Zia volleyball, soccer falls on the road

SAN ANTONIO — The Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team hung close with its opponents Saturday, but the Zias were unable to break through in the season-opening St. Mary’s/Texas MedClinic Invitational.

The Zias (0-4) led in all four games against Missouri Southern, but dropped a 27-25, 22-25, 30-28, 25-18 decision to the Lady Lions. They then lost to Rollins College of Florida 25-17, 24-26, 25-19, 25-19.

ENMU’s match with Southern was back and forth much of the way. The Zias overcame a deficit for much of the first game to lead 21-18 with four consecutive points. But the Lady Lions rallied to win it.

ENMU led most of the second game, but had to fight off Southern late. Senior Vanessa Wilcox put the Zias at game point with a kill, making it 24-22, and a Southern attack error squared the match.

The Zias led 18-15 in the third game, but the score was tied eight times down the stretch before Ashley Hill’s kill gave the Lady Lions a 29-28 lead and they closed it out on the next point. The Zias built several three-point leads early in the fourth game, but Southern went on an 18-7 run to take control.

Nicole Vanderploeg led the Zias with 11 kills and 15 digs, while Wilcox added 10 kills. King contributed seven kills, four block solos and three block assists.

Against Rollins (2-2), the Zias won a seesaw second game to square the match. Freshman Jessica King’s kill put the Zias ahead 25-24 and an attack error by Rollins sealed it.

The Zias stayed close in the third and fourth games, but couldn’t mount late comebacks.

Sophomore Veronica Valdez had 10 kills and 24 digs for the Zias.


ENMU SUMMARIES


St. Mary’s tournament
At San Antonio
Saturday
Missouri Southern 3, ENMU 1
Missouri Southern    27    22    30    25
ENMU    25    25    28    18
Individual statistics
Kills — Missouri Southern, Ashley Hill 13, Jeanna Feldman 10. Eastern New Mexico, Nicole Vanderploeg 11, Vanessa Wilcox 10. Block solos — Missouri Southern, Ashlee Russell 1. Eastern New Mexico, Jessica King 4. Block assists — Missouri Southern, Brittany Vavao-Huggins 4, three tied with 2. Eastern New Mexico, Veronica Valdez 4, King 3, Wilcox 3. Digs — Missouri Southern, Kari Hammerbacher 15, Hill 13, Sarah Joles 12, Russell 12, Vavao-Huggins 10. Eastern New Mexico, Caitlin Murphy 19, Vanderploeg 15, Karen McIntyre 11, Valdez 11. Aces — Missouri Southern, Feldman 2, Hammerbacher 2, Stephanie Williams 2, three tied with 1. Eastern New Mexico, Mcinyre 2, King 1, Murphy 1. Assists — Missouri Southern, Elin Skei 18, Joles 17. Eastern New Mexico, McIntyre 35. T — 1:40. A — n/a. Records — Missouri Southern 1-3, Eastern New Mexico 0-3.

Rollins 3, ENMU 1
ENMU    17    26    19    19
Rollins    25    24    25    25
Individual statistics
Kills — Eastern New Mexico, Valdez 10, Sarah Koch 8. Rollins, Caitlin Vyborny 16, Jenny Sherwood 15, Natalie Branche 10. Block solos — Eastern New Mexico, Wilcox 1. Rollins, Branche 1. Block assists — Eastern New Mexico, three tied with 2. Rollins, Branche 4, Lacey Malarky 2, four tied with 1. Digs — Eastern New Mexico, Valdez 24, Murphy 19, McIntyre 15, Heidi Geyer 14, Vanderploeg 12. Rollins, Phoebe Corder 22, Nikki Hartman 16, Karin Barborikova 14. Aces — Eastern New Mexico, McIntyre 2, Geyer 1, Valdez 1. Rollins, Corder 2, Vyborny 2, Malarky 1, Tori Ratcliffe 1. Assists — Eastern New Mexico, McIntyre 33. Rollins, Malarky 40.  T — 1:40. A — n/a. Records — Eastern New Mexico 0-4, Rollins 2-2.