BOX SCORE (PDF)
FRESNO, Calif.— The University of New Mexico dropped two close sets to Fresno State on Saturday afternoon before losing the third set in a three-set setback at the Save Mart Center.
With the 22-25, 22-25, 17-25 loss, UNM drops to 11-9 on the season and 5-3 in the Mountain West.
Tai Bierria led the Lobos with 10 kills, while Sabrina Bianco had 17 of the team’s 32 assists in the match. Jaclyn Inclan contributed with 14 assists and Mercedes Pacheco recorded one. Pacheco had a team-high eight digs and Victoria Spragg had four assisted blocks to lead the defense.
In the opening set, there were five ties and three lead changes, and although the Lobos had a late lead, UNM couldn’t hold on, dropping the set. The Lobos scored the first point on a Bulldog error, but Fresno State scored the next four points to force an early New Mexico timeout. Out of the timeout, the lead grew to five at 7-2, but the Lobos used a 5-1 run to pull within one at 8-7. Fresno State regained the lead and pulled back ahead by four at 12-8. A 3-0 run with kills by Mariessa Carrasco and Lauren Twitty, capped by a Carrasco solo block brought UNM back to within one at 12-11. UNM fought back to tie the set at 13 and a Nicolette Clark kill on the following point gave the Lobos their first lead since it was 1-0. UNM’s lead fluctuated between two and one before FSU tied the set at 19. UNM responded with the next two points to retake the lead at 21-19. A service error gave the Bulldogs a point back, which would start a 3-0 run that helped them take a late 22-21 lead. A service error by Fresno State tied the set at 22, but the Bulldogs took the next three points to take the first set, 25-22. Twitty led the Lobos with three kills and three digs and Bianco and Inclan each had four assists. Carrasco had a solo block and Spragg and Twitty combined for a solo block as UNM had a 2-1 advantage in blocks in the first set.
Fresno State recorded the first two points of the second frame and even though New Mexico threatened late, FSU didn’t relinquish the lead. New Mexico came within one early at 3-2, but the Bulldogs pulled ahead 6-2 and the deficit grew to six at 10-4. UNM struggled to get the margin closer than five as each time the Lobos recorded a point to bring the deficit to five, the Bulldogs pushed it right back to six on the next point. The Lobos strung together two-straight points on a Bulldog error and Spragg and Bierria block midway through the set that made it 16-12, but the Bulldogs got the points right back to push the deficit back to six at 18-12. After FSU took a 22-16 lead, UNM recorded back-to-back points on a Danica Rowan kill followed by a Bulldog attack error to make it a four-point margin. UNM got as close as 23-20 before FSU registered set point at 24-20. The Lobos were able to fight off set point twice, with Spragg registering a kill, followed by a Twitty kill to make it 24-22. Fresno State took the next point to claim the second set by the same 25-22 score. Bierria had five kills and seven digs in the set to lead UNM, with Bianco assisting on eight of the team’s 11 kills. Spragg added three assisted blocks in the frame, combining with Carrasco, Bianco and Clark on the stops.
The Lobos held close to the Bulldogs in the first 11 points behind two early kills by Twitty that made it 6-5. However, a 6-2 run by the Bulldogs pushed the deficit to five at 12-7. The Lobos were able to get within three at 13-10 off of a Pacheco kill, but the Bulldogs answered with a run that pushed their lead to 19-10. Bierria ended the run with her 10th kill of the match, followed by a Twitty kill, but Fresno State then made it 22-12 with a 3-0 run. New Mexico answered with three-straight points to cut into the Bulldog lead at 22-15. There would be an exchange of points for the next four points before a Lobo service error gave the Bulldogs the final point to take the set, 25-17, and the match. Bierria closed the match with four more kills in the third set, Inclan had seven of the team’s 12 assists and Pacheco added four of her eight digs.
UNM is home for the next two matches, starting with Colorado State on Thursday at 7 p.m. and followed by Wyoming on Saturday at noon.