Lobos Battle Before Falling to Wyoming in Three Sets
LARAMIE, Wyo.— Making her first collegiate start, freshman outside hitter Tori Tua led the Lobos with a match-high 10 kills and added a team-high five total blocks (one solo), but UNM lost its second match in as many days to Wyoming in the same 3-0 fashion.
Behind Tua, Kaitlynn Biassou finished with nine kills and a team-high two service aces, with setter Kara Erfurth recording a match-high 29 assists to go along with 10 digs for her second double-double on the season, and Alena Moldan tied for the match high with 13 digs.
Freshman Emma Smith joined Tua with a strong presence at the net, finishing with four assisted blocks as well as three kills.
In the opening set, a Biassou kill made it 2-1 but that was as close as the set would be as UNM trailed Wyoming 7-3 through the first 10 points. The deficit continued to grow as a 4-0 run pushed the score to 19-9 in favor of the home team. After the Cowgirls reached the 20-point mark, the Lobos were able to string together a couple of points on a Tua kill followed by a Tua ace to make it 20-13 but UW would close on a 5-1 run to win the first set 25-14.
Biassou and Tua each tallied four kills in the first set as Erfurth assisted on all 11 Lobo kills.
UNM got out to a lead in the second set with a Tua and Smith block followed by an Erfurth ace, however, Wyoming would answer with the next two points to tie the set. A Tua kill would restore the Lobo lead albeit temporarily as Wyoming scored the next two points to take the lead. There would be a tie at four and five before UW used a 3-0 run to create some separation. A Biassou kill closed the margin to two at 9-7 before UW scored the next five points to pull away 14-7. Another 5-0 run midway through the set stretched the gap to nine at 20-11, but the Lobos were able to cut into the deficit with a Tua kill, a Moldan ace and a combined block by Avital Jaloba and Tua. The Lobos fought off two set points with a Cowgirl service error and a Tua solo block before the Cowgirls got the final point for the 25-18 set win.
Tua had a set-high five kills in the second set and added a solo and two assisted blocks to her stat line.
After Wyoming controlled most of the early goings of the third set, the Lobos pushed back, getting as close as 16-13 on a Smith and Tua block. Wyoming again went on a run to widen the margin at 20-13 and were within two points of the match at 23-18.
The Lobos fought back with back-to-back Biassou kills and benefited from three Wyoming attack errors that tied the set. UNM was on the cusp of winning its first set on the weekend against the Cowgirls, using a 6-0 run that included what turned into four consecutive Wyoming attack errors to take a 24-23 lead, but the Cowgirls closed with the next three points to win the set and the match.
In the final set, Biassou finished with four kills and the Lobos held Wyoming to its lowest hitting percentage in the series at .065.
Up next for the Lobos (2-2 MW) is San Diego State (currently 0-3 with a match still to play on Saturday), with matches set for Friday, Feb. 19 and Saturday, Feb. 20.