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UNM Closes Out Non-Conference with Win Over Kansas State

DENTON, Texas— For the first time this season, a University of New Mexico match went four sets with the Lobos defeating Kansas State 30-28, 17-25, 25-17, 25-23 to close out the North Texas Challenge and the non-conference portion of their schedule on Saturday morning. 

With the win, the Lobos enter Mountain West play on a two-match win streak and UNM picks up a win against a Big 12 opponent for the first time since beating Iowa State in 2007. 

Three Lobos finished with double-doubles with Tai Bierria (14 kills, 17 digs), Lauren Twitty (14 kills, 10 digs) and Jaclyn Inclan (24 assists, 12 digs). It was Twitty’s fifth of the season, Inclan’s fourth and Bierria’s second.

Four Lobos finished in double figures in digs, led by Bierria’s 17 and four Lobos recorded multiple service aces, led by Bierria’s career-high four. For the second match-in-a-row the Lobos finished with 10 service aces.

Twitty and Bierria tied for the team high in kills while Inclan had a team high in assists. 

Rachel Murphy was a plug at the net, recording a career-high three solo blocks and assisted on two. Yasmin Tan also accounted for a solo block and two assisted blocks.

In the opening set, 3-0 runs kept the set close with 11 ties and seven lead changes. Two early kills from Kaitlynn Biassou kept the Lobos in the match early but the Wildcats led 7-3 through the first 10 points following two separate 3-0 runs. The Lobos closed in to the deficit at one with a 3-0 run of their own, capped by a Maddie Freiwald ace that made it 7-6. Another 3-0 run by the Lobos that included a Nicolette Clark kill and Twitty ace put UNM back within one at 10-9. However, KSU used another 3-0 run to go in front by four at 14-10. UNM responded with a 4-0 run of its own with a Biassou kill, a Bierria ace and a Biassou and Murphy block to cut the deficit to one at 16-15. The Lobos later tied the set at 18, the first tie since it was two-all and a Moldan ace gave UNM a 19-18 lead, its first lead since 2-1, following a 4-0 run. The Lobos then stretched the lead to three at 22-19 on another Freiwald ace on what would amount to a 7-1 run. Kansas State tied the set at 22 before a Twitty kill restored the lead for UNM. KSU took the next two points for set point, but a Bierria tip fought it off to tie the set at 24. A service error gave UNM set point No. 1 at 25-24 but KSU tied the set. Bierria kill gave UNM back set point, but KSU fought it off. On the next play, KSU took set point 27-26 but UNM fought it off on another Biassou kill. KSU took the lead for another set point but Biassou recorded another kill to tie the set at 28 and a Bierria kill gave UNM set point No. 3. An ace by Moldan secured the first set 30-28 for the Lobos.  UNM fought off three set points and ended the set on a 3-0 run.  

There were five ties that occurred after KSU had set point at 24-23. After that, Bierria had three kills and Biassou had two kills to keep UNM alive in the set.  

The Lobos recorded seven service aces alone in the first set.

In the second set, a Bierria kill opened up the set and there were ties at one and two before a Murphy kill and KSU attack error ended the exchange of points to put UNM in front 4-2. KSU used a 3-0 run to take a 7-5 lead before a Twitty kill ended the run. The deficit extended to four at 14-10, to which the Lobos answered with the next four points on kills from Tan and Clark with the duo then joining on a block to tie the set at 14. KSU pulled away with the next eight points to regain the lead for them. UNM tallied the next two points on a Wildcat service error and a Bierria kill and Danica Rowan later recorded a kill before KSU tied the match with a 25-17 set win.

Much like KSU had a run in the second set to pull away with the win, the Lobos had a 4-0 run followed by a 5-0 run of their own to create separation for the third set win. UNM led 4-1 early in the third set after kills from Twitty and Murphy, to which KSU responded to close within one. A Twitty and Tan block temporarily kept the Wildcats from tying the set, but the Wildcats tied the set at five. An exchange of service errors created ties at six and seven before a Rowan kill gave UNM the lead back that started a 9-1 run that stretched the Lobo lead to eight at 16-8. The lead got pushed back to eight at 20-12 on a Twitty kill and a KSU attack error. The Wildcats cut the margin to six at 22-16 before the Lobos closed on a 3-1 run to take the third set, 25-17.

There were four ties in the third, but UNM never relinquished the lead with the Lobos outhitting the Wildcats .265 to .067.

In the final set, UNM opened up with the first two points of the set before KSU scored the next five points to take the lead. Bierria ended the run, but it was a temporary reprieve as the Wildcats extended their lead to 10-5, forcing a Lobo timeout. Out of the timeout, the Lobos chipped away at the deficit, with a Twitty ace and Biassou kill bringing UNM within three at 11-8. The Lobos closed within one on a Bierria kill and ace to make it 13-12 before the Lobos tied the set at 14 on a Tan solo block. There was a tie at 15 on a Biassou kill before KSU scored the next three points to create some separation. However, UNM scored the next three points out of a timeout on KSU errors and tied the set on a Twitty kill. A Tan kill tied the set at 19 and the Lobos regained the lead on two Wildcat attack errors that stretched to 21-19. KSU tied the set at 21 but a Bierria kill gave UNM the lead right back. There was a final tie at 22 before a Murphy kill gave UNM back the lead for good. Twitty recorded her final kill of the match to give the Lobos set and match point at 24-23, which the Wildcats fought off, before a solo Murphy block gave UNM the final point to win the set 25-23 and the match.

The Lobos outhit the Wildcats .258 to .179 in the fourth with 13 kills.

UNM (5-7) opens up Mountain West competition on Thursday in Fort Collins, Colo. against Colorado State. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.