Canyon, Texas,   The Western Colorado Volleyball team drops season opener to Texas A&M International, 3-1, in game one on day one of the Lady Buffs Classic.
 
JUST THE FACTS
Final Score:  Texas A&M International defeats Western Colorado 3-1 | (23-25, 25-14, 25-17, 25-22)
Records: Western Colorado 0-1 | Texas A&M International 1-0
Location: Canyon, Texas | WTAMU Fieldhouse "The Box"
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Western Colorado opened the match against Texas A&M International with an early exchange of errors that brought the score to 1–1. The Dust Devils took a short lead, but the Mountaineers responded with kills from junior Liv Marshall and freshman Emily McMillan.
• Western pushed ahead 10–9 after McMillan's kill, though Texas A&M regained control with a 16–11 advantage. Behind senior Emalie Depew, Western closed the gap to within one, 16–15.
• The teams traded points until a 23–23 tie. Western sealed the first set 25–23 with consecutive kills from senior Olive Rolseth and Marshall.
• In set two, Texas A&M quickly surged ahead 7–3, forcing a Western timeout. The Dust Devils extended the lead to 12–4 behind strong serving and consistent kills.
• Marshall and junior Kyra Kidd provided a brief spark, but Texas A&M controlled the set, winning 25–14.
• The third set remained close early, tied 6–6 and again at 13–13. Texas A&M then built a 4-point lead, 18–14, and never looked back. Despite a late push from Kidd, the Dust Devils closed out the set 25–17.
• Western opened the fourth set with momentum, jumping out to a 3–0 lead with kills from McMillan, Rolseth, and Depew. However, Texas A&M rallied to tie the set at 12–12.
• The Dust Devils pulled ahead 21–16 before Western battled back to 22–20. In the final rallies, Texas A&M secured the set 25–22 and the match 3–1.

NET NOTES

• Marshall and Rolseth led the Mountaineers with 12 kills each, while Depew and McMillan added five apiece. Kidd contributed three kills. Freshman setter Anuhea Kaʻalele and junior Kaira Willits guided the offense with 14 and 19 assists, respectively.
• On defense, sophomore Galatia Andrew recorded a team-high 18 digs, followed by Willits with 12 and Marshall with five. At the net, Rolseth, Depew, and Kidd each registered one block.
• Overall, Western Colorado finished with 41 kills, 47 digs, and five blocks.

 
UP NEXT
Later tonight, the Mountaineers play West Texas A&M University at 5pm MT.
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