DALLAS, Texas – It was a five-set heartbreaker for the University of New Mexico volleyball team as they suffered a 3-2 loss to SMU on Saturday afternoon in the final match of the SMU Invite.
The Lobos dropped the first two sets of the match by scores of 25-19 and 25-23 but pulled together to win the next two sets, 25-23, 27-25. The final set was back-and-forth but SMU came out on top 15-13.
“I was disappointed in the way we started the match,” said head coach Jeff Nelson.”But in set two we played better but let a lead go. I felt like we should have won the match in four sets. At halftime we had a little heart-to-heart. In sets three and four we stayed ahead and won tight sets, really showed maturity. I think for the first time all year we handled tight sets well.”
The final set went point-for-point between the two teams. The Lobos put down a kill and on the next play, the Mustangs were right back with a kill of their own. The set was tied at 10-10 after a kill from senior Chantale Riddle. SMU scored but Riddle threw down again to tie the set at 11-11. The Lobos rallied on the next play and Riddle, once again, put the ball away, taking 12-11 the lead and forcing an SMU timeout.
After the timeout, the Mustangs came out with a kill but Julia Warren put the Lobos back up 13-12 with her seventh kill of the match. The Lobos’ next plays were attack errors that put the final score into the Mustangs win column.
“Set five went point for point. Unfortunately, Chantale had 27 kills and she rotated out of the front row. We were stuck in a rotation that just didn’t work for us. We made a couple bad decisions.”
In the third set, the Lobos started out strong but SMU was right there with them until the Lobos took control with their biggest lead of four points at 17-13 after a kill by Hannah Johnson. Miscues from the Lobos brought SMU up to tie the set at 19-19. Two kills from SMU put them ahead 21-19 but Skye Gullatt got a sideout for the Lobos, getting the team back on track. An attack error and two Riddle kills boosted the Lobos up 23-21. Another error from SMU and a kill from Gullatt ended the set 25-23 in the Lobos favor.
The fourth set was much the same but this time the Lobos took the lead and ran with it. The two teams were tied at 3-3 but a Warren kill put the Lobos up for most of the set until SMU tied it up at 20-20. The teams traded points for awhile and were tied again at 25-25. The Lobos received a kill from Warren and an attacking error from the Mustangs to send the match into the Lobos first five-set match of the 2014 season.
“We talk about maturity. We still have to mature. We have to do the little things better and stick to our game plan better. It was a great match. SMU is a really good team. It’s a mature team that plays well when they need to. It was a great volleyball match. If you were a fan watching it was a great, fun match. We just made a couple of unfortunate errors at the wrong time.”
Riddle led the Lobos with a career-high of 27 kills. She had 13 digs for her fourth straight double-double of the season and her third on the weekend. Riddle was named to the all-tournament team after tallying 51 kills (4.25 per set), a .294 hitting percentage, 19 blocks and 47 digs.
“She is helping in so many ways. She had a massive night and a massive weekend offensively and even bigger defensively. She did it all over the court and did a great job. I am really proud of the way she is playing.”
Johnson had her third double-double of the weekend, tallying 52 assists and 4 digs. She was the other Lobos to make the all-tournament team as she recorded 116 assists in three matchs (9.67 per set), 10 kills and 38 digs. Skye Gullatt had her first double-double of the season, collecting 11 kills to go along with 10 blocks. The Lobos outhit SMU .240 – .205.
New Mexico is 7-5 on the season after the SMU match and will start conference play on the road next weekend against San Jose State and Nevada. It will play San Jose State Thursday at 7 p.m. and Nevada on Saturday at 3 p.m.
“I think it is really similar to conference. This week we have San Jose State and Nevada, who is much improved. I think we have to expect a tough match and we are on the road again for the second straight week. We have to be prepared and we can’t take anything lightly.”