Zias sweep Wayland Baptist
Eastern extends win streak to eight games

PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team (9-2) increased its winning streak to eight games, topping Wayland Baptist University in three sets (30-18, 32-30, 30-15). Lindsay Schiely (Jr., MB, Portland, OR/Clackamas CC) led Eastern with 14 kills while making just one attack error for a .619 attack percentage in the match.

Grace George (So., MB, Kaaawa, HI/Kahuku HS) provided nine kills for the Zias while making only one error. Margie Goble (Sr., S, San Antonio, TX/Holmes HS) led Eastern with 36 assists, while Olivia Boan (Jr., DS, Portales, NM/Portales HS) and Anna Bellum (Sr., OH, Albuquerque, NM/Garden City CC) made 13 and 12 digs, respectively.

Eastern put WBU away in decisive fashion, winning the third game 30-15. The game was knotted at six when the Zias ran off five consecutive points with Bellum at the serve. Bellum posted back-to-back aces before putting her third attempt into the net, leaving the Zias with an 11-7 edge. The teams went back and forth with ENMU slowly building its lead. WBU closed the gap to 23-15, but then the home squad ran off seven points in a row, the final coming on a service ace by Goble that clipped the net and won the game for ENMU.

The Zias made a stirring comeback in the second game to win 32-30. Eastern jumped out to an early lead, but Wayland Baptist capitalized on several Zia miscues and held a 29-27 lead late in the game. Back-to-back kills by Emilie Rodman (Sr., MB, Gillette, WY/Western Wyoming CC) and Schiely tied the game back up and an error by the visitors gave Eastern a 30-29 edge. After Wayland notched a point, the Zias triumphed in the game on a kill by Kelley McGinty (Sr., OH, Longview, WA/Whatcom CC) and a WBU blocking error.

ENMU controlled the first game of the night from start to finish, winning by a score of 30-18. The Zias made 14 kills to go along with only five errors in the game, hitting at .300. WBU made five service errors and finished with eight kills and eight errors in the game.

Eastern is on the road this weekend at the Lone Star Conference Crossover Tournament where it will face off against LSC North foes Midwestern State University, Texas Woman’s College and Texas A&M University-Commerce.