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Lobos Fall to Cowgirls in Close Five-Set Match

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—
Four different Lobos recorded double digits kills and four Lobos tallied double-doubles in The University of New Mexico home opener against the Wyoming Cowgirls on Saturday afternoon at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit, but it was the visitors who emerged victorious in five sets.

After dropping the first set 25-17, the Lobos won the next two sets 25-21 and 28-26 before Wyoming forced a fifth set with a 25-20 win. In the fifth set, the Cowgirls narrowly edged out the Lobos 17-15 to win the match. 

Outside hitter Lauren Twitty registered her sixth double-double of the year behind a match-high 16 kills and 11 digs, while middle blocker Rachel Murphy and outside hitter Danica Rowan each recorded career highs in kills with 14 and 10, respectively. Outside hitter Tai Bierria recorded her third double-double of her senior campaign with 13 kills and 13 digs. Bierria was also responsible for seven assisted blocks, her highest total as a Lobo, teaming up with Murphy throughout the five sets.

In addition, Murphy finished with a career high in total attacks (27) and total blocks (eight, one solo and seven assisted). It is the second time to date this year that the Wisconsin native has notched seven assisted blocks in a match.

Both setters, Jaclyn Inclan and Maddie Freiwald, accounted for double-doubles with Inclan finishing with 30 assists and 10 digs and Freiwald having 21 assists and 11 digs. It is the fifth match that Inclan recorded 30 or more assists and her fifth double-double this season while Freiwald’s double-double marked her second on the season and the fourth time that the graduate student has been credited with 20 or more assists.

Four different Lobos also recorded a service ace in Freiwald, Bierria, Alena Moldan and Yasmin Tan. With Bierria’s ace against Wyoming, the senior has now tallied an ace in the last six matches.

Libero Moldan led the Lobos with 22 digs although five Lobos reached double figures in the category.

In a highly competitive MW contest, both teams combined for 34 ties and 16 lead changes in the match with a match-high 17 ties and eight lead changes in the third set.

In the first set, the Lobos opened with the first point of the match on a Murphy kill, but the Cowgirls responded with the next seven points to force an early UNM timeout. The Lobos closed in within one at 12-11, at 14-13 and at 15-14, but UNM couldn’t get the tallying point as Wyoming then stretched the lead to 22-14. Back-to-back Rowan kills and a UW service error provided the final points in the set for UNM as the Lobos dropped the set 25-17.

UNM got on the board first with the three of the first four points of the second set before Wyoming tied the set at three. There was another tie at four before Wyoming went on a 3-0 run to create some separation. Like in the first set, UNM pulled within one several times, with the last time at 16-15, but the Cowgirls kept the Lobos at bay after scoring the next three points. Undeterred, the Lobos answered with a run behind kills by Bierria, a block by Murphy and Bierria, and back-to-back kills by Murphy to tie the set at 20, the first tie since it was four-all. UNM then took a 21-20 lead on an attack error by Wyoming and expanded it to 23-21 on another Bierria and Murphy block and a Twitty kill. A Cowgirl attack error gave UNM set point and a Bierria ace gave UNM the 25-21 set win to tie the match at a set apiece. UNM closed on a 4-0 run and a 10-2 run since trailing by four at 19-15.

Twitty had four kills in the set in which UNM hit a match-high .367 while UW hit only .077, a match low. UNM totaled four total blocks in the set with Bierria and Murphy teaming up for three and Tan and Rowan on the other.

Once again, UNM got on the board first in the third set with a Kaitlynn Biassou kill and the Lobos then jumped out to a 3-1 lead that Wyoming would tie at three. After Wyoming pulled ahead by two at 5-3, UNM responded with a 4-0 run to hold a 7-5 advantage. From there, there were ties at seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 before a Tan and Bierria block, a Rowan kill and a Bierria kill gave UNM a slight edge with a 4-0 run. UNM maintained a three-point lead at 21-18 on a Murphy kill before Wyoming managed to tie the set at 21. When the Cowgirls then pulled ahead 23-21, consecutive Murphy kills tied the set back up. Wyoming took the next point to claim set point, but Twitty re-tied the set with a kill. Once again, UW took the next point for another set point and Twitty kept the Lobos alive with a kill. The Cowgirls took the 26-25 lead and Rowan responded with a kill for the final tie of the set. From there, a Cowgirl attack error gave UNM its first set point and a Bierria kill clinched the set win for UNM. The Lobos fought off set point three times before winning 28-26.

Twitty, Bierria and Murphy each tallied five kills in the set as UNM once again outhit UW .341 to .295 with UNM posting a match-high 20 kills.

For the fourth set of the match, UNM recorded the first point of the set, this time on a Murphy kill and proceeded to get out to an early 5-2 lead. However, Wyoming answered back to take a 9-5 lead. After closing the gap to one at 12-11 on an Inclan kill, Wyoming pushed the lead back out to three to which UNM tied at 14. Wyoming turned a tie at 16 into a 19-16 lead and continued to stretch the lead to six at 23-17. The Lobos fought off set point at 24-19 on service error, but the Cowgirls forced a fifth set with a 25-20 win.  

In the final set, Wyoming scored the first three points of set before a Murphy kill ended the run. A Rowan kill brought UNM back within one at 7-6 before the Cowgirls extended the lead to four at 10-6. Trailing 11-8, the Lobos fought back to tie the set at 11 on kills from Biassou, Twitty and Bierria before Wyoming scored the next two points. A service ace by UW forced match point for the visitors, to which UNM fought off three match points to tie the set at 14 on kills by Twitty and Tan and a Moldan ace. UW went ahead 15-14 before an attack error tied the set at 15. However, Wyoming took the next two points to win the set 17-15 and the match. There were three ties in the set, but the Lobos were never able to hold the lead in the set.

With the loss, UNM falls to 5-9 on the season and 0-2 in Mountain West competition. Up next, the Lobos head back on the road, traveling to Fresno State for an Oct. 3 match and San Diego State on Oct. 5.