Lobos Edge Out Aggies in Five-Set Battle
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobo fight was tangible on Thursday night at the Johnson Center as New Mexico defeated Utah State in a thrilling, high-quality five sets of volleyball (22-25, 25-14, 25-21, 22-25, 15-10).
“Incredibly proud of this team. It took the entire team tonight to get the win over a very strong Utah State team,” said head coach Jon Newman-Gonchar. “I’m thrilled to see every player step up in huge moments and execute. I can’t wait to get back after it on Saturday versus another great Mountain West Conference foe.”
Kaitlynn Biassou led the Lobos with a career- and match-high 26 kills in the match, seven of which occurred in the fifth set, while hitting .417 and Uxue Guereca was the perfect accompaniment with a career-high 17 kills and 11 digs, for her second double-double of the season. Melissa Walden recorded a match-high 38 assists to go along with 11 digs for her 10th double-double of the season.
Biassou and Alena Moldan accounted for the three service aces for the Lobos, with Biassou tallying two, with Moldan finishing with a team-high 20 digs. Emma Smith led with a career-high six assisted blocks, while Avital Jaloba and Guereca each had five assisted blocks.
The Lobos edged out the Aggies in kills (65-60) and blocks (12.0-9.0), with the Aggies leading in digs (69-59) and both teams finishing with 58 assists and three service aces and 10 errors. UNM outhit USU .274 to .196 in the closely contested match with 20 ties and nine lead changes.
Utah State won the first set after using a 5-0 run midway through the set to take a 19-15 lead following a Jaloba kill that gave the Lobos a 15-14 lead. The Lobos attempted to come back in the set with a 4-0 run to close the margin to two at 23-21 and again at 24-22, but the Aggies recorded the final point for the win.
The Lobos responded to take control of the second set early, getting out to a 4-1 lead on a Biassou and Smith block, a Biassou kill and two Aggie errors. A 6-0 Lobo scoring run that included a Biassou kill, three USU attack errors, and a Jaloba kill pushed UNM’s lead to eight at 10-2 and another 3-0 run late in the set stretched the lead to 10 at 20-10. UNM closed the set with an Aggie ball handling error, a Jaloba and Guereca block and an Aggie attack error for the 25-14 set win to even the match at one.
Biassou started to assert her control of the match in the second set with six kills and a .714 hitting percentage (6-1-7), while defensively Smith and Biassou tallied three assisted blocks and Jaloba and Guereca posted two assisted blocks in the set.
UNM and USU battled in the third set with eight ties in the first 18 points before the Lobos took a two-point lead at 11-9 on an Aggie service error and Biassou kill. UNM expanded its lead to three at 15-12 at the media timeout, and out of the break, the Lobos pushed the lead to five at 20-15. Utah State answered to close the gap to two at 20-18, but Kassie McGill kept the Lobos in front with a kill. When the Aggies again got within two at 22-20, Biassou unloaded for the kill and the 23-20 lead. Back-to-back kills by Guereca and Biassou closed the set as UNM took the 2-1 match lead following the 25-21 third set win.
Guereca led with six kills in the third set, hitting .556 (6-1-9), with Biassou closely behind her with five.
The Aggies forced a fifth set with a late rally and a 25-22 set win in which although the Lobos closed within two late at 21-19 and again at 23-21, both on Guereca kills, the Aggies took the set.
Facing a fifth set for the first time this season, the Lobos found a spark as Biassou took over in the fifth set, recording four kills early as the Lobos got out to a 6-1 lead. A Jaloba and McGill block pushed the lead to six at 9-3, but the Aggies rallied to close the score to two at 10-8. Following a Lobo timeout, a McGill kill and consecutive Biassou kills pushed the Lobos within two points of the match at 13-9. A final Biassou kill provided match point at 14-10 and Guereca closed with a kill to seal the win at 15-10.
Biassou hit .750 in the fifth set with seven kills on eight attacks, with Guereca adding three and McGill recording the other Lobo kill. UNM outhit USU .400 to .136 in the final set with Walden assisting on seven kills, Moldan on three and Alia Rasmussen on one.
With the win, the Lobos improved to 13-3 on the season and 4-1 in the Mountain West. UNM remains at home to close out the week with a match against Boise State on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Johnson Center.