Box Score LAS VEGAS, N.M. – New Mexico Highlands volleyball (4-8, 0-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) lost in straight sets to Colorado Christian (8-4, 2-1 RMAC) 25-15, 25-16, 25-21 Saturday night (Sept. 20) at the Wilson Complex.
Senior
Jessica Piper turned in one of her best games of the season with 17 digs and even a kill. Senior
Alicia Moreno recorded a team-best eight kills while freshmen
Talise Babbitt and
Shayli Schulz each had 11 assists.
Taylor Sturns paced the visitors with 13 digs and 11 kills. Jordan Kessler also tallied the double-double with 31 assists and 10 digs.
Twice in the first set, Colorado Christian went on 4-0 mini-runs to build the lead to as much as 11. The Cougars helped out Highlands with five service errors in the set, but the Cowgirls could not take advantage in the 10-point loss. The Cougars hit better than .400 for the set while Highlands hit negative.
The Cowgirls trailed by as much as 10 in the second set before falling by nine. Highlands again hit negative compared to .222 for the Cougars.
Highlands fell behind as much as eight at 21-13 in the third set, but the Cowgirls made Colorado Christian sweat. Down by eight, Schulz got a kill and Moreno recorded a pair of kills. After a service ace from Babbitt, the Cougars called a timeout. After a Highlands service error, an ace and a setting error put Colorado Christian on set point. Again, Highlands responded with four unanswered. Moreno had a kill followed by an assisted block by Schulz and freshman
Tianna Matthews. The Cougars followed with an error and then Highlands tallied another block from the duo of Matthews and Schulz.
After another Colorado Christian timeout, a service error ended the match as the visitors won the finale by four.
The Cowgirls return to action next Saturday is Spearfish, South Dakota, against Black Hills State. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
