Gunnison, Colorado - New Mexico Highlands dropped a three-set decision to Western Colorado Friday night at Paul Wright Gymnasium, falling 25-18, 25-15 and 25-16 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference volleyball action.

The Cowgirls struggled to find consistency offensively, finishing with 26 kills and a .056 hitting percentage, while the Mountaineers recorded 44 kills and hit .284 for the match.

Elise Fourt, Duda Carvalho and Ava Kincaid shared the team lead with five kills apiece. Savannah Boatwright added four kills on 10 attempts without an error, finishing with a team-best .400 hitting percentage.

Defensively, Becca Wiersema led New Mexico Highlands with a match-high 21 digs, marking the seventh time in her Cowgirl career she has recorded 20 or more digs in a match. Lea Süsoy added 10 digs, while Camille Burton contributed 11 assists and three service aces as the Cowgirls held a 5-4 advantage in aces.

Western Colorado controlled play at the net, recording 10 team blocks compared to three for New Mexico Highlands.

With the loss, the Cowgirls fall to 3-17 overall and 1-8 in RMAC play, while Western Colorado improves to 8-11 and 3-6 in conference action.

New Mexico Highlands concludes its weekend road trip Saturday afternoon with a 3 p.m. match against Fort Lewis in Durango, Colorado.