KANSAS CITY, Mo.—NM State earned the WAC Volleyball Tournament title with a 3-0 victory over CSU Bakersfield Saturday afternoon.

After a 12-12 start to the first set, NM State (27-5) took advantage of three consecutive Roadrunner hitting errors to mount 5-0 charge and take a 17-12 lead. The Roadrunners (13-15) fought back, using a 9-6 spurt to cut the Aggies' lead to 23-21 when NMSU setter Brianna Ainsworth committed a ball handling error.  A CSUB hitting error led to the first Aggies' set point when Carol Grasso's kill kept the 'Runners alive.  Sasha Lee-Thomas clinched the set with a kill 25-22.

The second set featured 14 ties. At 18-18, CSUB received a kill from Edithza Urias which was followed by a solo block by the 5-6 Grasso against Bradley Nash.  NMSU went back to Nash who earned the side out with a kill down the line. An Urias kill returned the serve to the Roadrunners 21-19.  Jordan Abols returned the favor with a kill that went off the CSUB front line. Thomas earned the 15th tie for the Aggies with a kill as CSUB called timeout.  Sydney Haynes returned the lead to CSUB by posting a kill.

Andrea Tauai tied the match again with a kill before WAC Player of the Year Gwen Murphy went to the deep left corner for a 23-22 advantage. Murphy's second consecutive kill gave NMSU set point. CSUB called their final timeout and went to Kelsee Sawyer who recorded a kill. Murphy closed the set out with her 10th kill 25-23.

The Aggies took a 7-4 lead to begin the third set.  Three Sawyer kills out of the timeout closed the NMSU gap to 9-7. The Aggies scored the next three as CSUB called their final timeout of the set.  The Roadrunners would not get any closer than four in the remaining part of the set as NMSU completed the sweep 25-16.

Murphy paced the Aggies with 12 kills. Tauai tallied a double-double of 10 kills and 11 digs. Thomas recorded 10 kills. Sawyer led the Roadrunners with 11 kills. Grasso posted 10 kills. Martins had 27 assists and nine digs.

Martins and Sawyer were selected to the All-Tournament team. Murphy was selected as the tournament MVP.

“It was a tough way to end the season,” said CSUB director of volleyball Giovana Melo. “I am still very proud of this group.”

~www.GoRunners.com~

All-WAC Tournament Team
Luiza Martins, CSU Bakersfield
Bojana Mitrovic, UT Rio Grande Valley
Martina Samadan, Seattle U
Kelsee Sawyer, CSU Bakersfield
Andrea Tauai, NM State
MVP: Gwen Murphy, NM State