TAMPA, Fla. — The University of New Mexico volleyball team rallied from a 1-0 deficit to defeat Stetson in four sets, 19-25, 27-25, 25-21, 25-16, Friday morning in both teams’ opener of the USF Invitational at the Sun Dome in Tampa.
Behind a double-double from senior Julia Warren (16 kills and 11 digs), 12 kills from senior Cassie House and a career-high 24 digs from redshirt junior Ashley Kelsey, the Lobos (4-1) rebounded from a lethargic first set en route to topping the Hatters (0-4).
Despite falling in set one to Stetson, New Mexico largely outperformed the Hatters from DeLand, Florida, registering more kills (51 to 44), assists (51 to 42), digs (65 to 60) and aces (seven to five).
The Lobos also outhit Stetson, posting a .168 hitting percentage (51 kills, 26 errors, 149 attempts) to the Hatters’ .137 success rate (44-25-139).
The only significant advantage Stetson held was at the net, where it out-blocked UNM 12 to nine.
New Mexico also received strong individual performances, highlighted by Warren’s second double-double of the season and the 14th of her career.
Redshirt sophomore Mariessa Carrasco (nine kills) and senior Devanne Sours (seven kills) also contributed offensively, and sophomore Carson Heilborn (career-high 38 assists) continued to take the majority of the Lobos’ setting duties.
The Lobos and Hatters opened the match relatively even, fighting to a 6-6 tie early. But Stetson built up a lead at 16-9 before the Lobos scratched back to within five points at 20-15. However UNM wouldn’t get any closer as Stetson sandwiched a pair of 4-1 runs around three-straight Lobo points to claim set one 25-19.
New Mexico hit .000 (10-10-38) in set one, with only House (four kills) compiling more than two kills. Stetson wasn’t much more successful, hitting .138 (10-6-29), in a set where both teams performed similarly in the box score.
UNM came out with more intensity in set two, claiming a quick 4-2 lead that expanded into a 15-8 advantage. The Lobos would continue to build their lead via Stetson errors, moving up 18-11 before claiming a 21-14 lead.
The Hatters would make it interesting late, reeling off a 9-2 run to make it 23-23, but the Lobos scored four of the final six points in the set to win 27-25.
Again, both teams struggled to play clean ball in the frame. Stetson tallied six blocks, but the Lobos countered with three aces and six Warren kills, including the set winner.
In set three, Stetson would jump out to a quick 10-2 lead as the Lobos committed five errors. But New Mexico would rally behind their seniors, posting a 12-4 run to knot the set at 14-all. The Lobos would follow with a 7-2 run to move up 21-17, staving off a late Hatters run to win 25-21.
House, Sours and Warren combined for 12 of the Lobos’ 16 kills in the stanza, helping UNM to a .333 hitting percentage (16-4-36).
Set four was a closer affair, with six ties through 16 serves. But New Mexico posted runs of 8-2 and 5-1 to go up 21-13 in the set before relying on three Stetson errors late to win 25-16.
Warren added five errorless kills in the final frame to power UNM to a .219 success rate (10-3-32). The Lobos’ defense also improved, holding the Hatters to a -.032 hitting percentage (9-10-31).
New Mexico returns to action at 5:30 p.m. MT to face tournament host South Florida.