West Texas A&M Defeats ENMU, 3-1

CANYON, TX – West Texas A&M University, ranked #2 in NCAA Division II, upped its record to 20-2, with a 30-21, 29-31, 30-22, 30-18 win over Eastern New Mexico University, Oct. 15 in Canyon, Texas. WTAMU clinched at least a tie for the Lone Star Conference South Division title with the win, as the Lady Buffs improved to 7-0 in the LSC South. Eastern fell to 18-7 overall and to 4-3 in the LSC South. The Zias remained in second place in the division.

Eastern’s victory over WTAMU in the second game marked the first time this season the Lady Buffs lost a single at home. After ENMU tied the match at one game apiece, West Texas closed out the match with back-to-back wins. WTAMU has won 63 consecutive matches against LSC opponents.

The Lady Buffs surged out to a 7-3 lead in the opening game, before the Zias rallied for a 12-12 tie on a kill by Christabell Mariner (Sr., MB, Pago Pago, American Samoa, Tafuna HS). Mariner finished the match with 19 kills to lead all players on both teams. ENMU eventually led the first game, 15-13 and 17-16, but WTAMU countered with a 6-0 run. The Zias got back within three points, 22-19, but never got closer.

ENMU had to rally in the second game as well. The Zias trailed 17-11, but scored four points in a row and five of six to cut the deficit to 18-16. WTAMU gradually increased its lead, ultimately taking a 28-22 advantage. The Zias reeled off three consecutive points on WTAMU mistakes - a serving error and two kill errors - to get within three points at 28-25.
The Lady Buffs moved within a point of winning the game when a battle at the net led to a kill for WTAMU. The Zias staved off defeat with a kill error by West Texas, a dink by Mariner, an ace by Margie Goble (Jr., S, San Antonio, TX/Holmes HS) and a four-hit violation by the Lady Buffs. The four-point run tied the game at 29-29. Mariner recorded the next point by hitting an attack off the block, then finished the game with a dink for a kill.

In the third game, the teams were tied 5-5 when West Texas scored three straight points to start a 12-5 run. Eastern answered with an 8-3 run to cut the deficit to just two points, 20-18. A block by Mariner and April Brockmann (Sr., OH/MB, Tempe, AZ/Chandler-Gilbert CC) also pulled the Zias within two points at 22-20, but the Lady Buffs closed out the game with an 8-2 run.

West Texas A&M built an 11-4 advantage at the start of the fourth game. The Lady Buffs also held leads of 17-10 and 23-12 on their way to a 12-point win.

Jenny Donohoo ranked first among five WTAMU players with double-digit kill totals. She recorded 17 kills and earned a .343 hitting percentage. Jess Anne Fernandes added 16 kills and led the Lady Buffs with a .464 hitting percentage. Shannon Stroud achieved 15 kills, Megan Moore contributed 12 kills and Kendra Morgan provided 10 kills.

Morgan also supplied the Lady Buffs with 53 assists. Stroud produced 22 digs and Brittani Bell made 17 digs. Fernandes led all players with 11 total blocks, including 10 block assists.

For the Zias, Mariner’s 19 kills were supplemented by 13 kills from Brockmann and 10 kills by Raina Pilon (Sr., MB, Eagan, MN/Pasco-Hernando CC). Mariner was credited with a solid .394 hitting percentage and also registered 12 digs and three block assists.
Overall, five Zias reached double figures in digs, led by April Mack (Jr., OH/RS, Cope, CO/Sheridan JC) with 13 digs and Mariner, Brockmann and Goble with 12 digs each. Goble recorded 42 assists, while achieving six kills and a .400 hitting percentage with no attacking errors.

The Zias accumulated five block solos and 12 block assists, but couldn’t overcome even better blocking by the Lady Buffs, who recorded one block solo and 29 block assists. WTAMU committed eight service errors with only one service ace, but the Lady Buffs hit .276 and held ENMU to a .094 hitting percentage.

Eastern’s next action will be against the ENMU Alumni as part of Homecoming Weekend on Friday, Oct. 18. The ENMU “B” team will take on the Alumni at 5:30 p.m. (MDT), with the ENMU varsity facing the Alumni at 7 p.m. The Zias’ next intercollegiate match is on Tuesday, Oct. 22, when Eastern will host Lubbock Christian University at 7 p.m. (MDT).