Zias upend Central Oklahoma in four
Eastern will face Abilene Christian in semifinals

LAWTON, OKLA. — The Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team moved within two matches of its first Lone Star Conference Tournament championship since 1993 with a 3-1 triumph (30-26, 30-28, 16-30, 30-12) over the University of Central Oklahoma on Thursday, Nov. 11. The Zias move on to the semifinals, where they will take on Abilene Christian University, the top seed from the South Division, tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 12, at 4 p.m. (MST)

Defense was the key to the game for the Zias, as they made 15 total team blocks and 95 digs in holding UCO to just an .071 attack percentage. The Bronchos were third in the LSC in attack percentage during the regular season at .221.

Grace George (So., MB, Kaaawa, HI/Kahuku HS) led ENMU with eight blocks on the night, two solo, and added 11 kills and a .346 attack percentage. Lindsay Schiely (Jr., MB, Portland, OR/Clackamas CC) posted five blocks, while Kelley McGinty (Sr., OH, Longview, WA/Whatcom CC) and Emilie Rodman (Sr., MB, Gillette, WY/Western Wyoming CC) each tallied four blocks.

Jessica Weeks (Sr., LIB, Brownell, KS/Garden City CC) and Anna Bellum (Sr., OH, Albuquerque, NM/Garden City CC) each made 23 digs for Eastern. Olivia Boan (Jr., DS, Portales, NM/Portales HS) and McGinty each posted 14 digs.

Offensively, the Zias had trouble finding a rhythm for most of the evening, hitting just .105 for the match. Rodman led the way with 13 kills, followed close behind by George’s 11 and Bellum’s 10. Amber McCarthy (Jr., S, Huntington Beach, CA/Orange Coast CC) made 23 assists to lead the Zias, while Margie Goble (Sr., S, San Antonio, TX/Holmes HS) posted 17. McCarthy tallied three aces for ENMU.

Game One was a back-and-forth affair, with the teams knotted at 11 early in the game. But with Bellum at the serve, the Zias ran off six straight points, three on kills by Rodman, to take a 17-11 lead. UCO crept to within one at 27-26 on a kill by Kim Morgal, but Eastern took the next three points to take the game 30-26.

In the second game, the two teams again fought tooth and nail for every point, and the Zias trailed late in the frame, 22-20. But a kill by Bellum and four straight points with McCarthy on the serve gave ENMU a late 25-23 lead. UCO fought back to tie the game at 25, and again at 28, but a Rodman kill and a ball handling error by UCO’s Stephanie Ball ended the game at 30-28.

The third game was far and away the Zias’ worst of the night, but ENMU had UCO knotted at seven early in the frame. From then on, UCO took control of the game, taking advantage of Zia miscues and converting its own opportunities to cruise to a 30-16 victory. In the frame, UCO hit .321 to Eastern’s .053.

But in the fourth and final game, ENMU returned the favor, trouncing UCO from start to finish for a 30-12 victory. The Zias hit just .161 in the fourth, but the defense held the Bronchos to a -.238 attack percentage. Eastern took an early 7-1 lead and opened it to 19-6 following five points in a row with McGinty at the serve. The Zias eventually took the game, 30-12.

ENMU has faced ACU twice so far this season, with each team winning its game at home. The Zias fell in five games to the Wildcats on Oct. 2, but defeated ACU in four games at Greyhound Arena on Oct. 21. The loss in Portales was the only conference loss of the season for ACU, who earned the first seed in the South and a bye with its 9-1 record in LSC South play.