GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.  Western Colorado University volleyball went toe-to-toe with host Colorado Mesa University on Friday night, winning the opening set before the Mavericks would rally with consecutive set wins to take the Rocky Mountain Athletic contest, 3-1, in Brownson Arena.

Western (11-10 overall, 6-7 RMAC) fought through 12 ties and 4 lead changes to take the first set, 25-20. The winning point came on a powerful strike from the left side by Emily Mangone.

Early action in each remaining set saw the Mountaineers compete on even footing with Mesa (16-4, 11-2).

In set two, Western was even at 5-5, trailed by only a point at 10-9, and were only three back at 16-13 when Mesa's 6-0 run built a cushion that evolved into a 25-14 set win for the Mavericks.

A 3-1 Mountaineer opening in set three was a good start, but the set was Mesa's best of the night, using a .464 attack percentage to earn a 25-12 win.

Backs to the wall, as they say, buoyed the Mountaineers in the fourth set as they rang up five unanswered points to open the set. Mangone's kill earned the opening point on a side-out, and then four more points came from a Mesa attack error, two kills by Savanna Meyer and a service ace by Mangone.

Mesa equaled that unbroken string to tie the set a 5-5, however. The teams were tied four more times until the Mavericks finally broke free of the Western challenge at 13-13.

The Mountaineers eventually fended off two match points, but Mesa finally closed out the set, 25-20, and the match victory.

Meyer and Mangone each reached double digits on the attack, knocking down 12 and 11, respectively. Meyer would add four block assists to account for 14.0 points on the night, while Mangone added a block assist and that fourth-set service ace to account for 12.5 points.

Setting up the attack was Hailee Martinez with 25 assists. She also chimed in with a service ace and 11 digs.

The defense included three players in double digits in digs, led by Elizabeth Rupprecht's 13. Jordyn Todd equaled Martinez' 11 digs.

Next up for the Mountaineers is an RMAC match Saturday at Westminster (Utah) College at 4 p.m.