Oct. 12, 2008
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — So close. After being swept for the last eight matches in Fort Collins, the University of New Mexico tested No. 13 Colorado State but came up just short in the five set loss, 25-17, 20-25, 20-25, 25-16, 15-12. The Lobos are now 14-4 overall and 4-3 in MWC play, while CSU is 16-1 and 6-0.
CSU took the first set 25-17 but did not build a significant lead until late in the set after UNM had closed to within two at 16-14. The Rams went on an 8-2 run to build a 24-16 lead. Jade Michaelsen picked up her only kill of the match to hold off CSU at set point, 24-17 before Mekana Barnes hit one of her 19 kills on the afternoon.
UNM turned it around in the second set, out-hitting the Rams .429 to .167. CSU took 8-5 lead to start the set. A hitting error by the Rams tied the score at 10, before UNM took an 11-10 lead on a block by Allie Suiter and Taylor Hadfield. The final tie of the set was at 13 on a service ace by Katelyn Steffan. Rose Morris hit one of her three kills in the set to put the Lobos up 14-13. CSU stayed close until Michaelsen served a 3-0 run to put UNM up 23-17. Kills by Jeanne Fairchild and Hadfield sealed the 25-20 win for the Lobos and put the teams even going into intermission.
In the third set UNM hit over .400 for second set in a row at a .423 clip. The Rams had a 17-16 lead until Fairchild put down two kills and a block to get UNM ahead 19-17. UNM never gave back the lead finishing the set with four straight points, including two blocks by Anna Lehne and Hadfield, 25-20.
In the fourth set, the Lobo offense struggled as the Rams out-hit UNM, .300 to .028, and held the lead after the set was tied at 8.
With the match tied at 2-2, UNM took a 2-0 lead to start the fifth set, but CSU had the lead at 8-5 on the turn. Sarah Kwasigroch evened the set at 9-9 on a service ace. UNM would even the set two more times at 10 and 11 before CSU put the set away, 15-12.
Lehne had a career-high 12 blocks on the afternoon, while Fairchild had a season-high 27 kills. Michaelsen had 46 assists and Gayle Tripp had 22 digs for UNM.
The Lobos return to Johnson Center for a three-match homestand that begins with Air Force on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m.