UNM Drops Four-Set Match to Boise State
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Freshman Kaitlynn Biassou led The University of New Mexico Lobos with 14 kills, one of three Lobos to reach double figures, and Jaclyn Inclan recorded her sixth double-double of the season with a team-high 26 assists and 13 digs, but it was Boise State who emerged with the four-set win on Thursday night at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit.
After winning the first set 25-21, the Lobos dropped the second set 25-17 before being narrowly edged out in a tight 27-25 third set and a 25-22 fourth set.
Danica Rowan notched several statistical highs in the match after tallying 10 kills for the second time in four matches, matching her career high, while hitting a career-high .318 and tied her career high in digs with four.
Lauren Twitty registered her 10th double-digit kill total of the season, finishing with 12 kills and was three digs short of a double-double, whereas fellow senior Tai Bierria was one kill shy of a double-double with nine kills and 13 digs.
Alena Moldan led UNM in digs with 15, the 12th instance this season that the freshman libero has posted 10-plus digs in a match.
At the net, UNM had 7.0 total blocks in the match with Rachel Murphy assisting on a team-high five blocks, and from the service line, Yasmin Tan recorded the only ace of the evening, which gave UNM the set win.
There was one tie in the opening set at one-all, but there were no lead changes as a Bronco attack error gave the Lobos the first point of the match, a lead UNM would hold onto for the 25-21 set win. UNM built an early lead in the match, leading 6-4 through the first 10 points and built a five-point lead of 15-10 at the media timeout on a Biassou kill. The Broncos closed within three at 16-13, but the Lobos were able to maintain their five-point lead at 19-14 on another Biassou kill, forcing a Bronco timeout. Out of the timeout, BSU scored the next three points to cut in to the lead but a service error ended the mini-run to push the lead to three at 20-17. BSU would get the deficit down to two, three other times at 21-19, 22-20 and 23-21 before a Bierria kill gave UNM set point at 24-21 and a Tan ace put the set away for the Lobos.
UNM hit .444 in the set behind 16 kills, five of which came from Biassou and four kills from Twitty. Biassou hit .444 in the set (5-1-9), Twitty hit .600 (4-1-5), Bierria hit .400 (2-0-5) and Rowan was a perfect 1.000 (3-0-3) to aid the offense.
In the second frame, there were two early ties at one and two and one lead change as the Broncos took the lead for good at 3-2 en route to a 25-17 win. Boise State got out to an early 10-5 lead, which grew to its largest margin of eight at 18-10. The Lobos got as close as five at 18-13 following kills by Rowan and Bierria and a Boise State attack error to spur a 3-0 run, however BSU would gain those points right back to push the lead back to eight at 21-13. UNM was unable to get any closer than seven at 24-17, fighting off set point, before Boise State tied the match at one set a piece.
UNM was held to a match-low .091 in the set with only nine kills and one block, an assisted block by Biassou and Murphy.
The Lobos had three early leads in the third set at 2-1, 4-3 and 5-4 before the Broncos went on a 4-0 run for a 9-5 lead. Back-to-back Tan kills brought the Lobos within closing distance. However, Boise State got the points right back and would go on to push its lead to five at 13-8. Out of a Lobo timeout, UNM secured the next two points on kills by Biassou and Bierria and a 3-0 run capped by a Moldan pancake that led to a Twitty kill brought UNM within one at 14-13. A Biassou kill once again brought the Lobos within one at 15-14 before the Broncos created some separation at 17-14. Boise State led 21-18 late in the set but a service error and Bierria kill got the Lobos back within one. The Lobos again closed within one at 23-22 and an attack error gave UNM the coveted point to tie the set. Another attack error out of a Bronco timeout gave UNM set point on what amounted to a 4-0 UNM run however a service error tied the set back up. After a Biassou kill gave UNM set point No. 2, a Bronco kill re-tied the set for the final time. The Broncos would take the next two points to win the set, 27-25.
UNM outhit BSU .340 to .245 in the set with 18 kills, with Biassou accounting for seven and hitting an efficient .700 (7-0-10) in the frame.
The fourth set remained close early on with six ties through the first 12 points. The trend would end there as Boise State took an 8-6 lead which grew to five at 12-7. The Lobos fought back on a 4-0 run to close within one at 14-13 on a Rowan kill, but out of a BSU timeout the Broncos went on a 7-0 run to go up by seven at 20-13 before a service error ended the run. The Lobos answered to close within two at 23-21 but Boise State reached match point at 24-21. A Twitty kill fought it off but the Broncos scored the next point to take the set, 25-22, and the match.
UNM (5-12, 0-5 MW) closes out its two-match homestand on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit against Utah State. All tickets to the game will be $2 and can be purchased in advance HERE.