SILVER CITY, N.M. (Oct. 3, 2026) – The Texas Woman's volleyball team battled through five sets Saturday afternoon but came up just short against Western New Mexico, 3-2, at Drag's Court.
TWU (5-11, 2-4 Lone Star Conference) responded after dropping the opening set by winning the next two frames to take a 2-1 advantage. Western New Mexico (11-7, 5-2) answered with a narrow 26-24 win in the fourth before taking the deciding fifth set, 15-12.
The Mustangs won by set scores of 25-17, 23-25, 19-25, 26-24 and 15-12.
The Pioneers finished with 59 kills, eight service aces, 55 assists and 83 digs.
TWU held the advantage over WNMU in kills, 59-52, and service aces, 8-4.
Charlise Smith powered the Pioneers offensively with a match-high 22 kills.
Trinity Blackwood added 12 kills, while
Mary Grace King finished with eight kills and 17 digs.
Defensively,
Alyssa Rojo led TWU with 22 digs.
Lorena Gómez added 10 digs and 21 assists, while
Cat Millsap dished out a team-high 23 assists.
KEY MOMENTS
- Set 1 Mustangs Take the Opener: Western New Mexico established the early advantage with 11 kills and a .320 hitting percentage in the opening frame. TWU recorded nine kills, but the Mustangs pulled away to claim the set, 25-17.
- Set 2 Pioneers Answer: TWU bounced back with 15 kills in the second set. The Pioneers held off Western New Mexico down the stretch for a 25-23 victory to even the match at one set apiece.
- Set 3 TWU Moves in Front: The Pioneers carried their momentum into the third, recording another 15 kills while holding WNMU to eight. TWU hit .216 in the frame and limited the Mustangs to a .133 clip to take the set, 25-19 and grab a 2-1 match advantage.
- Set 4 WNMU Forces a Fifth: TWU and Western New Mexico battled through a tightly contested fourth set. The Pioneers held WNMU to a .045 hitting percentage and forced 10 attack errors, but the Mustangs escaped with a 26-24 victory to extend the match.
- Set 5 Mustangs Edge the Pioneers: TWU recorded eight kills in the deciding frame, but Western New Mexico hit .292 with eight kills and just one attack error. The Mustangs secured the fifth set, 15-12Â to close out the match.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- Charlise Smith led all players with 22 kills to pace the Pioneers offense.
- Trinity Blackwood finished with 12 kills and tied for the team lead with two blocks.
- Alyssa Rojo anchored the TWU defense with a team-high 22 digs while adding four assists and one service ace.
- Mary Grace King recorded 17 digs to go along with eight kills.
- Cat Millsap finished with a team-high 23 assists and added two service aces.
- Lorena Gómez contributed 21 assists and 10 digs.
UP NEXT
The Pioneers will host St. Edward's on Friday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. inside Kitty Magee Arena.
-PIONEERS-
