Zias Defeat West Texas A&M in Three Games
to Eliminate Lady Buffs from LSC Tournament Race
ENMU Completes First-Ever Season Sweep of WTAMU

Box score

PORTALES, N.M. — Eastern New Mexico University put an official end to the West Texas A&M University volleyball team’s string of five Lone Star Conference championships by eliminating the Lady Buffs from the LSC Tournament race in three games, 30-18, 30-27, 30-27, at Greyhound Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 26. With the win, ENMU swept the season series from the Lady Buffs for the first time ever. WTAMU lost to the Zias in five games, Oct. 12 in Canyon, Texas.

Eastern improved to 20-7 on the season and to 5-3 in the LSC South. The Zias moved their magic number to two ENMU wins and/or Texas A&M University-Kingsville losses to clinch an LSC Tournament berth. Three teams from each division will qualify for the tournament, which will be hosted by the North Division champion Nov. 11-13. West Texas had qualified for the LSC Tournament every season since joining the conference in 1993, with the exception of 1996, when no LSC Tournament was held. The loss to ENMU dropped the Lady Buffs to 17-13 overall, 2-6 in the LSC South.

Anna Bellum (Sr., OH, Albuquerque, NM/Garden City CC) and Kelley McGinty (Sr., OH, Longview, WA/Whatcom CC) led Eastern’s three-game sweep at Greyhound Arena. Bellum recorded a match-high 16 kills, with just two attacking errors and a .359 hitting percentage.

McGinty added 12 kills and hit .281. She also contributed 14 digs and two block assists
Grace George (So., MB, Kaaawa, HI/Kahuka HS) hit .389 for ENMU, as she connected for seven kills and no attacking errors on 18 total attacks. George, the LSC blocking leader with 1.3 blocks per game prior to Tuesday night, also supplied four block assists. The Zias earned a .263 team hitting percentage for the match, including .380 and 23 kills in the third game. Meanwhile, ENMU limited West Texas to a .095 overall hitting percentage. The Zias entered the match leading the LSC in hitting percentage defense at .135.

In the first game, Eastern build an early 7-2 lead, including two aces by junior setter Amber McCarthy (Huntington Beach, CA/Orange Coast CC). The Zias also led 12-4, but the Lady Buffs eventually pulled within three points at 15-12. Bellum registered kills to start and end a string of four consecutive points for the Zias, as ENMU took a 19-12 lead. WTAMU never got closer the rest of the way, as the Zias won the game, 30-18.

Eastern led 4-1 at the start of the second game, then trailed 5-4. The Zias surged back in front for a 10-5 lead. West Texas rallied to tie the game, 21-21, and later took a 23-22 lead. The Zias ran off four straight points for a 26-23 edge, but saw the lead slip to 27-26 and 28-27, before completing the game with a kill down the left sideline by Bellum and a block by Bellum and Lindsay Schiely (Sr., MB, Portland, OR/Clackamas CC). McGinty was a key player for ENMU in the second game, as she registered eight of her 12 kills in the match.

The Zias held a slim, 9-7 advantage in the third game, but scored the next five points on their way to an 8-1 run, as the ENMU lead increased to 17-8. Eastern also led 21-11 after a kill by Bellum, only to have the Lady Buffs fight back to within two points at 24-22. Eight points during WTAMU’s 11-3 run were earned on kills.

Eastern staved off the rally by scoring the next point on a kill by Grace George. Even so, ENMU held four more two-point leads, including 29-27, before completing the three-game sweep with a kill by Bellum. Bellum pounded out seven kills in the third game to lead all players. Her 16 kills for the match increased her team-leading total to 386 for the season.

The Zias played well at the net with 16 block assists and numerous block-backs to the WTAMU side of the net. Eastern added 55 digs, with McGinty’s 14 leading the way. Jessica Weeks (Sr., Libero, Brownell, KS/Garden City CC) provided 10 digs, while Olivia Boan (Jr., DS, Portales, NM/Portales HS) added nine digs.

West Texas A&M recorded eight block assists and 52 digs. Defensive leaders for the Lady Buffs were Brittani Bell and Jessica Scherr, with 15 digs apiece. Rachel Altman, Megan Spivey and Cynthia Carter tied for the team lead with two block assists each. Offensively, WTAMU’s had three players finish the match with eight kills. They were Spivey, Scherr and Courtney Barnes. Setter Erin Houlihan registered 37 assists.

ENMU rotated two setters during the match. Margie Goble (Sr., S, San Antonio, TX/Holmes HS) achieved 20 assists to go with two kills and three blocks. McCarthy set up 17 kills for the Zias, while providing two service aces and seven digs.

Eastern’s five seniors, Bellum, Goble, McGinty, Weeks and Emilie Rodman (Sr., MB, Gillette, WY/Western Wyoming CC) were honored prior to the match. Goble has been at ENMU for four seasons, plus a redshirt year in 2003 due to a knee injury. The other four seniors are in their second year at ENMU.

The Zias play again on Thursday, Oct. 28 at Wayland Baptist University. Match time in Plainview, Texas, is scheduled for 6 p.m. MDT.