COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Cowgirls put together valiant rallies in the first and second sets, but the Mountain Lions were able to remain in control as New Mexico Highlands volleyball (5-10, 1-5 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) lost to UC-Colorado Springs in straight sets, 25-20, 25-23, 25-18, Saturday night (Sept. 27).
The Cowgirls trailed 21-14 in the first set before scoring six unanswered to pull within one. Sophomore
Andrea Nunez recorded the kill to put freshman
Shayli Schulz on serve. Senior
Alicia Moreno and freshman
Katie Trammel teamed up for an assisted block to cut the deficit to five. Schulz then snuck in a serve that hit the net, flustering a Mountain Lions serve-receive game that gave up a pair of aces. Moreno finished the six-unanswered run with a kill, but the home team answered with the next four to close out the set.
Set two saw a similar theme as UC-Colorado Springs went up 20-16, but the Cowgirls again pulled within one. Trammel and Nunez got kills and senior
Jessica Piper tallied the ace. The home team then put themselves on set point at 24-21 on a Cowgirls error, but Nunez recorded a kills and freshman
Tianna Matthews recorded a solo rejection to repel a pair of points. However, Celeste Henderson and Kim Catlett saved the set for the Mountain Lions with an assisted block.
Out of the intermission, the Cowgirls could not rally in a seven-point set loss. UC-Colorado Springs outhit the Cowgirls .258-.167 in the set, but Highlands had 14 kills to 13 for the home team. However, Highlands committed 10 attack errors.
How the Cowgirls controlled Chadron State last night was how the home team won on Saturday as UC-Colorado Springs outblocked Highlands, 11-4.
The Cowgirls will be face a change of schedule as Western New Mexico will come to the Wilson Complex on Tuesday (Sept. 30) at 6 p.m.
