Lobos Fall to Bulldogs in Final Road Match
FRESNO, Calif.— In its final road match of the season, The University of New Mexico fell 3-1 (28-26, 17-25, 12-25, 14-25) to Fresno State on Saturday afternoon.
Uxue Guereca produced her second double-double of the weekend and her fourth of the season following a team-high 14 kills and 11 digs, hitting .250 in the Mountain West contest. Kaitlynn Biassou again finished with double-digit kills with 12, adding a solo block, two assisted blocks, eight digs and a service ace in the four-set match.
Kara Erfurth accounted for 35 of UNM’s 37 assists in the match to go with seven digs and two assisted blocks, while fellow freshman Tori Tua led the Lobos with six total blocks, all assisted.
The match started with a competitive first set, needing extra points to determine the outcome.
UNM fell behind 5-1 early but scored the next five points to gain the 6-5 lead on kills by Kaitlynn Biassou and Kali Wolf (two), and consecutive blocks by Wolf and Tua and Tua and Biassou.
Following ties at seven and eight, the Bulldogs gained the advantage with a 13-9 lead, to which the Lobos answered with four of the next five points to close within one at 14-13. UNM eventually tied the set at 16-all, and again at 17-all, before Fresno State regained the lead. UNM kept within reach, not allowing the Bulldogs to extend the lead beyond two points, and closed to tie the set at 22 and 23. Fresno State reached set point at 24-23, which an attack error created another tie at 24. Again, Fresno State got to set point, and again the Lobos fought it off. A Guereca kill gave UNM the 26-25 set point, to which the Bulldogs fought off before a Guereca kill and bad Bulldog set gave UNM the 28-26 set win.
Much like the first set, Fresno State gained the 5-1 early lead in set two, but unlike the opening set the Lobos were unable to close the margin. The Lobos got as close as 8-6 and 12-10, but the Bulldogs took the second set 25-17 to even the match.
The third set followed the pattern of the first two sets with a 5-1 Fresno State lead, although the third set was closer to the first set as the Lobos rallied to tie the set at six. Fresno State used a 7-0 run to go ahead 13-6, to which the Lobos couldn’t match. After a Biassou kill made it 19-11, the Bulldogs scored the next five points to reach set point before winning 25-12.
In set four, the two teams traded the first six points for three ties, before Fresno State pulled ahead 8-4. UNM got back within one at 12-11 but couldn’t find the tying point before the Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run to take the 19-11 lead. The Lobos scored three more points on two Bulldog attack errors and a Biassou kill before Fresno State won the final three points in the set for the 25-14 win.
UNM closes out its season with two home matches, its only two of the season, hosting Colorado State on April 1 and Utah State on April 3, with both matches taking place in The Pit.