Lobos Host UNLV, Travel to Air Force in Final Week
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– As the regular season comes to a close, The University of New Mexico volleyball team hosts UNLV in an early week match before traveling to Air Force for the regular season finale. The Lobos will host Senior Night on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Johnson Center against the UNLV Rebels, in which UNM will recognize its three seniors in Lauren Twitty, Tai Bierria and Maddie Freiwald. The Lobos will then go on the road for the final match of the season to face Air Force on Thursday, Nov. 21 with first serve scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MT.
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS (UNLV) | LIVE STREAM (UNLV) | LIVE STATS (AFA) | LIVE STREAM (AFA) | TICKETS
The Lobos (10-18, 5-11 MW) are hitting their stride offensively and defensively as of late, as UNM picked up wins over San José State (25-22, 25-14, 22-25, 25-53) and Nevada (25-19, 25-17, 25-21) in week 12. In addition, the Lobos have won four of the last five matches and in the last five matches have tallied double digits in total blocks while getting consistent contributions offensively from the outside hitters.
In Saturday’s match against Nevada, the Lobos never trailed the Wolf Pack in the second and third sets en route to the sweep, while also picking up the season sweep. Kaitlynn Biassou tallied 14 kills in the match and hit a season-best .478, the only player on either team to reach double digits in kills. Rachel Murphy made her presence felt at the net with nine total blocks, all assisted, the second time in two weeks that the sophomore middle blocker has recorded at least nine blocks. UNM recorded 13.0 total blocks, edging out Nevada 13-3 in total blocks and outhit the Wolf Pack .239 to .043, holding Nevada to its lowest hitting percentage this season.
On the week, Kaitlynn Biassou led the team with 27 kills, hit .364, and averaged 3.86 k/s and 4.50 pts/s, and also had eight total blocks (one solo). Jaclyn Inclan accounted for 48 assists, averaging 6.86 a/s, and added 23 digs, 3.29 d/s, four kills and three assisted blocks. Alena Moldan led in digs again with 27, an average of 3.0 d/s, and three service aces. Rachel Murphy led in blocks with 13, all assisted, an average of 1.86 b/s. Inclan recorded two double-doubles on the week to bring her season total to 12.
NEWS AND NOTES
WE WILL, WE WILL, BLOCK YOU
In the last five matches, the Lobos have been a nuisance at the net, recording double-digit total blocks against their opponents. In the win against Fresno State, UNM recorded 17.0 total blocks with two solo and 30 assisted, and tallied consecutive 14.0 total blocks at Utah State and Boise State with one solo and 26 assisted in each contest. This past week, UNM tallied 10.5 versus SJSU and 13.0 against Nevada. In all five instances, the Lobos have outblocked their opponents.
Eleven times this season the Lobos have reached double figures in the category, seven times in the last 10 matches, and twice registering 17.0 total blocks for the season high (Nevada, Fresno State). Ten times UNM has outblocked its opponents, including the last five matches. In the last 10 matches, UNM has either tied or led its opponents in total blocks in all but one (at UNLV).
DOUBLE-DIGIT HITTERS
The Lobos are getting consistent and even contribution from their three starting outside hitters with the potential that three finish the season with over 300 kills. Lauren Twitty leads the group with 333 kills and has recorded double figures in the category in 17 of the 28 matches and in six of the last 10 matches, led by a season-high 20 in the win at Nevada. The senior has also tallied three double-doubles in the last 10 matches and has 10 on the season. Tai Bierria has 277 kills, recording 10-plus in 15 matches, including six of the last 10. Her season high of 17 also came at Nevada but her best hitting percentage came against San Diego State (15-2-34, .382). Freshman Kaitlynn Biassou has caught fire as of late to be a key contributor to the Lobo offense, recording 10 or more kills in eight of the last 10 matches, including a streak of the last six-straight matches, and hit an efficient .438 against Utah State with 18 kills on 32 swings. She followed that up with 19 kills at Nevada, hitting .359 and versus Nevada on Saturday hit a season-best .478. On the season, she has reached double figures in 14 matches, 11 of which were in the last 13 matches. On the season, she has 279 kills, an average of 2.71 k/s.
MURPHY IN THE MIDDLE
After missing three matches due to injury, middle blocker Rachel Murphy started to get back in to the swing of things after returning to the starting lineup against Air Force, capped by 10 total blocks, one solo and a career-best nine assisted blocks, in the match against Boise State to bring her weekly total to 15, averaging 2.14 blocks per set. This past week she added 13 total blocks, an average of 1.86 b/s, with nine assisted blocks in three sets against Nevada.
Murphy has had a stellar sophomore campaign, setting several career highs throughout the season. The Wisconsin native has started every match but three that she was injured and played in 94 sets, and is currently leading the Lobos in total blocks with 110.0 (11 solo), averaging 1.17 b/s. She is fourth on the team in kills (114) and points (175.0). She ranks sixth in the conference in blocks per set and in total blocks.
In the match against Wyoming, Murphy set a career high in kills (14), total blocks (then-8) and attacks (27) and hit .407, the fifth-highest hitting percentage on the team in a match this season. She recorded a career-high six digs at North Texas and tallied three solo blocks in the match against Kansas State.
