three the rest of the set.
Set two was tied at 17 before the Crimson Storm scored three straight to take control. Taylor Jacobs, who led all hitters with 13 kills, started things with a kill. Two more errors put Southern Nazarene up by three. The Crimson Storm hit .000 in the third set, but the Cowgirls hit negative .150 as Southern Nazarene took the 2-1 lead.
Both teams went back and forth in the fourth set with both teams siding out 12 straight points in the middle of the frame. Down 17-16, Moreno – who narrowly missed a double-double with 17 kills and nine digs – put Highlands on serve with a kill. Two Crimson Storm errors and a freshman
Katie Trammel kill put the Cowgirls up 20-17. After a 5-2 run by the Crimson Storm, two Highlands errors gave Southern Nazarene two set points. Two side outs later, Southern Nazarene claimed the 3-1 win.
In match two, Central Oklahoma hit .300 in a straight-set win. Piper led the Cowgirls with eight digs while Moreno had seven kills.
Highlands plays its home and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener Thursday (Sept. 18) when it welcomes Metro State. Match time is 7 p.m.
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