Lobos Drop MW Conference Opener to Rams
FORT COLLINS, Colo.—The University of New Mexico volleyball team went up against the Mountain West preseason favorite Colorado State to begin conference play on Thursday night and the Rams proved to be a challenge from the start as CSU went on to win in straight sets by the score of 25-13, 25-11, 25-15.
Seniors Lauren Twitty and Tai Bierria each registered five kills to lead the Lobos with Bierria also tallying the lone two service aces on the night for the Cherry and Silver. Colorado native Maddie Freiwald recorded six assists for the team high and Alena Moldan led with a team-high eight digs. At the net, Twitty was credited with a solo block and Rachel Murphy and Kaitlynn Biassou teamed up on two blocks.
Throughout the three sets, there were a total of five ties and just one lead change as the Lobos were held to their lowest hitting percentage, and total kills, assists and digs of the season.
CSU scored the first five points of the match before an attack error by the Rams put UNM on the board. A Bierria ace gave UNM consecutive points, but the Lobos needed an early timeout after CSU got out to a 10-3 lead. Bierria later recorded UNM’s first kill of the match to make it 13-6 CSU, which was the smallest margin the Lobos would have the remainder of the set. The deficit reached nine at 20-11 before UNM was able to chip away with consecutive points to get it back to seven at 20-13 on a Danica Rowan kill, the first time the Lobos managed to score two points in-a-row since it was 13-6. However, Colorado State would go on to score the next five points to take the first set, 25-13.
UNM had just five kills in the set with Bierria accounting for two, and Biassou, Twitty and Rowan recording one each. Twitty recorded a solo block, the only block of the set for UNM and Bierria tallied the only ace of the set.
The second set was close early with four ties in the first eight points before the Rams scored the next four points to pull ahead for good. A Bierria kill ended the 4-0 CSU run, however, the Rams would add to their lead at 16-5 with an 8-0 run before Rowan tallied her second kill of the match to end the run. A Biassou kill and Murphy and Biassou block made it 18-8 and the Lobos would receive three more points on CSU errors before UNM dropped the second set 25-11.
A block by Biassou and Murphy gave UNM the 1-0 lead, its first lead of the match, in the third set but CSU would get out to a 7-2 lead using a 4-0 run. The Lobos responded to cut the deficit to three at 13-10 on a Bierria kill followed by an ace but the Rams answered with a 3-0 run to extend the lead to six and another Ram 3-0 run later stretched the lead to eight at 19-11. Back-to-back points on a Twitty kill and a Rowan and Yasmin Tan block trimmed the deficit to six at 19-13, although the Rams would get the points right back. Tan would tally a kill to make it 23-14 and end an ultimate 4-0 run, and Bierria would record her fifth kill of the match, which would be the last point the Lobos would register as they dropped the set 25-15 and the match.
Three of Twitty’s five kills came in the final set.
The Lobos return to Albuquerque for their first home match of the season on Saturday, Sept. 28 against Wyoming at 1 p.m. at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit. Fans can purchase Lobo Pride Passes for access to all home matches this season for $50 by clicking HERE. Other ways are directly through the Lobo Ticket Office in person or on the phone (925-LOBO). The Lobo Ticket Office is located in Dreamstyle Arena and is open 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.