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Lobos Can't Complete Comeback in Five-Set Loss to Spartans

SAN JOSE, Calif.— After dropping the second set by a narrow score of 26-24 on Thursday afternoon at Spartan Gym, The University of New Mexico Lobos rallied to win the next two sets and force a fifth set. However, the Lobos were unable to complete the reverse sweep and dropped the fifth set 15-7 and the match to San José State.

Sophomore outside hitter Kaitlynn Biassou registered her fourth double-double of the season with a team-high 22 kills and 15 digs, and was credited with a career-high four service aces, a career-high two solo blocks and an assisted block. Biassou was one of two Lobos with a double-double joined by Uxue Guereca, who was making her first appearance since the opening series at Nevada, with Guereca tallying 12 kills and tied Biassou with 15 digs for the team high in the category for her third double-double of the season.

Kali Wolf was the third Lobo to finish with double-digit kills with 16 kills. Biassou and Wolf each finished with over a .300 hitting percentage, at .360 and .316, respectively.

Kara Erfurth recorded her fourth match with 40-plus assists, finishing with 43 of UNM’s 46 in the match, and Hayley Torres was credited with three solo blocks, three digs and a kill in her first start as a Lobo.

UNM got out to an early 4-1 lead in the first set on a Guereca kill, a Biassou kill, a Biassou block and a Guereca service ace. The Spartans climbed back to tie the set at five, and three more ties would follow before UNM took a 10-8 lead that would grow to 12-8 on consecutive Biassou aces. SJSU tied the set at 12, with two more ties at 13 and 14 before UNM took a slight 15-14 lead into the media timeout. A 3-0 run by the Spartans put the home team ahead, and while the Lobos were able to close within one at 18-17, the Spartans closed to take the first set 25-21.

Like the first set, the Lobos gained the early advantage, this time 4-0, but again, the Spartans answered with the next six points to tie the set and take the lead. Following ties at seven and eight-all, the Lobos went on a 4-0 run of their own to lead 12-8.

The Lobos would eventually lead 15-10 but the Spartans answered to tie the set at 15 and continued their run to lead 17-15. UNM scored the next point to bring it back within one, although SJSU was able to create some separation to lead by three at 19-16 and again at 20-17, 21-18 and 22-19. The Lobos were able to get within one on two separate occasions at 22-21 and 23-22 before tying the set at 23. The Lobos fought off set point at 24-23 but were unable to fight off the second set point, dropping the set 26-24.

The third set was much closer through the early stages of the set with ties at one, two, three, four and five before the Lobos took five of the next six points to lead 10-6. UNM’s lead continued, ultimately stretching to 15-8 following a 4-0 personal Biassou run that included three kills and a solo block.

Consecutive kills by Wolf and Biassou created an 18-9 margin and a Guereca kill gave UNM set point at 24-14. While SJSU fought off the set twice, a final Guereca kill allowed UNM to extend the match with the 25-16 set win.

Biassou hit .500 in the third set with five kills and no errors, only to be topped in the fourth set with nine kills, zero errors and a .562 hitting percentage. In total, Biassou had hit .500 or better in three sets, hitting .571 in the second set with four kills on seven attempts and zero errors.

The fourth set followed a different pattern with the Spartans gaining the early edge with a 5-1 lead. The Lobos fought back to bring the margin to within one at 8-7 before completing the comeback to tie the set at 10. There were ties at 11, 12, 13, 14 and 16 before UNM was able to gain the upper hand using a 3-0 run that put the Lobos in front 17-16. There were two final ties at 17 and 18 before the Lobos pulled away on a 4-0 run. A Spartan attack error gave UNM set point at 24-19 and although SJSU got within one at 24-23, a kill by Biassou ended the threat and pushed the match to a decisive fifth set.

In the fifth set, the Lobos took a 4-3 lead and a 6-5 lead on a Biassou kill and service ace, respectively, but the Spartans pulled ahead 11-6 to which the Lobos couldn’t recover. A Spartan attack error provided the final Lobo point before SJSU ended the match with the final four points for the 15-7 win.