ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Week three of the volleyball schedule takes the Lobo volleyball team to UC San Diego for three matches against Pacific, UCSD and Liberty starting on Friday afternoon.
New Mexico will start off the tournament against Pacific on Friday at 1:30 p.m. MT, the first of two matches that day as the Lobos face host UCSD that evening at 7:30 p.m. MT. The Lobos close the weekend against Liberty on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. MT. All three matches will have both stream and live stats available, with the UCSD match on ESPN+ and the other two on UCSD’s stream.
LOBO FIGHT
The Lobos showed tremendous resolve in their matches against UTEP and South Dakota, coming back from down 2-0 to complete the reverse sweep against the Miners, and battling against the Coyotes to force a fifth set.
With their backs to the wall and facing a 2-0 deficit for the first time this season against UTEP, UNM turned the deficit into a five-set win, with the fifth set needing extra points to determine the victor. Three Lobos finished with double-digit kills, led by Kaitlynn Biassou who got better as the match went on, and Anilee Sher, who led the team with six service aces, including three straight to open the fourth set. Uxue Guereca added another double-double to her season tally with 11 kills and a match-high 18 digs, while also adding four service aces (tying her career high). Kali Wolf added 12 kills to go with eight digs and an ace and hit .407 (12-1-27). As a team, the Lobos finished with 13 service aces, which is the most in a match in program history in the 25-point rally scoring era and the most since UNM had 12 against Houston Baptist in 2016.
In the fifth set, there were ties at 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 with UNM fighting off three match points while having two match points.Tied 18-all, Wolf provided the final match point on a kill and Avital Jaloba and Wolf clinched the win with an assisted block. Biassou closed with four kills in the fifth set with Wolf adding two. Jaloba finished with a solo and three assisted blocks, teaming up with Wolf on all three.
Against the Coyotes, the Lobos dropped two sets 25-23 after fighting off two set points to get within one at 24-23 in both sets. In the fourth set, there were ties at 15, 16 and 17 before consecutive Lobo kills by Wolf and Biassou put UNM back in front. A Wolf ace out of a Coyote timeout pushed the lead to 20-17, a lead that USD closed to within one at 21-20. While Guereca and Biassou kept the Lobos in front with kills that made it 23-20 UNM, the Coyotes went on a 4-0 run to take the 24-23 lead. A Biassou kill fought off match point to tie the set and had another kill to give UNM set point at 25-24. USD answered with a kill to fight off set point, but Biassou put UNM back in front with another kill and teamed up with Jaloba on a block to give UNM the 27-25 set win.
UXUE LEADS THE WAY
Uxue Guereca has recorded a double-double in four of the five matches and has the Lobos in kills in two matches and in digs in two matches.
Guereca has been consistent this season, and is second on the team in kills (61) and digs (75) and third in service aces (nine).
SHER SERVES
Anilee Sher finished with 11 service aces in the Borderland Invitational, tallying six aces in the win against UTEP and four against South Dakota. Sher is 43rd in the NCAA and second in the MW in service aces with 12.
In addition, Sher has recorded 30-plus assists in four of the five matches, including 43 against Cal State Fullerton and 50 against South Dakota.
CELEBRATE THE MILESTONES
Kaitlynn Biassou and Alena Moldan each reached career milestones in the final match of the 2021 season and on the verge of more this season.
Moldan surpassed the 1,000-career dig milestone while Biassou surpassed the 1,000-career point milestone. Moldan currently sits at 1,111 career digs with Biassou at 1,100 points.
Biassou is on the verge of another milestone this season with 942 career kills (58 shy of 1000) and Moldan two digs away from eighth all-time in program history in career digs and 19 away from seventh.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Pacific enters the tournament 3-3 after going 2-1 last weekend. The Tigers have wins over Northeastern (3-0), Chicago State (3-0) and Eastern Illinois (3-0), and lost to Northwestern (3-0), UTEP (3-2) and UIC (3-1).
Alexa Edwards leads the team with 114.0 points (5.43 per set) and 105 kills (5.0 per set), with Jenna Heller the primary setter with 229 assists (10.9 per set). Jadyn Tubbs leads with 81 digs (3.86 per set) and Emily Van Groningen leads with 12.0 total blocks (three solo, nine assisted). Tubbs and Edwards were both named to the 2022 West Coast Conference Preseason Team, with the team picked to finish sixth.
UCSD has won its last three matches and is 5-1 on the year with wins over Army (3-1), California (3-2), Southern Illinois (3-0), Nicholls (3-1) and Southern (3-0). The Tritons’ lone loss was to San Diego State (3-1).
Ava McInnes leads the team with 85 kills (4.05 per set) and 99.0 points (4.71 per set) with Izzi Strand as the primary setter (191 assists, 8.68 per set). Shara Da Silva leads UCSD with 31.0 blocks (two solo, 29 assisted) and Naya Dong leads with 90 digs (3.91 per set). The Tritons were picked eighth with 37 points in the Big West coaches’ poll.
UNM will be playing Liberty for the first time in program history, with Liberty entering the weekend 4-2 on the season. The Flames have won their last three matches with wins over Murray State (3-0), UNCW (3-0) and Winthrop (3-1) and have a season-opening win against Elon (3-0). Their losses have come against VCU (3-1) and High Point (3-1).
Trinity Watts leads Liberty with 74 kills (3.52 per set), 89.5 points (4.26 pet set) and eight service aces. Delaney Dilfer is the primary setter with 242 assists (11.52 per set). Erica Lowery leads with 85 digs (4.05 per set) and Lydia Burts leads with 27.0 total blocks (five solo, 22 assisted). Liberty was voted to finish fifth in the ASUN Preseason Volleyball Poll.
Following the weekend matches, the Lobos return home to host Northern Arizona on Sept. 14 as part of a home and home series with the Lobos traveling to NAU to close the non-conference schedule on Sept. 16.