STEPPING IN TO THE FIRE
Freshman Kaitlynn Biassou started her first collegiate match against UNC and had an immediate impact for the Lobos. The outside hitter played in all five sets and had 15 kills in the match, the second-highest total for UNM in the match. At the net, Biassou assisted on four blocks and recorded a solo block for a total of 18.0 points. Since then, she has started every match and has had double figures in kills in 14 matches, including the last six and eight of the last 10. She broke out in the match against Oregon State with 23 kills, the first Lobo to reach 20 kills on the season and the most since Lauren Twitty had 25 in 2017. The Nevada native leads the team in hitting percentage (.210), is second on the team in kills this season with 279 (2.71 k/s), third in points (317, 3.08 pts/s) and blocks at 72.0 (five solo).
Fellow freshman Alena Moldan has started all 28 matches at the libero position and played in every set, recording double-digit digs in 21 matches, including eight in the last 10 matches, and 20-plus digs in six. She had a match-high 27 digs against GCU, a match-high 12 against Rutgers and produced 27 more digs against OSU to tie her season high. She currently leads the team by over 130 digs with 395 digs, an average of 3.66 digs per set. In the conference, she ranks sixth in total digs.
INCLAN CAN DO IT ALL
Jaclyn Inclan, a redshirt-sophomore setter, is averaging 5.93 assists a set, tallying a team-high 617 this season (53 percent of the team’s total). She has also contributed with 31 kills, 256 digs (second-most on the team), nine blocks (two solo) and 15 service aces. She had a career-high 42 assists against GCU and a career-high 26 digs at Nevada and has had six matches with 30 or more assists. The Arizona native has also registered a team-high 12 double-doubles, including six in her last 10 matches.
THE OPPONENTS
ABOUT UNLV (17-10, 13-3)
Since the Lobos played the Rebels on Oct. 22, UNLV went 6-1, going 1-0 in three sets, 4-1 in four sets,1-0 in five sets. UNLV is currently 13-3 in conference play and enters the week third in the conference standings and having won its last four matches.
Mariena Hayden leads the team with 326 kills, an average of 3.70 k/s, 408.0 points (4.64 pts/s) and service aces (60). Antonette Rolda has accounted for 681 of the team’s 1389 assists (49 percent) and is averaging 5.97 a/s. Shelby Capllonch has a team-high 366 digs, averaging 3.21 d/s. Defensively, Kate Brennan leads with a total of 95.0 blocks (18 solo). Nationally, Hayden is second in the NCAA in aces per set (0.68) and fourth in service aces, while leading the MW in both categories. Hayden is also first in the conference in points per set. As a team, UNLV is first in the conference in aces per set (1.88), team assists (1389), team service aces (214) and team kills (1498).
UNLV is 3-1 in three sets, 8-5 in four sets and 6-4 in five sets. They are also 9-1 in their last 10 matches with the lone loss versus San Diego State in four sets. The Rebels are 6-2 on the road this season.
SERIES vs. UNLV
The Rebels won the first meeting of the season in a four-set match (25-12, 19-25, 25-16, 25-19) in Las Vegas on Oct. 22. Jaclyn Inclan tallied a double-double with 15 assists and 10 digs while also adding two kills. Lauren Twitty led the Lobos with 10 kills and Alena Moldan finished with a team-high 15 digs. Abbey Willison led with two service aces as well as a solo and two assisted blocks.
The two teams have met 43 times previously with UNLV leading the series 25-18. UNM had won the previous three meetings prior to Oct. 22. UNM is 10-12 at home against the Rebels, 8-11 in three-set matches, 8-9 in four sets and 2-5 in five sets.
ABOUT AIR FORCE
Since the Lobos played the Falcons on Oct. 26, Air Force has lost its last six matches, going 0-5 in three sets and 0-1 in four sets. The Falcons are currently tied with UNM at 5-11 in conference play and are 3-7 in their last 10 matches.
Bailey Keith leads the Air Force in kills and points, with 276 kills on the season, averaging 2.85 k/s, and 315.0 points (3.25 pts/s), while Andi Ahlers leads in assists with an average of 8.92 a/s, and has accounted for 69 percent of the assists on the team with 847. Ahlers also leads with 25 service aces. Alex King has a team-high 433 digs (4.16 d/s) and Taleah Cooper leads with 58.0 total blocks (six solo).
Air Force is 4-9 at home this season, 2-9 in three-set matches, 4-6 in four sets and 2-5 in five sets.
SERIES vs. AIR FORCE (820, 5-11 MW)
Air Force won the first meeting of the series on Oct. 26 in straight sets in Albuquerque (25-21, 25-19, 25-18). Lauren Twitty led with nine kills and Maddie Freiwald accounted for 27 of the team’s 29 assists. Defensively, UNM was led by 11 digs from libero Alena Moldan and a solo block and three assisted blocks from Rachel Murphy.The result was just the second loss for UNM against Air Force in Albuquerque and the fifth all-time.
UNM is 38-5 all-time against AFA, including a 26-match win streak that started Oct. 8, 2004 and spanned to Oct. 22, 2016. The Falcons broke up the streak with a five-set win on Nov. 15, 2017, but the Lobos won the last two matches prior to Oct. 26. UNM is 17-3 at the Air Force Academy. UNM is 25-4 in three-set matches, 8-0 in four sets and 5-1 in five sets.
PRIDE PASS
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.