UNM Loses Close Match to Wyoming
LARAMIE, Wyo.— The New Mexico Lobos were in each of the three sets on Saturday against the Wyoming Cowgirls, but the Lobos ultimately fell 25-20, 25-23, 26-24.
Kaitlynn Biassou led the Lobos with 17 kills with Uxue Guereca finishing with 13 kills. Melissa Walden recorded a double-double with 23 assists and 14 digs, while Alena Moldan came close to a double-double with a team-high 17 digs and nine assists. Moldan also led with two service aces, one of four Lobos to tally one, as Biassou, Guereca and Walden each had one.
The opening set had eight ties and three lead changes with seven ties occurring in the first 14 points. The Lobos were the first to gain an advantage, using a Kali Wolf kill, a bad Cowgirl set and an Emma Smith and Wolf block to go ahead 10-7. An Elizabeth Woods kill kept the three-point lead at 13-10, but the Cowgirls responded to tie the set at 15 and take an 18-15 lead. UNM got as close as two on a Biassou kill at 19-17, however, Wyoming won the next four points to pull away at 23-17 in the eventual 25-20 set win.
Biassou hit .444 in the first set with five kills and Guereca nearly matched her with four kills and a .500 hitting percentage.
UNM fell behind 4-1 early in the second set before rallying to tie the set at six and taking an 8-6 lead on a Guereca kill and Wolf kill. Wyoming answered with the next four points to re-take the lead, to which the Lobos kept within reach before tying the set at 12. After a final tie at 13, UNM had opportunities to tie the set eight times late in the set but were unable to find the equalizer as the Lobos dropped the set 25-23.
Biassou added seven kills to her total in the second set with Guereca adding six as the Lobos actually held the edge in the set in kills 17-15. However, the team had seven attack errors to Wyomng’s three.
The Lobos came out firing in the third set, getting out to a 3-0 lead on a Biassou and Smith block, a Wyoming attack error and a Walden ace, a lead the Lobos would hold until Wyoming ties the set at nine. There would be ties at 10 and 11 before the Lobos regained some cushion at 13-11 on a Biassou kill and Guereca kill, and grew the lead to 15-12. UNM led by four at 17-13 on a Moldan ace and pushed it to five at 20-15 on a Wolf kill before the Cowgirls responded to close within one at 20-19. UNM regained some momentum to keep the lead at 22-19 on a Wyoming service error and attack error, but the Cowgirls managed to come back to tie the set at 22. From there, the two teams exchanged points to create a tie at 23 before a Guereca and Smith block gave UNM set point. However, Wyoming closed with the next three points for the 26-24 set win to take the match.
Biassou again led the offense with five kills in the third set and Moldan provided two service aces to go along with one by Guereca and Walden in the set.
UNM drops to 14-5 on the season and 5-3 in the Mountain West.
The Lobos host San José State on Thursday, Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the Johnson Center before going to Nevada on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 2 p.m.