Zias Stretch #20 Wildcats to the Limit in Season Finale

ABILENE, TEXAS – A kill from junior middle blocker Kristen Beck (Odessa, Texas/Odessa HS/Midland College) pulled the Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team even at 14-all in the fifth and deciding set at 20th-ranked Abilene Christian, but the Wildcats scored the final two points to pick up the 3-2 (25-22, 19-25, 11-25, 25-19, 14-16) win over the Zias. The Lone Star Conference match was played Saturday afternoon at Moody Coliseum.

Eastern never trailed in the opening set and took the lead for good, 5-4 on a kill from Beck, on the way to a 20-15 lead. A 6-1 Wildcat run forced the Zias to call for a timeout, allowing them to regain the momentum and score three of the next four points, closing out the set on another Beck kill. ENMU held a .268-.244 edge in hitting percentage in the set, with Amber Durand (So., OH, Onalaska, Wash./Onalaska HS/Columbia Basin) pounding out a team-high five kills.

After Abilene took the second and third sets to take control of the match, Jessica King (Jr., MB, Las Cruces, N.M./Oñate HS) took control in the fourth set, hitting .444 with five kills. ACU seized a 14-12 lead on a kill from Jordan Schilling, but after a Wildcat attack error, Eastern tied the set on a kill from Megan Carpenter (So., RS, Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood HS). After trading points, the set was tied at 16-all, when an ACU service error, followed by a Grace Brandt (Sr., DS, Dumas, Texas/Dumas HS) ace allowed Eastern to close it out with a 9-3 for the 25-19 win.

Abilene Christian charged to a 7-2 lead in the final set, but a kill from Beck ignited a 9-4 Zia run, capped by a Carpenter kill, knotting the score at 11-all. The teams exchanged points until ACU snapped a 14-all tie with two Schilling kills to take the match.

Durand paced ENMU with 16 kills, 17 digs and two blocks, while Beck and King had 13 kills apiece. Beck also added a career-high 12 digs. Carpenter finished with 10 kills, while Dallas Russell (So., L, Portales, N.M./Portales HS) chipped in 23 digs, while Veronica Valdez-Kent (Sr., S, Canyon, Texas/Canyon HS) registered 47 assists and 20 digs. Kalynne Allen and Shawna Hines each had 15 kills for ACU.

The Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team has concluded their 2010 season. Their 13 wins and four LSC wins are the most since winning 25 overall matches and seven LSC matches in 2004, when Eastern made its last appearance in the NCAA Tournament.