PORTALES, N.M. — The St. Mary's University Volleyball team picked up the tempo and intensity in the fifth set to escape Eastern New Mexico with a victory, 25-18, 25-22, 12-25, 23-25, 15-8, snapping a four-match losing skid.
The Rattlers (13-7, 5-4) entered the night having dropped their last three five-set matches but buckled down to break that streak as well. StMU opened the season with a five-set win over McKendree and dropped the next three, including both matches two weeks ago, before using all aspects of the game to get the win.
Defensively, the Rattlers posted a season-high 106 digs, breaking the 100 threshold for the first time since Nov. 2, 2022, at Texas A&M Kingsville (126). A big reason for the defensive effort was junior libero
Alyssa Koehl (New Braunfels, Texas), who collected a career-best 41 digs, establishing the highest total in the Lone Star Conference this season and tying the St. Mary's record for digs in a five-set match (modern scoring). She ties Victorria Martinez, who had 41 against Central Oklahoma on Oct. 28, 2011, and is the first to top the 40-dig mark in the Lone Star since Giulia Hortelan from St. Edward's had 41 against Texas A&M International on Nov. 8, 2023.
Three other Rattlers hit double digits in digs as junior
Landri Withers (Stephenville, Texas) recorded 18, senior setter
Cali Nims (Corpus Christi, Texas) totaled 17, and senior
Alicia Virthe (Orlando, Fla.) posted a career-best 11.
Offensively, Virthe crushed a career-high 25 kills, topping her previous high of 20 done in the first match of her career and the first match of this season against McKendree. The 25 kills tie for the third-most in a five-set match in StMU history (modern scoring) and are the most for a Rattlers since Alissa Tolbert punched 28 against West Texas A&M on Oct. 8, 2021. Virthe also led the match with a .423 hitting percentage (25-3-52).
Withers added 12 kills, giving her the 10th double-double of the season and the 25th of her career. Withers also took 40 of the team's 85 receptions on the evening. Freshman
Taylor Alston (San Antonio) landed in double figures in kills for the third time in her young career, adding 10.
Nims tied her career-high with 53 assists and notched the 41st double-double of her career. She was also one of three Rattlers with an ace serve, joining Virthe and sophomore middle blocker
Olivia Rubio (San Antonio). She entered the match with only four attempts at the service line in her collegiate career. Rubio also tied for team-high honors with three blocks, knotting Virthe and sophomore
Madi Milligan (San Antonio).
The Rattlers jumped out to the 2-0 lead in the match, but the Greyhounds (3-17, 0-9) forced StMU into a slower offensive pace to win the next two sets. In the fifth set, the Rattlers hit .368 (10-3-19) and sided out at a 77% clip, using the faster offense to frustrate the ENMU defense and push them into hitting mistakes.
St. Mary's now faces a tough test in traveling to Canyon to take on No. 8 West Texas A&M on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Lady Buffs swept St. Edward's on Friday evening to remain undefeated in LSC action.
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