Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CANYON, Texas – The New Mexico Highlands women's volleyball team finished the weekend on a high note when it knocked off inter-state rival Eastern New Mexico in four sets, 25-21, 20-25, 25-13, 25-20. This followed a straight-set loss to Truman State, 25-13, 25-20, 25-18.
Senior
Alicia Moreno had a career day with 22 kills and 21 digs, saving the best for last with 17 kills and 13 digs for the double-double against Eastern New Mexico. In fact, Moreno only hit a single error on 34 attempts for a .471 hitting percentage. Sophomore
Andrea Nunez contributed 17 kills and 10 digs for the day.
Senior
Jessica Piper chipped in a team-high 27 digs.
Set one saw the Cowgirls rally from a six-point deficit early to take the first frame. Down 20-19, Moreno tied it up with a swing on a set from freshman
Shayli Schulz. Schulz finished the match with a season-best 36 assists. Moreno put the Cowgirls up in the set for the first time since early in the frame with an ace. Two errors and another kill by Moreno put the Cowgirls on set point. Both teams sided out and the Cowgirls took set one by four.
A 10-2 run by the Zias to end set two tied up the match.
Highlands held a slim 8-7 lead in the third before a Moreno service rally pushed the lead to 15-7. Moreno put herself on serve before freshman
Tianna Matthews opened up a three-point lead. Matthews, Nunez and Mathews added kills and Moreno hit another ace to cap the run. After two points by the Zias, an 8-1 run pushed the lead to double-digits.
If it was not bad enough for the Zias that Highlands hit .308 in the fourth, the Zias hit negative.
Eastern New Mexico hit negative in the fourth set – and .074 for the match – as Highlands completed the win in four.
In the first match of the day, Highlands hit negative in the first set and could not recover, hitting only .035 for the match, in a straight-set loss to Truman State. Both teams used a balanced attack as neither team had a player with more than six kills.
The volleyball team returns to action next weekend with a quintet of matches in Oklahoma beginning on Thursday (Sept. 11).
