RENO, Nev.— Redshirt-senior middle blocker Mariessa Carrasco recorded her first double-double of her career with 11 kills and 10 total blocks- two solo and eight assisted- with Lauren Twitty tallying a match-high 20 kills as the University of New Mexico defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack in four sets (25-19, 22-25, 25-18, 25-23) on Saturday afternoon at the Virginia Street Gym.
Sabrina Bianco and Jaclyn Inclan had a match-high 22 and 21 assists, respectively, accounting for all but six of the team’s match total. Mercedes Pacheco had another strong performance with a match-high 22 digs, just one shy of her career-high 23 that she set on Thursday. Fellow middle blocker Victoria Spragg was another deterrent at the net with seven assisted blocks, as the team had 17 total team blocks in the match with two solo and 30 assisted.
Twitty also had a team-high two service aces, with Bianco, Pacheco and Carrasco all notching one.
Bianco recorded her second double-double of the week with her 22 assists and 10 digs, bringing her season total to six, which is tied with Tai Bierria for the second most on the team.
The Lobos held the advantage in kills (53-49), assists (49-48), hitting percentage ( .221-.125, outhitting Nevada in every set) and total team blocks (17-9) over the Wolf Pack.
In the opening set, UNM got out to an early 5-2 lead with kills from Yasmin Tan, Carrasco and Twitty and a Twitty service ace, and maintained between a three- and four-point lead in the first 15 points. The Wolf Pack cut it to two at 10-8 , but the Lobos got kills from Carrasco to retain the four-point advantage at 12-8. The Wolf Pack used a 6-1 run to tie the set at 13 and take the 14-13 lead. Bierria evened the set at 14 with her second kill of the set and a Spragg and Tan block gave UNM the 15-14 advantage at the media timeout. The Lobos built back up a three-point lead at 21-18 on an ace by Pacheco, and closed the set with four of the final five points en route to a 25-19 win. Carrasco closed the set with a hand in the final three points, combining with Twitty for two straight blocks, followed by a kill to clinch the opening set.
The second set was close for the first 10 points before UNM built a two-point advantage at 6-4 and again at 7-5 behind two solo blocks from Carrasco that grew to four at 10-6. Out of a Nevada timeout, the Wolf Pack tied the set at 11, but the Lobos responded winning four of the next five points to go back in front 15-12 with two kills from Carrasco. The Wolf Pack closed within one at 17-16, but Bierria created some separation with her ninth kill of the match, and a Nevada bad set made it 19-16. Nevada tied the set at 20 and took a 21-20 lead on the next point. The Lobos tied the set at 22 on a kill by Twitty before Nevada closed with the final three points to take the second set by a score of 25-22 and even the match at one. Bierria finished the set with six kills, hitting .600 in the frame, and Carrasco was a perfect 3-for-3 in hitting.
UNM pulled out to an early 4-1 lead in the third set, which expanded to 9-3 and forced an early Nevada timeout. The lead expanded to eight at 13-5 off of back-to-back assisted blocks by Spragg, combining on the stops with Bierria and Inclan. The Lobos would continue to be in control, leading by as much as 10 at 19-9 off of a Twitty kill, a Bianco service ace and back-to-back kills by Twitty. An attack error by Nevada made it set point at 24-15 and the Wolf Pack would fight it off three times before Bierria closed the set with her 11th kill of the match to put the Lobos up 2-1 in the match with the 25-18 win. Spragg had four assisted blocks in the set and Twitty had six of the team’s kills in the set. UNM held Nevada to -.023 hitting in the set.
Carrasco was a force to be reckoned with at the net once again in the fourth set, assisting on a block with Danica Rowan as the Lobos once again got out to an 11-7 lead . Rowan would finish the match with a career-high six total blocks, all assisted. The Wolf Pack responded to tie the set at 12, but the Lobos held a slim 15-13 advantage at the media timeout which expanded to four at 18-14 off of another Carrasco kill and Carrasco and Rowan combined block, the third of the set for the duo. After an exchange of points followed that made it 20-16, the Wolf Pack cut the Lobo lead in half, but a Spragg and Rowan block and a double hit by Nevada restored the four-point margin at 22-18. However, Nevada answered with the next three points to make it a one-point game at 22-21. From there, Inclan and Spragg combined for a block, followed by a Twitty kill that gave UNM set and match point at 24-22. Nevada got a kill to make it once again a one-point game, but a ball handling error by the Wolf Pack gave the Lobos the needed final point to take the 25-23 set win and the match. Twitty closed the match with six more kills in the set, and Rowan had four assisted blocks, while Carrasco had three assisted blocks as the Lobos had five total team blocks in the set. Once again, the Lobos outhit the Wolf Pack, .146 to .047.
UNM hosts Fresno State and San Diego State next week in their final two home matches of the regular season. The Lobos square off with the Bulldogs on Thursday at 7 p.m. MT and the Aztecs on Saturday at 1 p.m. MT. Saturday’s match will be Senior Night.