THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – For the first time in program history, Midwestern State took down West Texas A&M in a 3-0 sweep before capping off Friday with a 3-1 win over Newman (Kan.) inside D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
 
Coming into Friday afternoon's match, West Texas A&M had claimed 34-straight contests in the series with Midwestern State dating back to 1996. However, the Mustangs were able to make history Friday with Meghan Bettis pacing MSU with 10 kills in the victory over the Lady Buffs.
 
Midwestern State (11-11, 4-8 LSC) erased a 13-8 deficit in the opening set behind a 9-4 run to even the frame at 17 apiece. The Mustangs closed out the set on a 5-0 spurt to break a 20-20 tie with Raven Presley joining forces with Sarah Eakin and Bettis for blocks on the final two points to give MSU a 1-0 lead.
 
West Texas A&M (13-10, 7-6 LSC) totaled just six kills in the second set while committing eight errors with the Mustangs pulling out a 25-19 win. Bettis and Erin Richburg each tallied four kills in the frame, using a 5-0 run midway through the set to carry the momentum down the stretch and take a 2-0 lead.
 
Bettis hit .308 with five kills in the third to lift the Mustangs to a 25-20 win and the sweep. The game was point-for-point for a majority of the set before three WT attacking errors, a Kristan Aduddell ace and a block for Eakin and Presley sealed the victory. 
 
Midwestern totaled four players in double-figure kills for the first time this season with Bettis and Semer each posting 15 kills to lead the Mustangs past Newman (9-16) in four sets.
 
Bettis led MSU to a 25-20 opening set win with six kills and just one error for a .333 hitting percentage. A 4-0 run broke open a tied game late in the first set to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
Newman evened up the match with a 25-23 win in the second behind Kayla Turner's seven kills on 10 attacks with no errors. The Jets claimed a 19-15 advantage following a 3-0 spurt before the Mustangs knotted up the frame following a Kristin Silva ace. With Newman holding a 24-21 lead, MSU fended off a pair of set points before a kill by Hailey Braddy evened up the contest at 1-1.
 
Semer erupted for five kills on six swings in the third set as the Mustangs hit a match-best .314 to earn a 25-23 victory. Midwestern doubled up the Jets early in the set at 12-6 before Newman eventually knotted up the frame at 21-all following an ace for Sophia Helsing. However, Gholson and Semer each put down a kill and teamed up for a block to pull the Mustangs to the win in the third.
 
Semer followed up with another five kills in the fourth, committing no errors for the second-straight set on 12 attacks. The Mustangs began to pull away midway through the set, putting together a 13-4 run before coming away with a 25-15 win.
 
WEST TEXAS A&M NOTES
- Meghan Bettis (10 kills) and Erin Richburg (9 kills) paced the Midwestern State offense against West Texas A&M with Addison Semer (6 kills) hitting a team-high .357 for the match
- Kristan Aduddell dished out 31 assists while adding seven digs
- Aerielle Edwards totaled 21 digs while Raven Presley and Sarah Eakin each tallied five blocks
- Midwestern State finished with a .175 hitting percentage while WT was held to a .082 hitting clip
 
NEWMAN NOTES
- Meghan Bettis (15 kills), Addison Semer (15 kills), Rockelle Gholson (12 kills) and Raven Presley (10 kills) all reached double figures for the Mustangs
- Midwestern State hit .291 for the match, committing its third-fewest errors of the season with 14
- Presley hit a team-high .391 percentage with just one hitting error in 23 swings while Semer closely followed with a .387 percentage with three errors in 31 attacks
- Kristan Aduddell matched a season-high 53 assists, eclipsing 50 assists for the fifth time this year
- Aerielle Edwards notched the second-most digs of her career with 24, reaching the 20-dig plateau for the third-straight match and fourth in the last five outings
- Semer posted a team-best five blocks
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State wraps up its home stand Saturday at 1 p.m. against UT Permian Basin in D.L. Ligon Coliseum.