BOISE, Idaho — Four players scored double-figure kills, including a match-high 20 kills from Lauren Twitty, as the University of New Mexico volleyball team earned a 3-1 win over Boise State Saturday afternoon.
Behind tremendous balance on both offense and defense, the Lobos (13-12 overall, 5-7 Mountain West) defeated the Broncos (13-11, 6-6 MW) in Boise for the first time since 2014, claiming the win by set scores of 25-19, 25-19, 22-25, 25-22.
“I think that we played really good ball,” head coach Jeff Nelson said. “It was steady all the way though. … There haven’t been many teams in the conference that have won in Boise, so it’s really great to come up here and get a win and sweep for the weekend.”
Along with a 3-0 sweep of Utah State on Thursday, the Lobos won both matches on this yearly road trip for the first time in three years.
But, unlike the win over the Aggies where New Mexico’s defense won the day, Saturday’s triumph featured superb play all over the court.
As team, the Lobos hit .352, with 67 kills and just 17 errors on 142 attempts. The team’s hitting percentage was its highest since hitting .355 at Wyoming on September 23, while its 67 kills were the most this season.
Twitty’s 20 kills were tops among players in the match, and her third game this season with at least 20. She’s finished with double-digit kills in six straight matches, the longest streak in her career.
However, three other Lobos had at least 10 kills on Saturday, with Mariessa Carrasco (13 kills. .400 hitting percentage), Hailey Rubino (12, career-high .286) and Carly Beddingfield (12, career-high .571) all contributing.
New Mexico knocks off Boise State on the road for the first time since 2014 as the Lobos win 3-1! #GoLobos #UNMatched pic.twitter.com/rBYrdcOTHN
— New Mexico Volleyball (@UNMLoboVB) October 28, 2017
It’s the first time since September 16, 2016 that four players had double-figure kills for UNM.
Victoria Spragg almost made it five players with 10-plus kills as she finished with nine kills on a .529 hitting percentage.
“Offensively, I think it was our best overall output of the season,” Nelson said. “We hit .350 against Boise, which is a really good defensive team. We put up really good numbers.”
Sarah Lobo continued to key New Mexico’s offense, finishing with a career-best 58 assists. She is the first UNM freshman with at least 58 assists in a match since Sarah Kwasigroch had 63 vs. San Diego State in 2005.
Lobo’s 58 assists are also the most by any player in a four-set match since 2003 and the fifth-most by any player during the 25-point, rally-scoring era (2008-present).
New Mexico’s defense also dazzled, racking up 59 digs and seven total blocks.
Ashley Kelsey led the way with 22 digs, her fourth-straight match with at least 20 digs, while Lobo and Rubino chipped in 11 each to register double-doubles. For Lobo, it’s her second double-double in her last three matches, while Rubino recorded the first in her career.
At the net, Rubino and Carrasco both posted four blocks, including Rubino’s first career block solo, while Spragg collected two block solos.
Boise State jumped out to a 6-2 lead early in the first set, but New Mexico took its first lead at 7-6 after a 5-0 run. The Broncos would regain the advantage at 13-10, only to have the Lobos take control at 17-13 after posting a 7-0 spurt.
The hosts would get as close as four points at 20-16, but four straight kills put UNM up 24-16. A late push from the Broncos wouldn’t be enough as the Lobos won the set 25-19.
Twitty had six kills in the set, while Spragg had five kills on six swings. The Lobos hit .306 with 17 kills in the set, while simultaneously limiting BSU to a .029 rate and seven kills.
The second set opened similarly, with Boise State holding a 7-6 lead. But New Mexico would rally for a 9-7 lead, pushing ahead 14-9 after scoring four in a row.
The Broncos would stay close, even cutting UNM’s lead to three at 20-17, but the Lobos pulled away with another 4-0 run, winning the set by a second straight 25-19 score.
Twitty continued to thrive in the second stanza, logging another seven kills. Carrasco added five errorless kills on seven hits, helping New Mexico to a .500 hitting percentage, the team’s best since .519 vs. Youngstown State on September 15.
Coming out of intermission, Boise State took a 9-6 lead early, expanding that lead to 13-9 to force a UNM timeout. The Broncos would build a six-point advantage at 18-12, eventually withstanding a late 6-0 surge from the Lobos to win 25-22.
Looking to close the match out, New Mexico took a 6-4 lead to open set four, building its advantage to four at 13-9. The Lobos would extend their lead to eight points at 21-13, allowing Boise State to get no closer than four points until late, when BSU made it a two-point affair at 24-22.
But Rubino finished the match off with a kill, securing the set for UNM 25-22. Five players had at least three kills in the final frame, led by Beddingfield’s five. Spragg, Twitty and Rubino each had four, with Carrasco notching three.
The Lobos returns to action next Thursday as they welcome San José State to Johnson Center in Albuquerque.
Fans can follow @UNMLoboVB on Twitter and Instagram for information and updates on the team!