New Mexico Tops Fresno State in "Lobos Love Pink" Match
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico’s school colors are cherry and silver, but don’t mind the Lobos if they embrace the pink.
Five players had at least eight kills each led by Lauren Twitty’s 12 as the University of New Mexico volleyball team defeated Fresno State in four sets during the team’s “Lobos Love Pink” match Saturday afternoon in Johnson Center.
Powered by a balanced attack and strong efforts across the board, the Lobos (11-9 overall, 3-5 Mountain West) snapped a three-game losing streak with the win and moved to 9-1 in breast cancer awareness matches under head coach Jeff Nelson.
The set scores were 25-22, 25-19, 25-27, 25-16.
“It’s October,” Nelson said. “We’ve been struggling with sickness, we’ve been fighting ourselves a little bit and it was good to have a good match, put up good numbers and stay confident.”
Playing for a cause and in need of a victory, the Lobos went into their tilt against the Bulldogs (8-12, 3-5) with some fire.
Since its 3-0 sweep of Utah State two weeks prior on September 30, New Mexico dropped three straight matches to open October.
New Mexico rebounds with a big 3-1 win over Fresno State on Lobos Love Pink day in Johnson Center! #GoLobos #UNMatched pic.twitter.com/YqfeFPIIEv
— New Mexico Volleyball (@UNMLoboVB) October 14, 2017
“Coming off a couple bad losses, I think we decided we needed to push through and needed to fight,” redshirt junior Victoria Spragg said.
Spragg, who tallied eight kills, was one of five New Mexico players to register at least eight kills, joining Twitty, Mariessa Carrasco (11 kills), Hailey Rubino (nine) and Carson Heilborn (eight).
Carrasco’s 11 kills give her three matches in a row with double-digit kills, while Heilborn’s eight were one off her career high.
As a team, New Mexico hit .246, with 52 kills and 21 errors on 126 attempts.
However, as productive as the Lobos’ offense was, their defense was a highlight, turning a strong 12-block, 47-dig performance as Fresno State hit just .128 (50-31-148).
Spragg led the way at the net with a career high-tying nine total blocks and two block solos, while Rubino shattered her previous career best with five total blocks.
Rubino added 10 digs — second on the match to teammate Ashley Kelsey’s 15 — as she played full rotation for the first time since injuring her foot vs. Portland on September 8.
“It was good to see Hailey back and play all the way around,” Nelson said. “That’s a huge difference just in our movement and our work ethic out there. I think she’s kind of a workhorse and it’s really nice to have her back and going all the way around for us.”
The first set opened exceptionally close, with both teams trading points en route to the media timeout. Neither side posted more than a two-point lead until the Lobos reeled off a 6-0 run to take a 19-13 lead.
Fresno State would slowly chip into New Mexico’s lead, but Twitty ended the set with her fifth kill of the match to win the frame 25-22 for UNM.
The Bulldogs took a quick 6-4 lead in the second stanza, but an 8-2 run gave New Mexico a 12-8 lead it would not relinquish. Fresno State would draw to within three points at 13-10, but the Lobos effectively put the set out of reach with a 6-1 run that put them up 21-15.
Like in the first set, Twitty finished the Bulldogs off with a kill (her 10th of the match at that point) as UNM won 25-19.
Along with Twitty’s five putaways, Rubino, Spragg and Carrasco had three kills each in the set, powering UNM to a .323 hitting percentage (15-5-31).
“In games one and two, we were really stable,” Nelson said. “We got the lead and kind of just held onto it. Played good steady ball, didn’t give up any runs of points.”
Coming out of intermission, Fresno State came of firing in set three, racing to a 7-2 lead. The Lobos would eventually knot the set up at 13-13 after a Rubino kill and back-to-back Bulldog errors.
A 4-0 run put UNM up 17-16, sparking a back-and-forth finish to the set as neither team could hold much of a lead. New Mexico would get the first crack at set point at 24-23, but the Bulldogs capped the set with a 4-1 run, winning the third set 27-25.
Heilborn and Rubino both posted four kills in the frame, but both sides struggled to convert. UNM hit .162 in the set (14-8-37), while Fresno State hit .167 (15-7-48).
However, New Mexico stepped up in the fourth set, running out to a 10-3 lead on the Bulldogs. The Lobos would build the lead all the way up to 16-4 after an Abbey Willison ace, cruising to a dominant 25-16 win.
“Game four was really solid and we forced a lot of mistakes,” Nelson said. “I’m really happy to see us bounce back after losing that 27-25 set and really take it to them.”
Carrasco and Heilborn both had two kill in the set, but the Lobos’ defense proved the key as Fresno State hit just .028 (11-10-36) in the set.
The Lobos now face a quick turnaround as the head down to Las Cruces on Monday to play Rio Grande Rival New Mexico State.
Fans can follow @UNMLoboVB on Twitter and Instagram for information and updates on the team!