Biassou Double-Double Not Enough as Lobos Fall to Falcons
USAFA, Colo.— Kaitlynn Biassou again led The University of New Mexico volleyball team with 13 kills and recorded a double-double with 11 digs in Friday’s Mountain West match, and although the Lobos were able to tie the score at one set apiece, they ultimately fell to the Falcons 25-16, 22-25, 25-21, 25-18.
Freshman Kara Erfurth finished with 23 assists and was two digs shy of a double-double, Alena Moldan had a match-high 16 digs and Tori Tua recorded five total blocks, all assisted.
The Lobos held close to the Falcons in the first 10 points with three ties before Air Force created some distance on at 13-8. A 4-0 run pushed the margin to eight at 17-9 which the margin would hold before the Air Force took the 25-16 first set win.
Biassou opened the match with four of the team’s six kills in the set and Erfurth had five assists with Milica Djukic recording her first assist of the season.
The script flipped in the second set with the Lobos getting out to a 5-2 lead after Air Force won the first two points of the set. UNM’s lead grew to five at 10-5 with kills from Emma Smith and Kali Wolf and two Falcon attack errors, and later stretched to 19-12 following a 5-0 Lobo run. The Falcons fought back to bring the margin within two at 23-21, but the Lobos were able to close out the set with an Erfurth kill and a kill from Biassou for the 25-22 win.
Wolf led the Lobos with four kills in the second set, hitting .500 and Djukic and Tua teamed up for three blocks.
The third set followed a similar pattern to the first set with three ties in the first 10 points, with again the Lobos hanging close to the Falcons. A Moldan service ace brought UNM within one at 11-10 before Air Force scored the next three points to create some cushion. UNM responded to tie the set at 14 on a Wolf kill and two Falcon attack errors, but could not get the go-ahead point in the set. UNM came as close as 21-19 late in the set but the Air Force won the set, 25-21.
Wolf and Biassou each had three kills in the set with Erfurth accounting for all seven assists.
There were two ties early on in the fourth set, at one- and two-all before Air Force turned a two-point lead into a four-point advantage at 9-5. UNM closed on a 5-1 run to tie the set at 10 on a combined block by Tua and Smith, but again, the Falcons answered to pull ahead by five at 15-10. The Lobos got as close as three at 21-18 on a Falcon service error before the Falcons won the next four points to take the set and the match.
Biassou had five final kills in the fourth set and Smith was involved in both Lobo blocks in the set.
UNM and Air Force will play one final time on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT to close out the series.