WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Midwestern State swept Western New Mexico 25-15, 25-19, 25-19 on Friday at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. MSU dominated with a .246 hitting percentage, significantly outpacing WNMU's .095. The home team's defense also shone, tallying 62 digs compared to the visitors' 54.
Midwestern State opened the first set with a strong offensive effort, marked by
Jaiden Wright scoring the initial point with a kill from
Alayna Guerrero's setup. Notably, Guerrero leads the Lone Star Conference in assists, showcasing her crucial role in the team's success.
Isabella Dickens contributed significantly with multiple kills, maintaining the team's competitiveness against Western New Mexico's early responses.
The momentum shifted towards Midwestern State as they capitalized on Western New Mexico's errors, including back-to-back attack errors by Brynlee Barris and a bad set by Hannah Haggard, stretching their lead.
Trinity Vinzant and
Demi Stauffenberg combined for key kills, further solidifying the team's advantage.
Midwestern State closed the set decisively, with Vinzant securing crucial points and a service ace from the team sealing a 25-15 victory. The set ended with Midwestern State firmly ahead, establishing a strong start to the match.
Midwestern State began the second set facing an early deficit as Western New Mexico tallied the first four points, capitalizing on a couple of errors to gain momentum. However, Midwestern State responded with a steady comeback.
Alayna Guerrero's assist to
Jaiden Wright for a kill initiated a run that saw Midwestern State close the gap and eventually take the lead.
Trinity Vinzant delivered crucial kills later in the set, supported by assists from Guerrero, which helped extend Midwestern State's advantage. As the set closed, Midwestern State's defense and timely attacks secured a 25-19 victory, maintaining their edge heading into the next set.
In the third set, MSU capitalized on a service error by WNMU to take an early 1-0 lead. MSU maintained momentum with a kill by
Trinity Vinzant and an ace by Vinzant, extending the advantage to 4-2.
Alayna Guerrero contributed significantly with multiple assists, including feeding
Isabella Dickens for a kill.
MSU continued to build its lead with decisive plays, including a service ace by
Jenna Redding and a series of kills by
Jaiden Wright and
Arrianna Fields. Despite a late push by WNMU, MSU closed out the set with a kill from Fields, securing a 25-19 victory to finalize the match.
This victory added to their impressive record of winning five matches in straight sets this season.
Demi Stauffenberg led the defensive effort for the Mustangs with 15 digs and added seven kills and one service ace.
Alayna Guerrero contributed 28 assists and recorded 14 digs, boosting the team's distribution and defense.
Jaiden Wright posted eight kills with no errors on 14 attempts, finishing with a hitting percentage of .571.
Isabella Dickens added to the defensive stats with nine digs and tallied six kills, while also contributing four blocks.
Looking ahead, the Mustangs will host Sul Ross State at D.L. Ligon Coliseum on Saturday. First serve is set for 2 p.m. The team is currently 4-0 at home this season, bolstering their confidence as they prepare for the upcoming match.
