It’s a very young team lacking in experience but the Lady Stangs are 7-4 in the conference and are playing some exciting volleyball. Last night the Stangs gave the #5 team in the nation, University of Nebraska-Kearney all they could handle. UNK is undefeated this season but the Lady Stangs took them to the limit 26-24, 25-22 & 25-19. Coach Callender does a very good job of getting the team ready and being competitive when no one thinks they should be. Check them out before they are the season is over.
First to the court: The Mustangs came out ready to win this weekend. Last night, WNMU swept CSU-Pueblo in three sets. They did the same thing tonight against Adams State College (25-21, 25-21, 20-25). The Mustangs improve to 5-7 overall and 2-1 in the RMAC. The Lady Stangs are young but talented and as they gain more experience they will return to being one of the elite teams.
Now to the MONEY!!! With the month of October designated as National Breast Cancer Awareness month, head coach Jim Callender and the Western New Mexico University volleyball team will participate in the 2nd Annual Dig for the Cure campaign, which supports the Central New Mexico Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.
The Mustangs have designated their two matches on October 16 and 17 as the team’s “Dig for the Cure” weekend. Individual sponsors pledge money per dig earned by the Mustangs over the two matches on October 16 and 17 or can make a flat donation for the cause. The money raised by the team will go directly to the Central New Mexico Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.
In addition to the pledges, pink “Dig for the Cure” WNMU Volleyball t-shirts will be available the entire month of October. All proceeds of the t-shirts will also go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. The cost of the t-shirts are $10.00.
Why not save money? Buy admission to the game and a t-shirt for $15.00.
“We are excited to work for this great cause,” says Callender. “It allows the team the opportunity to assist in finding a cure of a disease that affects women daily.”
People wishing to contribute monetary donations to the WNMU Dig for the Cure campaign can fill out a pledge sheet online or at a WNMU home volleyball match. You can also contact assistant coach Terra Strain at (575) 538-6236 or straint1@wnmu.edu or Victoria Stimac at (575) 538-6214 or hueninkv@wnmu.edu.
West Texas A&M Tournament: This weekend was going to be interesting for the team because we were still getting the feel of each other because of ten new freshman and seven returners. We are a very talented team but with little experience at the college level. I prepared myself for the tournament to simply stay positive and encouraging for the freshman. I remember at one point on the court it was five freshmen and me. As a team, we came a long way in a short weekend. Going 2-2, our hardest match came against the host team, WTAM. They’re ranked no. 5 in the nation. We lost bad the first two matches but bounced back in the third with a lead, 11-1. Seeing the team come back and realize we can compete with any team showed a lot. Overall the weekend was fun.
Abilene Classis: We knew after the weekend before what little things we needed to change: passing, communication, and serving aggressive. But we couldn’t get on the same page as a team. It seemed we were working hard on scrappy plays and lazy on serve receive. We have good, strong hitters. When we pass great, we put the ball away. As a team, we have to learn the plays that change the momentum our way when we get in a bind. The teams were good. It was a weekend of out of balance for us. We would get in a rhythm and then just hit a brick wall. The little mistakes we made add up quickly when playing to 25. We seem to have made a lot of those this weekend.
Highlands: The big state rival!!! It was a game that would test our ability and confidence to pass and serve well. As we did those two things, we put Highlands on their heels the first and second matches. In the beginning of the third game, we got a little too comfortable and became lazy on passing and defense. We bounced back though to win. It was a good game for everyone. The passes and digs are what made a difference being able to set all three hitters and not settle for a high outside set. Highlands hit a lot of balls out or in the net so blocking wasn’t an issue. Half the time when I was in the front row I’d pull off to be ready to set. It was a great way to start conference. The freshman have to realize it won’t be that easy all season!
Congratulations to Ellen East, WNMU Volleyball. She was selected to the all tournament team this past weekend. The Lady Stangs had a very good outing losing only to the #5 ranked West Texas A&M team in 4 sets. Coach Callendar has a very young team and everyone that made the trip saw action on the court. It is amazing that the volleyball team is consistently competitive year in and year out. WNMU has always been in tough conferences with eventual national champions or we would have won more titles… the future is definitely bright for 2009! Good job. The Stangs open their home season on Sept. 12 so check it out.
