CHADRON Neb. – The Cowgirls shook off a five-set heartbreaking loss yesterday to claim a sweep Friday (Sept. 26) as the New Mexico Highlands volleyball team (5-9, 1-4 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) claimed a 25-22, 25-17, 25-22 over host Chadron State (3-10, 2-3 RMAC).
Highlands started slow in each set of the night – surrendering at least the first three points in every frame – but turned it on the middle of set one and two to sweep the first two frames. Down 14-11 in set one, the Cowgirls went on a 7-1 run to flip the score and put Highlands in the lead for good. Down three, senior
Alicia Moreno –who led the team with 12 digs – put herself on serve with a kill. Freshman
Shayli Schulz and sophomore
Andrea Nunez followed with attacks that found the floor to tie the match. Two assisted blocks by the team of freshman
Katie Trammel-Schulz put the Cowboys up for good. The Eagles sided out to pull within one, but two Chadron State errors put the Cowgirls up three.
Schulz put up a solid night with 15 assists, eight digs, six blocks and four kills.
The home team pulled within 20-19 in set one, but kills by Moreno, Nunez and Trammel put the Cowgirls up comfortably by four. Chadron State went on to repel two set points, but a Trammel kill ended the suspense and put the Cowgirls up a set. Chadron State hit a respectable .229 in the set, but Highlands countered with 14 kills and only three errors is a tidy 32 swings for a .344 hitting percentage.
Set two saw Chadron State again score the first three points, but Highlands countered with a 25-14 knockout to take a two-set lead into intermission. The Cowgirls trailed 6-4 before a Nunez kill, an Eagles error and an assisted block put the visitors up in the set. Tied at 10, Schulz got the kill before a freshman
Tianna Matthews ace put Highlands up two. Moreno followed with a kill of an overpass and Schulz recorded the solo block to put Highlands up four. Chadron State sandwiched five errors around a kill from Erika Roybal – who had a match best 13 kills – to end the frame as the Cowgirls won the set by eight.
Highlands put up a strong wall all game, out-blocking the Eagles 9-2. The three blocks per set was a season best for the Cowgirls this season.
Chadron State tallied the first four points in set three, but the Cowgirls responded with a 13-5 run to take the lead for good. The Eagles actually outhit the Cowgirls .114-.100, but Highlands took advantage of five aces and two Chadron State service errors.
Nunez paced Highlands with eight kills and nine digs.
Highlands concludes the weekend Saturday (Sept. 27) when it takes on UC-Colorado Springs at 5 p.m.
