ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– Following a split with Air Force last weekend, The University of New Mexico volleyball team returns to the road to face Boise State on Friday and Saturday at 3 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively on the Mountain West Network.
Sophomore outside hitter Kaitlynn Biassou led the Lobos (3-5) with two double-doubles against the Falcons as the co-captain tallied a team-high 29 kills and 34.0 points between the two matches. Biassou recorded 25 digs on the weekend, just second to sophomore libero Alena Moldan’s 34. Freshman setter Kara Erfurth averaged 7.33 assists per set, accounting for 66 of the team’s 73 and Erfurth and Biassou each finished with four service aces.
In Saturday’s five-set victory, the Lobos won the first two sets, including a dominating 25-9 second set before Air Force forced a fifth set with a 27-25 fourth set win after fighting off two match points at 24-22. UNM recovered in the fifth set to take the set at 15-9 and the match.
Freshmen continued to play a large role in the Lobo rotation, with Tori Tua finishing with a team-high nine total blocks to go with 11 kills, and Emma Smith with eight total blocks and 10 kills.
Boise State enters the two-match series second in the conference standings at 6-2 after dropping a five set and a four set match to UNLV last series.
Lauren Ohlinger leads the Broncos with 132 kills, an average of 4.4 a set, and 144.5 points. Much like the Lobos, the Broncos have a primary setter in Danielle Boss, who is averaging 9.73 assists per set and has 292 on the season. Allison Casillas leads at the service line with 11 aces to date and in digs with 103 (3.43 digs per set). Jessica Donahue leads the team in total blocks with 50, and has 23 more total blocks than the second-most player on the team, Boss.
Ohlinger leads the MW in kills per set and is 28th in the NCAA, while Boise State leads the MW in blocks per set (3.02) and second in hitting percentage (.232), kills per set (13.23) and assists per set (12.0).
SERIES HISTORY
The Lobos lead the series 9-8, but trail to BSU 5-4 in matches played in Boise. Last year, Boise State won both meetings, a 3-1 win in Albuquerque and a 3-0 win in Boise.
UNM’s last win at Boise was Oct. 28, 2017 in four sets, which was also the last time that the Lobos defeated the Broncos.