LAS VEGAS, N.M. --- The New Mexico Highlands volleyball team dropped a home contest to UC Colorado Springs 3-0 (26-24, 26-24, 25-21) Saturday evening at Wilson Complex.
The Cowgirls (6-13 overall, 4-7 RMAC) jumped out to an early 7-2 lead in game one on the Mountain Lions (9-10, 7-4) thanks to a pair of kills by
Cynthia Norris and another by
Camryn Nelson. The lead grew to as much as seven for NMHU and the Cowgirls led 19-15 after a Nelson kill assisted by
Samantha Sjogren and 23-20 after a Norris kill assisted by
Celina Naranjo.
But UCCS rallied and went on a 6-1 run to capture the first game 26-24.
In the second game the Cowgirls fell behind 12-4 but slowly batted back, eventually using a 4-0 run powered by kills from Norris and
Tiffany Matchett to tie the game at 21-21. NMHU fell behind 24-21, but used its own 3-0 run thanks to a pair of kills from Norris and another by Nelson to tie it 24-24. But a pair of attack errors by NMHU handed the game to the Mountain Lions, 26-24.
Norris and Matchett paced the Cowgirls with 12 kills apiece with Matchett reaching a career milestone with her 1,000th collegiate kill in the match. Matchett also added 14 digs while
Trinity Saiz led the team with 17 digs. Naranjo led the Cowgirls with 26 assists while Sjogren added 13.
The Cowgirls return to action next Friday when they travel to take on MSU Denver and follow that up with a trip to Nebraska to take on Chadron State on Saturday.
