SALT LAKE CITY, Utah  After dropping the opening set, Western Colorado University ran off three set victories in a row to capture a 3-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference volleyball win Saturday over host Westminster College.

Kat Finnerty fell one short of her season high in kills, registering 15 during the Mountaineers' triumph.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western Colorado def. Westminster, 3-1 (18-25, 25-13, 25-23, 25-22)
Records: Western Colorado 12-10 overall (7-7 RMAC), Westminster 5-19 (3-11)
Location: Behnken Field House; Salt Lake City, Utah

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Westminster came out strong to open the match, running out to a 12-1 lead before Western could find its footing. Though the Griffins never trailed in winning the set, the Mountaineers began to build momentum that would clearly roll into the next set.
• A 7-0 run to begin the second was the extension of the end of the opener. Western never trailed and dominated the set to square the match.
• The third set threw the script from the first two sets out the window. Neither team ever trailed – nor was the score ever tied -- while winning their respective set, but the third included five lead changes and 15 tie scores.
• Knotted at 22-22, Western edged in front on a kill by Kaia Ghosh. A pair of service aces by Hailee Martinez brought Western to the brink of victory, while also forcing a timeout by Westminster. That timeout worked for the Griffins, but it only delayed the outcome for one point as Jaeda Davis-Golliher slammed down the set-winner for Western.
• Tied at 1-1 in the fourth set, the only tie within the set, Western strung together a 6-0 to build a cushion that would last until late in the set. Trailing the Mountaineers by a score of 23-17, Westminster pushed back with a rally of its own, pulling to within a point at 23-22 before surrendering a point to Western on a bad set, followed by a match-clinching kill from Savanna Meyer.

MORE TO IT

• In all, there were 16 ties and 5 lead changes during the match – with only that one fourth-set tie coming outside of the taut third set.
• Western doubled up the Griffins from behind the service line, sneaking in 10 service aces. Emily Mangone dropped in three, with Martinez, Elizabeth Rupprecht and Alex Galicia adding two apiece. Finnerty collected the other ace.
• Also reaching double digits on the attack for Western was Jordyn Todd, with 10, while Mangone chipped in 9.
• Galicia and Martinez split setting duties in the match. Galicia ended with 23 and Martinez had 17 to set up the Mountaineer attack.
• Westminster finished with a slight edge defensively at the net, registering 12 block assists and 1 solo block, compared to Western's 8 block assists in the match.
• The Mountaineer defense was a big part of the victory. Their 91 digs were 11 more than Westminster's efforts. Mangone and Rupprecht each came up with 20 for Western, with Todd close behind with 18.

UP NEXT

• Western hosts Metropolitan State University of Denver in its next match, a 6 p.m. RMAC bout Friday in Paul Wright Gym.
• Westminster travels to Colorado School of Mines Friday for an RMAC match in Golden, Colorado.