Open Announce

New Mexico Drops Match to New Mexico State

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The University of New Mexico volleyball team dropped a Rio Grande Rivalry match to New Mexico State Monday evening, falling in straight sets by scores of 25-18, 25-16, 28-26.

Despite 15 kills from Lauren Twitty and a seven-kill, 10-dig performance from Hailey Rubino, the Lobos (11-10) struggled to convert against the Aggies (14-7) and their block inside the Pan American Center.

Twitty led New Mexico’s offense with 15 kills, but hit .167 with eight errors on a match-high 42 attempts. She was the only Lobo with double-digit kills, with Rubino and Mariessa Carrasco (four kills) also contributing to UNM’s attack.

As a team, New Mexico hit .102, with 33 kills and 21 errors on 118 attempts.

Ashley Kelsey finished with a team-high 12 digs, with Rubino also in double figures. Twitty added nine digs, while Mercedes Pacheco and Carson Heilborn chipped in seven each.

Three Lobos finished with three blocks, including Carrasco, Heilborn and Victoria Spragg.

Both teams opened the match evenly as neither side posted much of a lead early. New Mexico State would go up 6-2 to start, but a 7-3 spurt for the Lobos gave them the advantage at 10-9. Each side would then trade points en route to a tie at 16-16.

However, the Aggies would take control, scoring nine of the final 11 points for a 25-18 set win.

Twitty logged five kills in the set, but UNM hit just a .026 rate (9-8-38) as a team.  

The second set started much like the first ended as New Mexico State raced out to an 8-1 lead. New Mexico would notch a 6-1 run to cut its deficit to four points at 14-10, but the Lobos would get no closer as the Aggies answered with their own 6-1 run to go up 20-11.

UNM made it a six-point game at 21-15, but NM State finished with four of the final five points of the set to win the set 25-16.

New Mexico’s block came to play in the second frame with four total blocks. But UNM hit .000 in the set (8-8-37), with four kills from Twitty and three from Carrasco.

The Lobos made a bit of a comeback to start the third set, taking an 11-7 lead on the Aggies. But NM State would reel off a 7-1 run to take a two-point lead at 17-15, holding that until New Mexico scored four in a row to go up 23-21.

However, New Mexico State tallied the next three points to get a match-point opportunity at 24-23 before UNM scored two straight for a set-point chance at 25-24. But the Aggies would tie the set up at 25 and, after a final Lobo point, scored the final three points for a 28-26 win.

UNM managed to outhit NM State in the set, .256 to .204, but the Aggies’ block again proved problematic for UNM with four blocks. Twitty had six kills in the set, with Rubino adding four.

The Lobos return to action on Thursday as they return to Mountain West play against Wyoming. First serve is schedule for 7 p.m. MT in Johnson Center.

Fans can follow @UNMLoboVB on Twitter and Instagram for information and updates on the team!