Zias drop five-game heartbreaker
ENMU Falls to 12-4 on season

Box score

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS — The Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team dropped a heartbreaker in its Lone Star Conference South opening match on Thursday, Sept. 30, falling in five sets to Angelo State University (29-31, 30-26, 28-30, 30-22, 10-15). The loss drops the Zias to 12-4 on the season (0-1 LSC South), while ASU upped its record to 14-4 (1-0 LSC South). The two teams entered the match with the two best records in the conference.

Eastern had five different players post double-digit kills in the match, as it put up a .246 attack percentage. Anna Bellum (Sr., OH, Albuquerque, NM/Garden City CC) notched 17 kills in a losing effort, while Kelley McGinty (Sr., OH, Longview, WA/Whatcom CC) posted a season-high with 15. Lindsay Schiely (Jr., MB, Portland, OR/Clackamas CC) led the team with a .481 attack percentage, notching 14 kills and just one error in the match. Grace George (So., MB, Kaaawa, HI/Kahuku HS) and Emilie Rodman (Sr., MB, Gillette, WY/Western Wyoming CC) each put up 11 kills in the contest.

Margie Goble (Sr., S, San Antonio, TX/Holmes HS) made 53 assists in the match, her third-highest total of the season, and added 16 digs. Jessica Weeks (Sr., LIB, Brownwell, KS/Garden City CC) led the Zias with 21 digs, while Olivia Boan (So., DS, Portales, NM/Portales HS), Bellum and McGinty all registered 10 or more digs in the match.

The Rambelles were led on offense by Lynelle Morelan, who tallied 23 kills to go along with just five errors for a .409 attack percentage. Nicole Stoffel (18 kills) and Lindsey Jones (14 kills) also provided a strong offensive effort for the home squad. Angelo State hit .199 for the match.

The road does not get any easier for ENMU, as it heads to Abilene, Texas for an 11 a.m. contest with Abilene Christian University on Saturday, Oct. 2. The Wildcats are 15-5 on the season (1-0 LSC South) and are coming off a three-game sweep (30-19, 30-22, 30-22) of West Texas A&M University on Thursday, Sept. 30. It was ACU’s first win over West Texas in 22 matches, dating back to Oct. 8, 1993. It also marked the first time WTAMU had been dropped in straight games since the Lady Buffs fell to Eastern on Oct. 26, 1995. The Zias went 1-1 against ACU last season.