Lobos Close Week with Reverse Sweep of Liberty
SAN DIEGO, Calif.— Don’t count out these Lobos. Down 2-0 for the second time this season, The University of New Mexico volleyball team completed the reverse sweep in a 21-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 15-7 win, the fourth-straight win for the Lobos.
Uxue Guereca led UNM with 16 kills, while completing the double-double with 12 digs for her sixth of the season and had three service aces. Guereca was one of three players to finish in double-digit kills, with Kali Wolf and Kaitlynn Biassou tying with 14. Wolf led the Lobos with a career-high 21 digs, while also hitting .367 and led the Lobos with 15.5 points. Defensively, Avital Jaloba was credited with seven blocks.
New Mexico outhit Liberty .212-.157 and led 66-61 in digs. Both teams finished with seven aces and blocks were tied at 11-11.
After Liberty took the opening set 25-21 and the second set in which the Lobos rallied from down 22-16 to within one at 24-23 before falling 25-23, the Lobos responded in the third set.
UNM used a 5-0 run that started with a Wolf service ace that tied the set at six to take the lead, a lead that grew to six at 15-9. Liberty did find a late answer to climb back within two at 19-17, but Wolf kept the Lobo lead from getting any smaller with a kill. An attack error, Guereca kill and Guereca and Jaloba block restored the six-point cushion at 23-17, with the Lobos extending the match with a 25-20 win.
The Lobos outhit Liberty .207 to -.037 in the set with Biassou and Guereca each recording four kills and Guereca contributing on two assisted blocks.
Set four was the tightest of sets with 12 ties and five lead changes, and the Lobos needing to rally from down five at 14-9. A Lea Zurlinden kill started the 4-0 run that included two Guereca aces and a Wolf kill to pull UNM within one at 14-13, with the Lobos ultimately completing the comeback on consecutive assisted blocks that tied the set at 17. There were ties at 18, 19, 20 and 21 before Liberty gained the advantage at 23-21, but the Lobos rallied to score the final four points of the set for the 25-23 win, sealed by a Wolf kill.
The Lobos kept the momentum going into the fifth set behind a 4-0 run that made it 10-5 Lobos. Liberty never got closer than four, as UNM closed the match scoring the final three points on a kill by Wolf, a Zurlinden ace and a Jaloba kill to win the set 15-7.
Wolf closed the match with four kills on four attempts in the fifth set, with the Lobos outhitting Liberty .692-.062 to complete the reverse sweep.
As a result of their weekend performances, both Guereca and Wolf were named to the all-tournament team.
UNM improves to 7-1 on the season and hosts Northern Arizona on Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m. for its first home match since the opening weekend.