ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Middle blocker Mariessa Carrasco has been named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week after leading the defense with 11 total blocks in the Lobos’ undefeated week.
This is the second time that the redshirt-senior has earned the conference honor in her career, but the first time that she has won on the defensive side after winning Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week last season. It is also the second honor this season for Carrasco, who claimed a spot on the Husker Invite All-Tournament Team.
As a team, the Lobos won their second Mountain West player of the week selection of the season with fellow middle blocker Victoria Spragg winning offensive player of the week on Oct. 1.
The San Angelo, Texas, native had one solo block and 10 assisted blocks on the week, including a match-high nine total blocks (all assisted) in Saturday’s win against Air Force, without committing a single blocking error in either match.
Offensively, Carrasco hit .370 with 14 kills, contributing a total of 20 points in the two matches through her kills and blocks. She averaged two kills per set, 2.86 points per set and 1.57 blocks per set, while starting both matches and playing in all seven sets.
On the week, Carrasco had the third-most kills on the team and the third-most points. She tallied four assisted blocks in the first set against the Falcons, the first and second coming on back-to-back points to allow UNM to tie the set at eight and take its first lead at 9-8. Later in the set, a kill by Carrasco gave the Lobos the 25-24 edge en route to the 26-24 win. In the third set against Air Force, she had consecutive blocks in the UNM 3-0 run that pushed the lead from 20-19 to 23-19 as the Lobos took a 2-1 match lead with the 25-22 set win.
In her final season with the Cherry and Silver, Carrasco has been a vital component for the Lobos at the net, with 86 total blocks on eight solo and 78 assisted blocks. She is second on the team in total blocks, fourth on the team in kills (134), kills per set (1.41) and in points (190/ 2.00 points per set), while hitting .256 and appearing in all 95 sets this season. She had a career-high 13 total blocks, all assisted, in the win against Central Michigan, which tied the school record for most block assists in a single match.
UNM went 2-0 on the week with a sweep at UNLV and a four-set victory versus Air Force, where the Lobos out-blocked their opponents 22-13, including 15-8 against Air Force (an average of 3.75 blocks per set), and averaged 3.14 blocks per set on the week.
Carrasco and the Lobos are on the road for both matches this week, but will be back at the Johnson Center Nov. 8 and Nov. 10 for their final home matches of the season against Fresno State and San Diego State, respectively.