Tuesday, September 07, 2010
GOODWELL, OKLA. — Sophomore libero Dallas Russell (Portales, N.M./Portales HS) registered a career-best 19 dig effort, while the Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team (2-3) put together their best offensive outing of the season, to pick up a 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23) win at Oklahoma Panhandle State (2-4), Tuesday evening, in Goodwell, Okla.
Eastern hit a season-high .244 in the match, including .320 in the opening set. The teams traded points early on, but a kill from Kristen Beck (Jr., MB, Odessa, Texas/Odessa HS/Midland) snapped a 7-all tied and ignited a 12-3 Zia run, giving Eastern a 19-10 edge on a kill from Stacey Main (Jr., MB, Alturas, Calif./Moaoc HS/Feather River). The Aggies pulled to within four points, but could come no closer, as Eastern held on for the 25-18 win.
Trailing 23-22 in the second set, whenJessica King’s (Jr., MB, Las Cruces, N.M./Oñate HS) kill tied the score, but OPSU scored the next two points to tie the match.
Oklahoma Panhandle outhit the Zias in the third set, .345-.281, but Eastern seized the lead for good, 18-17, on an of Amber Durand (So., OH, Onalaska, Wash./Onalaska HS/Columbia Basin) kill and held on for a tight 25-22 win.
The teams continued to exchange points through the fourth set, with the Zias taking snapping a 21-all tie on a Main kill. After the teams traded points, King sealed the match and 25-23 win, with a final kill.
King paced ENMU with 13 kills, two service aces and a block, while Durand finished with 12 kills and 10 digs. Veronica Valdez-Kent (Sr., S, Canyon, Texas/Canyon HS) added 37 assists, two aces and four digs. Hillary Isleifson led the Aggies with 17 kills.
The Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team will return to action on Friday, when they open play at the New Mexico Highlands Cowgirl Classic. The Zias will play Johnson & Wales University at 9 a.m. MST.