After a 13-hour bus ride, the Griffins arrived at New Mexico Highlands' purple gym ready to open conference play. The stakes were high—only one chance to face this opponent, and only one team would leave with the win.

Westminster came out firing, doing what they do best, and secured the opening set 25-19 behind sharp swings on the outside from Sadie Parrish and Breegan Huntsman, who finished with 14 and 11 kills. The Cowgirls responded in the second, battling point for point before edging out a 26-24 victory to even the match.

With momentum up for grabs, the Griffins regrouped and delivered nearly flawless volleyball in the third set, cruising to a 25-15 win. In the middle, Mailei Myers and Hailey Killett set the tone defensively, each recording three solo blocks to keep Highlands' hitters on edge. But the Cowgirls weren't done yet—taking advantage of a late Westminster lull, they claimed the fourth set 25-20 to force a decisive fifth.

In the winner-take-all final frame, the Griffins rose to the challenge. Disciplined blocking, relentless defense, and timely swings, combined with the energy of a fired-up bench, pushed Westminster across the finish line with a 15-12 victory. The result marked a true team effort and delivered their first conference win of the season.