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Twitty Captures MW Offensive Player of the Week Honors

Lauren TwittyLauren Twitty

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — For the second straight week, the Mountain West has named a University of New Mexico volleyball player as MW Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, with Lauren Twitty earning Monday the distinction for matches played through September 23.

Twitty, a sophomore outside hitter from Broadlands, Virginia, helped guide the Lobos (9-5 overall, 1-1 MW) to a 1-1 record last weekend as the team opened conference play on the road at No. 23 Colorado State and Wyoming.

Twitty posted 39 kills over six sets last week, with just five errors on 87 total attempts for a hitting percentage of .391. She averaged 6.50 kills per set as New Mexico defeated Wyoming and fell to Colorado State.

“Lauren had an amazing weekend and really put up huge numbers for our team,” UNM head coach Jeff Nelson said. “She was seeing the block really well and hit some really good shots. I’m very happy for her and the team.”

In the Lobos’ road sweep of the Cowgirls on Saturday, Twitty powered New Mexico’s offense, logging a career-best 25 kills on a career-best .442 attack percentage (25-2-52)

Twitty’s 25 kills were noteworthy for a number of different reasons:

  • 25 kills in a three-set match are tied for the most by a Lobo in a three-set match in program history. Only Olympian Tania Gooley has equaled that feat, posting 25 vs. Utah on November 6, 1992. Twitty’s 25 kills are the UNM record during the 25-point, rally-scoring era (2008-present).
  • 25 kills are the most kills in the MW and third-most kills in Division I in a three-set match this season.
  • 25 kills in a three-set match are the most in the MW since Boise State’s Sierra Nobley had 25 vs. Utah State in 2015. 25 kills are also tied for the third-most in any MW match this season.
  • 25 kills are the most in any match for New Mexico since Julia Warren had 28 in a 3-2 loss to Utah State last November.
  • 25 kills are tied for the sixth-most in any match for the Lobos during the 25-point, rally-scoring era.
  • 25 kills make Twitty the first UNM sophomore with at least 25 kills since Kelly Therkelsen had 25 vs. George Washington on September 10, 2004.

Twitty ended up with her stellar statline via superb performances in the first and second sets, notching 10 kills in both sets. She equalled her previous career best (set on September 16 in a 3-1 win over Tennessee Tech) by intermission.

She logged four straight points for UNM during the first set to turn a 12-11 UW lead into a 15-13 UNM lead that the Lobos wouldn’t relinquish en route to winning 25-23. She also scored New Mexico’s final three points in set two as the Lobos won 25-21.

She also posted 10 digs vs. Wyoming for her sixth double-double of the season.

Against No. 23 Colorado State, Twitty finished with 14 kills on a .314 hitting percentage (14-3-35).

On the week, she totalled 44.0 points (39 kills, 1 service ace, 4 total blocks) to average 7.33 points per set. She finished with the game high in points in both of UNM’s matches, notching 17 vs. CSU (14k, 1sa, 2tb) and 27 vs. Wyoming (25k, 2tb).

This is Twitty’s first career MW player of the week honor and the team’s second straight offensive honor after Mariessa Carrasco earned the selection last week.

Twitty’s and Carrasco’s honors are just the second time in program history two players earned a weekly honor from the MW in back-to-back weeks. In the final two weeks of the 2015 season, Hannah Johnson and Skye Gullatt were named Offensive and Defensive players of the week, respectively.

The Lobos return to action on Thursday as they welcome 2016 Mountain West champions Boise State for a 7 p.m. MT match in Johnson Center.

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