Lady Westerners record season-high 171 attacks in Hobbs

Hobbs, NM – It took five sets to decide the matchup between Western Texas College and New Mexico Junior College, as the Lady Westerners fell in a hard-fought battle Saturday afternoon (17-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-23, 5-15).

In the opening set, the Lady Westerners fell behind early 4-10 as the Thunderbirds extended their lead to 14-7 and never looked back, taking the set 25-17. WTC hit .118 in the frame with eight kills on 34 attempts.

Western Texas responded in the second, jumping out to a 7-3 lead and holding control through the set's midpoint, leading 16-9 before closing out the 25-19 win. The Lady Westerners recorded 13 kills with a .237 hitting percentage to even the match.

Set three was a back-and-forth battle. The Lady Westerners opened with a 3-0 lead before the Thunderbirds stormed back with a 13-7 run. WTC rallied within one at 17-18, but NMJC held on to claim the set 25-22.

Facing elimination, the Lady Westerners fought back in the fourth. Both teams traded points early, tying at 7-7 and again at 12-12. After a timeout, WTC pushed ahead 16-13 and held on late for a 25-23 victory, forcing a decisive fifth.

New Mexico Junior College controlled the final set, as the Thunderbirds jumped out to a 5-1 lead and never looked back, taking the set 15-5 and securing the 3-2 match win.

Western Texas finished the match hitting .094 as a team with 43 kills, 27 errors, and 171 total attacks.

Individual leaders

Anayah Sinclair led the Lady Westerners with 13 kills, hitting .212 with one dig. Aubrie Frazier followed with nine kills and four blocks, while Savhanna Thompson added six kills and two aces. Setter Sydney Roberts tallied 21 assists, nine digs, and two aces, while Samantha Loera posted 13 digs and three service aces. Samantha Williams anchored the back row with a team-high 10 digs.

Game Notes

Aubrie Frazier reached a milestone with 200 total points on the season. The last time three Lady Westerners recorded 200 or more points in a single season was during the 2023 campaign.

Samantha Loera also served her 50th ace of the season, continuing her strong performance from the line.

Western Texas recorded a season-high 171 attack attempts in the match as a team.

The Lady Westerners return home on Saturday, October 22, 2025, to host New Mexico Military Institute at 6 p.m.inside the WTC Gymnasium.