LAS VEGAS, N.M. – New Mexico Highlands twice ended sets with 5-3 scoring runs to put away Chadron State, with the host Cowgirls defeating the Eagle volleyball program in straight sets – 25-22, 25-20, 25-22 – on Saturday afternoon at John A. Wilson Complex.
The result ends a winless four-match road trip for Chadron State (4-12, 1-5 RMAC), who will return home for a stretch of five matches out of their next six in the Chicoine Center beginning next Friday night. New Mexico Highlands (7-9, 2-4 RMAC) won their third consecutive match.
Gibson Beckler tallied a team-high eight kills for CSC, with Bella Adams just behind with seven on a .400 hitting percentage (one error in 15 attempts). Kally Kirkwood and Alejandra Briseno had five kills apiece, with Briseno setting a season high. Josie Loosvelt led the Eagles with nine digs.
Redshirt sophomore setter Cydnie Eskew made her Chadron State debut during the match, appearing in two sets. The Casper, Wyoming native impressed with a team-high nine assists plus two kills, three digs and a service ace.
It was setter-by-committee on the day for CSC. Freshman Jillian Donovan, who ranks second in the RMAC in assists per set and had started every match and played every set so far this season, left and did not return to the match early in the second set. Alongside Eskew, senior setter Rylee Ward played in all three sets (appearing in her fifth match this season) and recorded season highs in assists (six) and aces (two).
Chadron State scored the first three points of the match courtesy of kills from Kally Kirkwood, Gibson Beckler and Shelbi Hazlitt, but Highlands soon rallied with a 4-0 scoring run to take a 7-6 lead. Chadron State would lead by slim margins of 16-15 and 18-17 midway through the set, but the Cowgirls took the lead for good with a 3-0 run and earned three of the set's final four points on kills to take the opening frame 25-22.
New Mexico Highlands took that momentum into the second, racing out to a 7-1 lead. Chadron State was resilient, with an Eskew kill tying the score at 10-10, but Highlands took control by winning 10 of 11 points to turn a 12-12 tie into a 22-13 advantage. The Eagles tried to mount a second rally in the set, pulling within four points, but Jaylee Gonzalez finished off the set with a kill to end it 25-20 in NMHU's favor.
Highlands led 5-2 early in the third set after back-to-back aces from Abby Carlsen. Again, Chadron State rallied to climb back, with a service error, Rylee Ward ace and attack error by Highlands knotting the score at 12-12. But again, as soon as the Eagles found themselves within striking distance, the Cowgirls pulled away, immediately answering with a 6-2 run to go back up by four and closing out the match with an identical third set margin to the first set.
Arianna Jameson had a match-high 15 kills for NMHU. The Cowgirls had the advantage in kills (43-36), aces (8-4), blocks (8-2) and digs (51-41). Chadron State hit .186 for the match while the Cowgirls hit .265.
The Eagles will host No. 12 MSU Denver in the Chicoine Center next Friday night, followed by UCCS on Saturday. First serve for both matches will be at 6 p.m.
