PORTALES, N.M. (Oct. 8, 2016) – Courtney Noel recorded a career-high 19 kills and Sara Oxford tied a season-high with 17 for Texas Woman's University in a four-set loss (25-17, 19-25, 23-25, 21-25) to Eastern New Mexico inside Greyhound Arena Saturday night.
 
Noel was nearly perfect at the net on her 33 attempts with just two errors for a .515 attack percentage. Mary Kate Hyde posted a double-double with her 49 kills and 11 digs.
 
Kerstin Jenkins opened the night with a pair of service aces, and TWU ran up a 16-6 lead on a block by Jenkins and Oxford. Four straight points by the Greyhounds cut the gap to 16-10 and pulled to within five on a Pioneer service error. A kill by Haley Collins put TWU up 21-14, and a Jenkins kill placed the margin at 23-17 before an Oxford kill and ENMU attack error ended the set.
 
TWU trailed 7-4 in set two before Oxford delivered two kills and a solo block to tie. Oxford again knotted the set at 9-all on another kill before a 4-1 Greyhound run. Noel lessened the deficit to 19-18, but an ENMU kill and ace increased the lead to three. Noel tallied another kill before the Greyhounds notched the last four points to tie the match at 1-1.
 
Noel broke an 11-11 tie in set three by producing a kill, however, three consecutive Pioneer errors handed ENMU an 18-13 advantage. A kill by Jenkins pulled TWU to within one, but the Greyhounds quickly jumped ahead 22-18 and went on to win the frame.
 
The Pioneers fell behind quickly in set four at 6-1 and continued to trail at 19-14. Two kills by Oxford and one each from Collins and Noel were part of a run that brought TWU to within two at 21-19, but ENMU was able to hold off the Pioneers for the match win.
 
The Pioneers return home to host Texas-Permian Basin Friday at 7 p.m.