ENMU drops third match in tourney

DALLAS — Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference member Westminster (Utah) erased a 2-1 deficit to edge Eastern New Mexico University 21-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-23, 15-12 in a weekend tournament hosted by Dallas Baptist.

The result dropped the Greyhounds to 0-3 in the season-opening event. They were slated to finish off the weekend with an afternoon match against Wayne State (Neb.).

Senior outside hitter Jasmine Gannon of Texico posted a double-double with 17 blocks and 16 dig for the Hounds. She also had a team-high four aces.

The Salt Lake City-based Griffins (1-2) were led by sophomore outside hitter Olivia Curtis with 14 kills.

In Friday’s first round of games, the Hounds dropped a 25-20, 25-21, 25-8 decision to Arkansas Tech before losing to host Dallas Baptist 23-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-16.

ENMU was slated to finish off the weekend with an afternoon match against Wayne State (Neb.).

Arkansas Tech 3, ENMU 0 — After two fairly competitive games, the Golden Suns used an 11-0 surge to take control of the third set and put the Hounds away.

Arkansas Tech scored seven in a row to grab a 20-10 lead in the opening set, taking advantage of four ENMU errors. In Game 2, the Hounds led much of the early going before the Golden Suns stormed back, using two kills each from seniors Addison Masters and Emily Ragsdale and an ENMU attack error to break away from a 20-20 tie.

An ace by Puni pulled the Hounds even 3-3 in the third before Arkansas Tech took off, getting three aces from junior Megan Solberg and benefiting from four setting miscues by ENMU during the decisive run. Leading 14-3, the margin never got below double figures the rest of the way.

Ragsdale finished with six kills for the Golden Suns, while Stubbs had seven kills to lead ENMU. Junior setter Brianna Merkel had five kills, three total blocks and 15 assists for Arkansas Tech.

Dallas Baptist 3, ENMU 1 — The Hounds pulled out a tight first game with Gannon converting a kill on set point. Neither team mounted more than a two-point advantage the entire set.

Dallas Baptist led 7-2 early in Game 2, but ENMU produced an 11-3 run for a three-point lead, capped by a kill from Jordan O’Connor-Dempsey. The teams stayed close and were tied several times before DBU finished it off with the final two points on kills from senior Haley Harman and freshman Price Reeves.

ENMU led the third set 4-0, fell into a 4-4 tie and then opened an 8-4 advantage as Gannon delivered a kill and an ace. The Lady Patriots rallied for a 13-11 lead on an ace by senior setter Aryn Walton and steadily pulled away.

DBU opened a 5-1 lead with five consecutive points in the fourth set. ENMU hung around, but after closing to 16-15 watched the Lady Patriots finish off the match with a 9-1 run down the stretch.

Gannon had 12 kills, 12 digs and three aces for the Hounds, while sisters Rae and Qitana Sapiga combined for 32 assists.

Dallas Baptist got 21 kills and five total blocks from junior outside hitter Halee Van Poppel, while Walton notched 22 assists.

ENMU women fourth, men 10th in cross country opener — At Lubbock, the Greyhounds opened the season on Saturday morning against a mix of NCAA Division I and I and junior college competition in the Texas Tech Open.

ENMU’s women placed three runners in the top 10 and earned fourth place out of 12 full teams in a five-kilometer event with 92 points. Meantime, the men came in 10th out of 12 in a 4-mile run, finishing with 266 team points.

West Texas A&M beat the host Red Raiders and Lady Raiders for team honors, and also swept both individual titles.

Senior Neri Getraide led the ENMU women, coming in fifth with a time of 18 minutes, 36.90 seconds, while freshman Marty Pascoa was eighth in 19:10.50 and edged out senior Aminata Kenyawati, who was ninth in 19:10.60.

The top men’s time for the Hounds was by junior Kelvin Kipkemboi, who placed 10th in 20:17.40. He was the only ENMU male to crack the top 40 in the race.

Next up for the Hounds is the ACU Naimadu Classic, scheduled for Sept. 18 at Abilene, Texas.