ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- New Mexico, 7-7 overall and 1-1 in the Mountain West, hosts UNLV, 11-3 on the season and 2-0 in conference play, on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The match is also going to be a white out match, with the first 400 fans in attendance receiving a free t-shirt.
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New Mexico Splits First Week of Conference Play
New Mexico volleyball went 1-1 on the week to start Mountain West Conference play, defeating Utah State 26-24, 19-25, 25-16, 25-20 at home and losing to Boise State 26-28, 22-25, 21-25 on the road.
Going the Distance
In the last non-conference match against CMU, and for the fifth time this season, UNM went the distance in a five-set victory. After the Chippewas rallied to force a fifth set, the Lobos scored the first three points of the set, closed the match on a 7-0 run, including four blocks in-a-row, en route to the 15-7 set win.
In the three matches played at the Idaho Volleyball Classic on opening weekend and the three matches at the UNF Invitational, the Lobos played five sets in two of each tournament, going 2-2. UNM lost a late lead in the fifth set to fall to Grand Canyon University to open the tournament, but finished with a five-set victory against host Idaho. At UNF, New Mexico was down to match point at 24-23 in the fourth set, with Lauren Twitty registering a kill to extend the set. The Lobos would go on to win 26-24. In the fifth set, the Lobos trailed 13-10 before fighting back to win the set 16-14.
Setting the Tone
The Lobos have two new setters on the roster in freshman Sabrina Bianco and redshirt-freshman transfer Jaclyn Inclan. Bianco leads the team with 327 assists, averaging 5.84 per set, and Inclan is behind her with 218 assists (4.11 a/s). Combined, the duo has 545 of the team’s 620 assists. Bianco has started all 14 matches, registering double-digit assists in all 14, with a season-high 42 against UNF.
Serves You Right
Bianco (13) and Twitty (11) are first and second, respectively, on the team in service aces. Jaclyn Inclan and Morgan Schreckler both have nine on the season.
Joining the Rankings
Lauren Twitty is eighth in the Mountain West with 3.42 k/s, totaling 188 kills in 55 sets, the sixth-most kills in the conference, as well as eighth in points per set at 3.99 (219.5 points/ 55 sets). Mercedes Pacheco is eighth in digs per set with 3.31.
Nationally, Twitty is ranked in attacks per set (9.67), points (200), points per set (3.92) and total attacks (493). Spragg is ranked in total blocks (53) and blocks per set (1.02).
I’ll Have the Double-Double, Please
The double-doubles keep coming for the Lobos, as UNM has 17 on the season. Tai Bierria and Lauren Twitty each have six, with Twitty recording three double-doubles at the UNF Invitational.
Versus Furman, three New Mexico players had a double-double, but in all three UNF Invitational matches, at least two Lobos had a double-double.
Against Idaho, four Lobo players registered double-doubles. Sabrina Bianco had 30 assists and 12 digs, Jaclyn Inclan had 23 assists to go with 11 digs, in addition to Twitty’s 20 kills and 14 digs and Bierria’s 12 kills and 12 digs.
Just Dig It
Lauren Twitty is pacing the Lobos in digs with 142 digs through 55 sets, an average of 2.58 digs per set. Tai Bierria is second on the team with 121 digs at 2.24 digs per set, followed by Mercedes Pacheco, who has 106 digs (3.31 d/s).
Scouting the Opposition
About UNLV
Although picked to finish last in the Mountain West Preseason Poll, the Rebels currently sit atop of the standings with a 2-0 conference record.
The Rebels have won their last eight matches, and are 5-2 on the road, 6-0 in three-set matches, 4-2 in four sets and 1-1 in five sets.
Mariena Hayden leads the team in kills, service aces and digs with 248 kills (4.77 k/s), 57 service aces (1.10 sa/s) and 187 digs (3.60 d/s), and is hitting .315 on the season. The sophomore outside hitter has tallied 316.5 points, averaging 6.09 points per set. Antonette Rolda has 394 of the team’s 652 assists, an average of 7.58 a/s. Elsa Descamps leads the team with 54 total blocks, six solo and 48 assisted, an average of 1.04 b/s.
Kate Brennan leads the Mountain West in hitting percentage at .387 and Hayden is 10th in the category with her .315 hitting percentage. Hayden leads the conference in kills and kills per set, as well as in service aces (the second-most is 21). Teammates Lauryn Burt (12) and Rolda (17) are also in the top-10 in service aces. Rolda is eighth in assists per set with the sixth-most number of assists. Hayden also ranks in the conference in digs per set at sixth.
UNLV leads the MW in hitting percentage (.275) and opponent hitting percentage (.154), kills per set (13.56) and service aces (120, 2.31 sa/s).
Series vs. UNLV
This will be the 41st meeting between the two teams, with UNLV holding a 24-16 edge. In Albuquerque, the Lobos are 9-12 against the Rebels. UNM won the last match between the teams with a straight-set victory (25-16, 25-20, 25-20) on Nov. 12, 2017. Prior to that win, UNLV had won the previous three matches, and in the last 10 matches, the Rebels have won seven.