CHADRON, Neb. -- Oct. 19, 2016 -- Chadron State College volleyball heads south this weekend for the first half of a four-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference road stretch. They travel to New Mexico to battle Highlands University on Friday at 7 p.m., then cross Raton Pass for a 7 p.m. showdown with CSU-Pueblo.

The Eagles (5-14, 4-6 RMAC) are two matches ahead of NMHU (5-10, 2-8 RMAC) in the conference standings. The Cowgirls have lost their last six straight, but took three of those matches to a fifth set, and stole three sets from league leader MSU Denver in two October contests. They have only been shut out twice this year, on the road both times at Colorado Christian and Colorado Mesa. They have only played four matches at home so far, going 2-2 in those matches with a 9-6 advantage in sets won.

CSU-Pueblo leads CSC by one match with an even .500 in league play. They enter the weekend on a two-game slide after dropping home matches to both UCCS and MSU Denver. They have gone 3-0 in conference play when their matches have gone to five sets, but lost two five-set thrillers in non-conference. The Thunderwolves own two wins over RMAC member Western State, who defeated Chadron State here in Chadron earlier in the season. CSUP is led by senior outside hitter Mariangel Perez, a preseason all-conference selection. The team is 4-2 when Perez hits .200 or better in a match.

CSU-Pueblo is currently tied with Western State for the eighth-place spot in the conference. The top eight teams qualify for the RMAC Tournament in November.