Lobos Sweep Wolf Pack Behind Biassou's 21 Kills
RENO, Nev.— The match between New Mexico and Nevada may have been delayed a day, but the Lobos delivered a straight-set sweep of the Wolf Pack on Sunday morning (25-18,25-22,32-30) for UNM’s 10th sweep of the season.
Kaitlynn Biassou produced another solid stat line with a match-high 21 kills, hitting a career-best .606, with four service aces and three assisted blocks in front of her hometown crowd, while Uxue Guereca tallied her second double-double of the week and fourth of the season with 12 kills and 10 digs.
Sunday’s match was the second match of the week in which Biassou finished with 20-plus kills, the third-straight match with 10-plus kills, the 13th in the last 14 matches with double-digit kills and the 15th time this season with double-digit kills and third time with 20-plus kills.
Melissa Walden finished with another 30-plus assist match at 37, nearly matching the Nevada team total of 39. Avital Jaloba led with four total blocks (all assisted), and Alena Moldan tying Guereca with 10 digs for the team high.
UNM pulled away midway through the opening set with Guereca and Biassou trading kills in the 5-0 run and the 16-12 Lobo lead. A Nevada kill ended the run, and the Wolf Pack eventually closed within two at 18-16, but the Lobos closed with the last four points of the set on a Kali Wolf kill, a Jaloba and Biassou combined block, another Wolf kill and a final Biassou kill in the 25-18 set win.
Guereca started off with right kills and seven digs in the first set, as the Lobos hit .391 with a match-best 20 kills, while Walden matched the entire Nevada team total in assists with 12 assists.
The Wolf Pack took the early 2-0 lead in the second set, however, UNM responded with a 4-0 run to go in front. The set remained close with ties at 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 before the Lobos created some separation with a 3-0 run on a Biassou kill and two Nevada errors. Another 3-0 Lobo run stretched the lead to six at 21-16 with Guereca and Wolf contributing with kills, and although the Wolf Pack threatened late by fighting off two set points to pull within two at 24-22, Biassou closed the set with a final kill for the 25-22 set win.
Biassou added six kills in the second set with Moldan, Biassou and Wolf recording a service ace.
Following a tie at four, Nevada took control of the third set on a 6-0 run. The Lobos rallied to close the gap to within one at 17-16 but the Wolf Pack remained in the lead, ultimately reaching set point at 24-22. However, a Biassou kill and ball handling error by Nevada tied the set at 24 and started the exchange of teams fighting off set points for the next 12 points. An Elizabeth Woods kill provided a Lobo match point and Biassou finished the match with a final kill and the 32-20 set win for the sweep.
Biassou closed with 10 kills in the third set, hitting .692, while adding two service aces, and Walden finished with 15 assists, one more than the Nevada team total in the set. Defensively, the Lobos had their strongest set with 5.0 total team blocks behind three from Jaloba, two apiece from Biassou, Kassie McGill and Woods and one from Guereca.
The win improves UNM’s record to 15-6 on the season, 6-4 in conference ahead of the next matches against Wyoming and Colorado State, both at home.