Lobos Open 2022 Season with Four-Set Victory Over Titans

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Three New Mexico players finished with double-doubles and the Lobos needed every point in the effort as UNM defeated Cal State Fullerton in four sets (25-21, 21-25, 25-17, 27-25) on Friday night’s season opener.

Uxue Guereca and Kali Wolf each recorded 15 kills to lead the team, with Guereca adding 17 digs and Wolf 11 digs, and Kaitlynn Biassou added 14 kills and 10 digs. In her first match as a Lobo, Anilee Sher contributed 43 assists, but perhaps more crucial was her timely two block assists, with Alena Moldan adding five assists and 17 digs.

The Lobos took the early momentum in the match, scoring the first three points and seven of the first eight to gain separation. While the Titans rallied to close within four at 11-7, the Lobos answered to stretch the lead to seven at 17-10 on a block assist by Biassou and Avital Jaloba. CSF again closed the gap, this time getting within a point at 21-20, but the Lobos responded by winning the next three points with a point off of a service error, a block by Elizabeth Woods and Wolf and a kill by Woods. The Titans fought off set point, but a service error provided the final point.

UNM led from start to finish in the first set, with the Lobos benefitting from five Titan service errors as Cal State Fullerton led the set in hitting percentage (.135-.129), kills (13-10) and total blocks (4.0-2.0).

The second set played out the opposite way with CSF scoring the first three points before UNM found its footing to tie the set at three. Ties would be the reoccurring theme of the set, with 13 ties and four lead changes as both teams attempted to gain an advantage.

A 3-0 Titan run midway in the set put the visitors ahead 18-15, forcing a Lobo timeout. A Guereca kill out of the break halted the run, but the Titans took the next two points to push the gap to four at 20-16. After a Wolf kill pulled the Lobos within one at 20-19, a pivotal challenge call on a Guereca serve that was originally called in and overturned turned a tied set into a two-point Lobo deficit. UNM again got within a point at 22-21 on a Titan attack error, however, Cal State Fullerton closed with the final three points to even up the match.

UNM again led from start to finish in the third set, taking back momentum by winning the first three points and getting out to a 10-3 lead that eventually increased to a 17-8 lead. The Titans got as close as seven at 18-11 and again at 23-16, but the Lobos were in full control in the set, winning 25-17 for the 2-1 match lead.

The Lobos held the Titans to just eight kills and .029 hitting in the set, while hitting .200 with 13 kills.

Set four looked to follow suit to sets one and three with the Lobos taking the early 3-0 lead that expanded to four at 7-3 on a kill by Wolf, but the Titans went on a run to tie the set at eight and took a 9-8 lead. UNM responded to tie the set at nine and took a 10-9 lead, and later looked to gain the advantage with a 3-0 run that turned an 11-all tie into a 14-11 score. However, CSF answered out of a timeout with a 4-0 run to reclaim the lead, setting off a back-and-forth battle with an exchange of points over the next 21 points, leading to 11 ties.

UNM reached match point at 24-23 on a Biassou kill, but a service error kept the Titans alive. A kill by Wolf again gave UNM match point at 25-24, but again the Titans fended it off. However, a Sher and Jaloba block proved to be the spark for the Lobos, as Lea Zurlinden ended the match on the next point on an attack that the Titans couldn’t track down for the match-clinching kill.

The Lobos outhit the Titans .333 (a match high) to .200 in the fourth set, with Biassou accounting for six kills, Wolf for five, Guereca for four and Zurlinden three. The Lobos also found production in their blocking with 3.0 total blocks and each one coming at defining moments in the set.  Jaloba and Sher combined for two blocks in the fourth, with one tying the set at nine and the other providing the final match point, and Guereca tallying a solo block that tied the set at 21.

With the win, the Lobos have won their season opener in each of Jon Newman-Gonchar’s four years at UNM.

The Lobos (1-0) close out the Lobo Invitational on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Abilene Christian (0-1).