Hounds drop first two tilts in volleyball

PUEBLO, Colo. – Eastern New Mexico University’s volleyball team got off to a tough start on Friday, dropping its first two matches of the season in Colorado State-Pueblo’s Steel City Showcase.

The Greyhounds were bounced 25-13, 25-18, 18-25, 25-17 by Minnesota-Crookston, then lost to Lake Superior State 25-17, 25-19, 25-20.

ENMU was slated to face Cal State East Bay and the host Skyhawks on Saturday to round out the event.

Crookston (2-0), which swept East Bay 25-22, 25-21, 25-20 in its opening match of the event, scored the first three points against ENMU and then opened a 13-4 lead on back-to-back kills from freshman middle blocker Lexi Scharold. An ace from freshman setter Baily Teveldal pushed the margin into double digits and the Golden Eagles cruised to a 1-0 lead.

ENMU led 4-2 and 6-4 early in Game 2, but the Golden Eagles went on a 9-0 run that included three kills from Scharold and an ace from sophomore outside hitter Maya Jones.

In the third set, the Hounds opened an early 5-1 margin before Crookston came back to tie the score several times. Leading 18-17, ENMU finished off the set with a 7-1 blitz.

The Hounds led early 5-1 in Game 4, but the Golden Eagles responded with a 9-0 run for a lead they would not relinquish.

Senior outside hitter Darcy Dodd led the Hounds with 11 kills, nine digs and a pair of aces. Meantime, freshman setter Cayla Reyes posted a double-double with team highs of 14 digs and 18 fashioned a double-double with 38 assists and 16 digs.

Lake Superior State 3, ENMU 0 – The Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.-based Lakers (1-1) had a balanced attack led by senior outside hitter Mariana Velasque with 10 kills, while ENMU got six kills from sophomore outside hitter/middle blocker Sophia Valdez.

ENMU actually got off to a 5-0 lead in the opening set on five consecutive Lakers errors, but Lake Superior State went in front for good 10-9 on consecutive ENMU miscues. The Lakers then tallied an 8-1 run, eventually closing it out on a kill by senior middle blocker Maggie Morris.

Lake Superior State led all the way in the second set, and did so in the third as well except for five ties, the later at 18-18, before ending on a 7-2 run.

ENMU returns to action this weekend in Black Hills State’s Yellow Jacket Classic at Spearfish, S.D.

Cross country – ENMU’s squads opened the 2024 campaign in Cameron’s Aggie Duels on Friday morning at Lawton, Okla.

On the women’s side, the Hounds had three runners in a 5K race, with freshman Elizabeth Lujan-Towles running a time of 19 minutes, 59.95 seconds for 28th in a field of 82 competitors. Meantime, freshman Valentina Rocabado was 53rd in 21:31.95 and senior Sanne Janssen ran 56th in 21:45.27.

West Texas A&M (35) edged Cameron (37) for the team title. The Lady Buffs had the top three individuals, led by Jule Lafare in 17:18.53.

Meantime, the ENMU men were seventh in an eight-team field, posting a score of 200 points to 240 for University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma. WT took team honors at 37, while Cameron was again second at 57.

Freshman Bryan Hernandez led ENMU, placing 33rd in a field of 70 runners in 27:59.40. Freshmen Justin Sauceda (28:41.58) and Jackson Gable (29:20.16) were 45th and 48th, respectively.

Rounding out ENMUs tally were senior Ethan Woodrome, 52nd in 30:01.00, and xxx Aaron Marin-Plascenia, 57th in 31:24.80. Cameron’s Moloisi Kgaogelo took individual honors at 24:46.32.