SAN JOSE, Calif.— The University of New Mexico volleyball team lost a close match in heartbreaking fashion after rallying from down nine to win the third set and coming within two points of taking the fourth set and the match on Thursday night at Spartan Gym.
Tai Bierria had 15 kills, Jaclyn Inclan had 18 assists, Mercedes Pacheco had a career-high 23 digs and Victoria Spragg had nine total blocks, all assisted, to lead the Lobos in each category. Makayla Tam tied her career high of two service aces and had a season-best seven digs, Inclan had a season-best four kills, and Bierria and Inclan both had their best night of the season at the net with four total blocks (all assisted) apiece in the match. Sabrina Bianco had her fifth double-double of the season with 15 assists and 14 digs.
With the 15-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-23, 11-15 five-set setback, the Lobos dropped to 13-12 overall and 7-6 in the Mountain West.
The Spartans took control from the onset of the opening set, leading from first serve to set point. San José State opened the match with the first two points before committing a service error to sideout and give UNM its first point. Both of UNM’s first two points came on service errors by SJSU as the Spartans got out to an early 5-2 lead. Yasmin Tan and Bierria registered back-to-back kills to bring the Lobos within one, but the Spartans tallied the next three points to go up by four at 8-4. After a Lobo timeout, Bierria and Inclan recorded consecutive kills, followed by a Morgan Schreckler ace to pull UNM within one again at 8-7. However, like earlier in the set, the Spartans scored the next three points to go back up by four. The deficit grew to seven at 19-12, prompting another Lobo timeout. Tan responded with her second kill of the set out of the timeout, but San José State scored the next five points to grow its lead to 11 at 24-13. A service error allowed the Lobos to fight off set point and end the 5-0 run, followed by Twitty’s first kill of the match, but a double hit gave the Spartans the final point to take the opening set, 25-15.
UNM held much closer in the early stages of the second set, taking its first lead of the match on a Spragg and Bierria block that gave the Lobos a 2-1 lead. A Tam ace and Inclan and Spragg block allowed UNM to get out in front 5-2, but SJSU responded with the next three points to tie the set at five. Bierria’s fourth kill of the match gave UNM back the lead, and after SJSU tied it at six, Inclan dumped the ball over the net to restore the lead once again for the Lobos. UNM pulled in front 9-7 before SJSU tied the set at nine and took the 10-9 lead on the next point on a service ace. Mariessa Carrasco tallied her third kill of the match to tie the set at 10 and a service error by the Spartans created another tie at 11, before a Spartan attack error gave UNM the 12-11 advantage. There were ties at 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 and each time, the Lobos would score the next point to retake the lead. UNM pulled ahead 19-16 on a kill by Tan and two Spartan attack errors. Blocks by Bierria and Carrasco and Bierria and Spragg kept the Lobos in front by three late in the set, and an attack error by the Spartans increased the lead to four at 22-18, forcing a SJSU timeout. Out of the break, Tan recorded her first service ace of the season, followed by a Spragg and Inclan block and a Twitty kill sealed the set at 25-18 and evened the match at one set apiece. Twitty had four kills in the second frame with Inclan leading with five assists. Pacheco added nine digs and Spragg had four assisted blocks in the set. UNM outhit SJSU .235 to .070 and had the 5-2.5 block advantage. There were 12 ties and three lead changes in the second set.
SJSU opened the third set with the first two points before Bierria got the Lobos on the board with a kill after a long rally. San José State pulled ahead 8-1 as a result of a 6-0 run, but Spragg’s first kill of the match ended the run and consecutive Lobo points from a Spartan ball handling error and Twitty kill brought UNM within five at 9-4. The Lobos cut it within four at 11-7 on kills by Spragg and Twitty and a Spartan attack error, but SJSU built back up its lead to five at 13-8, and expanded it to six on the next point. UNM got it back within three with a kill by Tan and two Spartan errors that made it 14-11, however, SJSU recorded the next six points to create a nine-point margin at 20-11, its largest lead in the set. The Lobos answered with an 8-0 run with a block by Spragg and Tan, two Bierria kills and five Spartan errors to cut into the deficit and narrow the margin to one at 20-19. The Spartans ended the run and scored the next two points to create some separation at 22-19, but an Inclan tip over and a Spartan service error got the Lobos back within one at 22-21. An exchange of points, followed by a ball handling error tied the set at 23, and the Lobos completed the comeback with a Spartan attack error and Twitty kill to take the third set, 25-23. The Lobos scored the final four points of the set and outscored the Spartans 14-3 to go from down 20-11 to take the set win.
A combined block by Bierria and Carrasco to get the Lobos on the board first followed by a Bierria kill, her ninth of the match, allowed UNM to take the early 2-1 advantage in the fourth set. The Lobos jumped out to a 6-1 lead, to which the Spartans cut to 6-4. Back-to-back blocks by Spragg and Tan and Spragg and Inclan built the Lobo advantage to 8-4. A Spartan run allowed the Spartans to tie the set at 12 and took a 13-12 lead on the next point. Carrasco tallied her fourth and final kill of the match to tie the set at 13 before SJSU recorded the next two points to take a 15-13 lead at the media timeout. Tan and Bierria recorded back-to-back kills out of the break to tie the set at 15, followed by an Inclan dump over the net and another ace by Tam to give UNM the 17-15 advantage. The Spartans tied the set at 17 and again at 18, before a service error by SJSU gave UNM the 19-18 lead. There was a tie at 19 before SJSU registered consecutive points to pull ahead 21-19. Twitty’s ninth kill of the match pulled UNM within one, but SJSU took the next point to go back in front by two. UNM answered to tie the set at 22 and a double hit gave UNM the 23-22 lead. However, the Spartans would win the next three points to take the 25-23 set win and force a fifth set.
UNM came within one six times in the fifth set, the last time at 10-9, but couldn’t tally the tying point before losing the final set. Bierria opened the set with a tip that dropped in for the Lobo point, but the Spartans tallied the next two points to take the early lead. A net violation by the Spartans evened the set at two, which would be the final tie in the final set. SJSU went up 4-2, but UNM got a point back on a service error. A Twitty kill brought UNM within one again at 5-4, but SJSU answered with the next three points to pull ahead 8-4. Inclan and Carrasco combined for a block to make it 8-5 followed by a Spartan error and Twitty kill to bring UNM within one at 8-7. A service error by SJSU made it 9-8 and an attack error by SJSU once again made it a one-point game at 10-9. SJSU went ahead 12-9, leading to a UNM timeout. Bierria registered a kill out of the timeout to make the deficit two, and recorded a final kill two points later to make it 13-11, but the Lobos couldn’t close the gap any further as the Spartans recorded two final kills to take the set, 15-11, and the match.
The road trip for the Lobos continues on Saturday with an early afternoon match at Nevada. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. MT.