GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.  Western Colorado broke from the gate quickly, taking the first set from host and 21st-ranked Colorado Mesa University on Saturday afternoon. But the Mavericks bounced back to take the next three sets from the Mountaineers for a 3-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference volleyball win.

The set victory by Western was Mesa's first set loss to an unranked team all season.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Colorado Mesa def. Western, 3-1 (18-25, 25-15, 25-17, 25-15)
Records: Western 2-13 (1-7 RMAC), CMU 11-4 (6-2)
Location: Brownson Arena, Grand Junction, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The opening set was tied six times in the early going until a 5-0 run from Western provided an advantage that held throughout the remainder of the set.
• A Mesa attack error brought Western even at 6-6, a deadlock broken by a block from Randi Wellhoefer and Caroline Parker that was the second point of that run. Consecutive kills by Jordyn Todd made it 9-6 with a put-down by Parker finishing off the run.
• The lead grew to six, 13-7, on a Lexi Wilmoth service ace, and later another 5-0 spurt grew the difference to a 10-point margin, 22-12.
• Mesa drew back to within seven (23-16) but their 4-0 jump was ended by a kill from Jaeda Davis-Golliher shortly before Todd ended the set with another kill.
• The Mavericks never trailed in the second set to even the match but needed a strong finish in the third to inch ahead in the overall count.
• Mesa built a lead early in the third set, only to have the Mountaineers rally back to tie the score at 7-7 and again at 9-9. However, five unanswered Maverick points provided some breathing room for the home team.
• This time, though, it was Western answering with an unmet run, scoring six straight to take a 16-15 lead.
• Tied again at 17-17, Mesa reeled off the final eight points to take the set.
• The only tie in the deciding fourth set was at 2-2 as Mesa would go on to take the set to earn the match victory.

MORE TO IT

• Libero Delaney Ochsner came up with a career- and match-high 18 digs in the loss. She also surrendered just one reception error in 28 service opportunities aimed her way by the Mavericks.
• Western collected nine service aces, led by Ochsner's three.
• Davis-Golliher finished with a match-best 12 kills and with a solid .375 hitting percentage. She entered the match with the fifth-best attack percentage in the RMAC.
• Defense at the net was keyed by Davis-Golliher's two solo blocks. Wellhoefer and Parker each had a pair of block assists to push Western's blocking total to 4.0 for the match.
• Other than in the first set, when the Mountaineers posted a .360 hitting percentage, they had trouble stringing together points over the final three sets. Only once in the second set and once in the fourth did they register at least three consecutive points.

UP NEXT

• The match at Mesa ends a string of four road matches for Western, which returns home to Paul Wright Gym for an RMAC match Friday, October 7 against University of Colorado Colorado Springs followed by a conference bout Saturday against Colorado State University Pueblo.
• The two matches are part of homecoming weekend at Western. Friday's event is scheduled as Parents Night while Saturday's themes are Alumnae and Title IX Night.