SALT LAKE CITY – Playing at home for the first time this season, the Westminster women's volleyball team earned its first conference win as a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with a four-set win against Colorado Mesa on Tuesday night in the Behnken Field House.
 
The Griffins (4-7, 1-2 RMAC) had one of their stronger offensive nights of the young season as they hit .232 with 50 kills in the 25-19, 24-26, 25-17, 25-21 win. Their serving game was solid all night as they tallied 10 service aces, their second-most in a match this season.
 
Amara Culpepper finished with 16 kills – one off her career high – and she had at least five kills in three of the four sets. The sophomore hit .344 and had two digs and two blocks. Alyse Horton hit .243 with 11 kills and nine digs while Jessica Chellsen added eight kills.
 
Taylor Gustafson recorded her first double-double of the season for the Griffins with 22 assists and 13 digs and Jacey Saunders added 14 assists and 13 digs for her second double-double. Megan Gallegos also had 13 digs and Desiree Wickwar had five blocks.
 
Bolstered by .222 hitting and 13 kills in the opening set, Westminster took the early advantage in the match. They set was tied seven times ad featured two lead changes. Westminster held Colorado Mesa (4-7, 2-1) to .119 hitting in the set with five blocks.
 
CMU responded with 15 kills in the second set and they held the Griffins to only 10 kills and .161 hitting in the frame. The visiting Mavericks scored six straight points late in the set to open a 20-16 advantage. Down 24-21 the Griffins were able to level the set at 24-24 before CMU got consecutive kills from Erin Perez to even the match.
 
Westminster controlled the third set with five kills from Culpepper and they posted 15 kills and .400 hitting as a team. The set was tied 14 times and featured three lead changes, but Westminster scored nine of the final 10 points to take a 2-1 advantage in the match.
 
It was the Mavericks that took control early in the fourth set jumping out to an early 10-7 lead. With the set tied at 15-15, the Griffins ran off five consecutive points and never trailed the rest of the way. They had 12 kills and hit .150 in the frame, but they forced CMU into eight errors and recorded a pair of blocks.
 
CMU got a match-high 22 kills from Audrey Steinkirchner and she finished the match hitting .360. Erin Perez and Hattie Gianinetti had 13 kills apiece.
 
The Griffins will remain at home for two more matches this weekend as they host Regis on Friday and Chadron on Saturday. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. in the Behnken Field House.