ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– The University of New Mexico volleyball team is at home for two matches this week, starting with Colorado State on Thursday, Oct.18 at 7 p.m. The Rams enter the match at 14-6, 6-2 in the Mountain West and just one game ahead of the Lobos, who are 11-9 and 5-3 in the Mountain West.
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Lobos Last Time Out
New Mexico volleyball’s four-match winning streak was snapped on Thursday night with a four-set (21-25, 22-25, 25-21, 15-25) loss at San Diego State.The Lobos then lost in three at Fresno State, 22-25, 22-25, 17-25.
The Closer
Junior outside hitter Tai Bierria has scored the final point in six matches this season, five of which tallied the winning point. In MW play, Bierria recorded the final kill against Nevada, Air Force, UNLV and Utah State to clinch the victory, and recorded the final point scored by the Lobos against Boise State and San Diego State. She also had the winning point versus USC Upstate in non-conference play.
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 444 assists, averaging 5.55 per set, and Inclan is behind her with 342 assists (4.44 a/s). Combined, the duo has 786 of the team’s 890 assists. Bianco has started 17 matches, registering double-digit assists in all 20. Inclan recorded a season-high 32 in the match at Air Force, has recorded double-digit assists in all but one match. Inclan also made her first start of the season against the Spartans, and has started in the two matches since.
Serves You Right
Sabrina Bianco (14) and LaurenTwitty (14) are tied for the team high in service aces. Jaclyn Inclan (12) and Morgan Schreckler (11) round out the Lobos with double-digit service aces.
Joining the Rankings
Lauren Twitty is fifth in the Mountain West with 3.46 k/s, totaling 273 kills in 79 sets, the fifth-most kills in the conference, as well as sixth in points per set at 3.98 (314.5 points) but is tied for the fifth-most points. Mercedes Pacheco is sixth in digs per set with 3.48.
In just conference matches, Spragg is second in the MW in hitting percentage at .337 and is seventh in blocks per set (1.19). Twitty is fourth in kills per set (3.65) and Tai Bierria is eighth (3.13). Pacheco is fifth in digs per set with 3.65 and Twitty is fourth in points per set (4.11).
Nationally, Twitty is ranked in attacks per set (9.80), points, points per set, total kills (273), kills per set and total attacks (774). Spragg is ranked in total blocks (87) and blocks per set (1.09). Mariessa Carrasco is also ranked in total blocks (69).
I’ll Have the Double-Double, Please
The double-doubles keep coming for the Lobos, as UNM has 23 on the season. Lauren Twitty had three double-doubles in the last four matches for a team-high nine on the season, with Twitty recording three double-doubles at the UNF Invitational. Tai Bierria has six for the second-most on the team.
In the match at Air Force, UNM had three players with double-doubles with Victoria Spragg (11 kills, 12 blocks), Jaclyn Inclan (32 assists, 14 digs) and Mercedes Pacheco (10 assists, 21 digs). It was the first double-double of the season for Spragg and Inclan and the first of Spragg’s career.
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, 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 200 digs through 79 sets, an average of 2.53 digs per set. Mercedes Pacheco is second on the team with 195 digs at 3.48 digs per set, followed by Tai Bierria, who has 152 digs (1.95 d/s). Pacheco had a career-high 21 digs at Air Force.
Road Block
Victoria Spragg leads the team with 87 total blocks (13 solo and 74 assisted), with an average of 1.09 blocks per set. Six of her solo blocks came in the matches versus UNLV, Air Force and Nevada. In the match at Air Force, she had a career-high 12 total blocks with two solo and 10 assisted. Mariessa Carrasco is second on the team with 69 total blocks, seven solo and 62 assisted. Lauren Twitty is second on the team in solo blocks with eight.
Scouting the Opposition
About Colorado State
The Rams have won their last three matches and are 4-4 on the road, 9-1 in three-set matches, 4-4 in four sets and 1-1 in five sets.
Breana Runnels leads the team in kills with 287 (3.99 k/s) and is tied for second on the team in service aces (21). The redshirt-sophomore outsude hitter has tallied 330.5 points, averaging 4.59 points per set and is hitting .226 on the season. Katie Oleksak has 822 of the team’s 908 assists, averaging 11.42 a/s. Olivia Nicholson has a team-high 22 service aces and 195 digs (3.05 d/s). Paulina Hougaard-Jensen leads Colorado State with 90 total blocks, nine solo and 81 assisted, an average of 1.25 blocks per set.
Hougaard-Jensen leads the MW in hitting percentage (.354) and Kirstie Hillyer is sixth with .326. Oleksak leads the conference in assists and assists per set. Runnels is second in kills per set and points per set, and Hougaard-Jensen is fourth in blocks per set. Nicholson (.34), Sasha Colombo (.33) and Maddi Foutz (.29) are seventh, eighth and 10th in service aces per set, respectively. Hillyer is tied for eighth in points per set with 3.61.
Colorado State leads the conference in hitting percentage (.260) and assists per set (12.61), and is second in blocks per set (2.60) and service aces per set (1.68).
Series vs. Colorado State
This will be the 79th meeting between the two teams, with CSU holding a 55-23 edge. In Albuquerque, the Lobos are 13-22 against the Rams. Colorado State won the two meetings in 2017, a five-set victory in Albuquerque and a three-set win in Fort Collins. CSU has won the last 11 meetings dating back to Nov. 23, 2012, with UNM’s last win coming on Sept. 20, 2012. UNM is 8-33 in three sets, 8-13 in four sets and 5-9 in five sets.
Other News and Notes
Tickets for the match will be $2. Single-game tickets can be purchased at Johnson Center prior to the match, or fans can purchase a New Mexico Mutual Lobo Pride Pass, which grants owners access to all home games for all Olympic sports during the 2018-19 academic year. The New Mexico Mutual Lobo Pride Pass will give one person admission to all Lobo Volleyball regular season matches. For more information on the New Mexico Mutual Lobo Pride Pass please contact the Lobo Ticket Office in Dreamstyle Arena at (505) 925-LOBO.
Head Coach Jeff Nelson Press Conference