AMES, Iowa — Who needs coffee when you have volleyball?
Facing a 9 a.m. MT match vs. Kent State, the University of New Mexico volleyball team came out firing in their second contest of the season, riding a strong offensive attack to their second straight sweep of the Cyclone Invitational.
The Lobos moved to 2-0 on the young year, largely relying on a balanced and potent offense as they toppled the Golden Flashes (0-2) in three sets, 25-23, 25-18, 25-22, inside the Hilton Coliseum in Ames.
“It was a great match for us,” UNM head coach Jeff Nelson said. “I thought we played really steady all the way through. The passing was good. Kent State was a very good team. They passed really well, they ran the ball quick and had nice rhythms.”
After rolling by Nebraska Omaha in their season opener on Friday, the Lobos continued to shine to open their 2017 season.
New Mexico hit a solid .284 in the match, with 48 kills and just 15 attack errors on 116 attempts. Five players had at least seven kills, with sophomore Lauren Twitty leading the youthful Lobos with a career high-tying 14 putaways.
Along with Twitty’s strong performance — which also featured eight digs and her first two career block solos — UNM tandem of middle blockers, Victoria Spragg and Mariessa Carrasco, each added nine kills and two blocks.
Together, Spragg (.375 hitting percentage) and Carrasco (.421) hit .400 from the middle.
“I like that we’re getting output from a lot of different positions, particularly the middle,” Nelson said. “I like that we’re running the middle a lot early and finding good rhythm there. I think that will help us down the road.”
Additionally, setter Carson Heilborn dished out 35 assists and tied a career best with nine kills, while Hailey Rubino notched seven kills.
Defensively, senior Ashley Kelsey continued her torrid start to the season, racking up 14 digs. Mercedes Pacheco added nine digs for the Lobos, who held Kent State to a .189 (38 kills, 18 errors, 106 attacks) hitting percentage.
New Mexico opened the match strongly, racing to a 4-1 lead early in set one. Kent State would tie the set at 7-7 and 8-8, but a 5-0 run gave UNM a 13-8 lead. The Golden Flashes eventually retook the lead after a 6-2 stretch, but the Lobos responded with an 8-3 run of their own to gain control of the set, winning 25-23.
The Lobos pick up their second sweep of the season, dispatching Kent State 3-0 at the Cyclone Invite! #GoLobos #UNMatched pic.twitter.com/z6RDrqENwX
— New Mexico Volleyball (@UNMLoboVB) August 26, 2017
Spragg, Twitty and Rubino all have five kills in the opening frame, which helped New Mexico overcome five blocks by Kent State.
The second set opened with the Golden Flashes mustering an 8-5 lead, which UNM countered with five straight points. Kent State would get no closer than that, as the Lobos allowed back-to-back points for the Golden Flashes just once more in the set, a 25-18 win for New Mexico.
Heilborn’s offense come into play significantly during the second set, as she logged five kills on six attempts. Twitty and Carrasco chipped in four kills each, guiding UNM to a .433 clip (15-2-30).
After intermission, both teams played the third set closely, with 10 ties in the first 22 serves. Kent State would game some separation at 18-14, but the Lobos translated a 5-0 run in to a 19-18 lead.
New Mexico then scored six of the final nine points of the set for a 25-22 win. The Golden Flashes committed six attack errors during UNM’s match-clinching 11-4 run.
“We played really consistent in all three games through the last five or six points of the game, where we were able to pull away,” Nelson said.
The Lobos close out the Cyclone Invitational later on Saturday, facing tournament host Iowa State at 5:30 p.m. MT.
Fans can follow @UNMLoboVB on Twitter and Instagram for information and updates on the team!