THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State suffered a pair of setbacks in Saturday action at D.L. Ligon Coliseum, dropping a 3-2 decision to Western New Mexico in a back-and-forth battle before falling 3-1 to Southern Nazarene to conclude the doubleheader.

GAME ONE
Western New Mexico (15-10, 7-7 LSC) grabbed a 1-0 lead following the first set with a narrow 26-24 win. WNMU erased a two-point deficit with a 6-0 run to claim an 18-14 before Midwestern State (11-15, 5-10 LSC) evened the set up at 21-21 after a block by Kiley Beaver and Kristan Aduddell. MSU reached set point after a WNMU attack error but the visitors went on a 3-0 run after a timeout to take a 1-0 lead.

Midwestern hit .286 in the second set to record a 25-17 win with six kills coming from Aerielle Edwards. A 5-0 run to begin the frame set the stage for the Mustangs in set two. WNMU pulled within two at 14-12 but MSU pushed its lead back out down the stretch to even the match.

MSU committed 10 attack errors in the third set for a 25-13 loss to WNMU. An 11-4 run for WNMU midway through the set gave the visitors a comfortable lead before going on to record the win and take a 2-1 lead.

The Mustangs answered back in set four, hitting .343 for the frame. Behind the serve of Edwards, the Mustangs claimed an 8-2 lead early to control the momentum for the set before holding off a late push by WNMU for the 25-20 win.

WNMU finished with a .375 hitting clip in the decisive set, taking a 7-1 lead to begin the frame before going on to win 15-8.

NOTES
*Aerielle Edwards recorded her fourth career double-double with a team-high 16 kills and 13 digs
*Meghan Bettis added 11 kills and a career-best 24 digs for her eighth double-double of the season
*Sarah Garfield finished with 12 kills and a team-high three service aces
*Kristan Aduddell dished out 47 assists and 12 digs for her fifth double-double of the season

STAT OF THE GAME
10 – Midwestern State matched a season-best 10 service aces for the third time this season
 
GAME TWO
Southern Nazarene (14-10) took an 11-7 lead in the opening set following a kill from McKenna Qualls to force an early MSU timeout. A kill for Meghan Bettis capped off a 4-0 spurt for Midwestern State (11-16) to even the frame. The Crimson Storm took a 22-19 lead before a Bettis kill and ace for Addison Semer brought the Mustangs to within one. However, the Mustangs were unable to pull even as SNU took the set 25-22.

The Crimson Storm erased an early deficit to keep the game close throughout in set two. A 3-0 run for SNU broke a 19-19 tie to carry the momentum late before recording another 25-22 victory.

Olivia Schiffner and Semer each posted four kills to lead the Mustangs to a 25-15 win in set three, hitting .275 while holding SNU to a .049 hitting percentage. The Mustangs closed out the set on a 10-2 run with Schiffner tallying four kills down the stretch to pace the MSU offense.

The Mustangs were held to a -.077 hitting clip in the fourth set as the Crimson Storm jumped out to a 12-5 lead before recording a 25-14 win to take the match, 3-1.

NOTES
*Olivia Schiffner led the Mustangs with 10 kills in her first season appearance, hitting a team-high .222 percentage
*Christy Carruth recorded a career-best 21 digs while Erin Richburg also finished with a career outing with 16 digs
*Meghan Bettis added eight kills and 17 digs for the Mustangs

STAT OF THE GAME
.086 – Midwestern State was held to its third-lowest hitting percentage of the season

UP NEXT
Midwestern State closes out its homestand Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Texas Woman's at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.