UNM Drops Three-Set Battle with Rebels
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico volleyball team battled UNLV in three close sets on Thursday night with a combined 37 ties and 19 lead changes, but dropped all three sets by scores of 25-22, 31-29 and 26-24.
Uxue Guereca led the Lobos in both kills and digs with 13 kills and 15 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. It was also the 10th time this season with double-digit kills for the redshirt junior.
UNLV scored the first 4 points of the match, but the Lobos settled in to tie the set at five with Kali Wolf providing the tying kill. The Lobos and Rebels exchanged points for ties at six, seven and eight before UNM took its first lead of the match at 9-8. UNLV regained the lead at 10-9 and led 15-13 at the media break. The Rebels extended their lead to 19-13, however two Rebel attack errors and an Avital Jaloba kill brought the Lobos within three and a Guereca kill and block by Jaloba and Lauryn Payne cut the deficit to one at 19-18. A Rebel service error and Payne and Lea Zurlinden block tied the set at 20, but the Rebels scored the next three points to take the 23-20 lead and went on to win the set 25-22.
There were a total of seven ties and two lead changes in the set.
The Lobos took the early lead at 3-1 and at 5-3 in the second set before UNLV tied the set at five. There was a tie at six, but the Lobos gained the three-point advantage at 10-7 on a Rebel attack error, a kill by Payne and a Rebel service error. UNLV pulled within one, however, a Guereca kill kept the Lobos in front and the Lobos restored their three-point lead at 13-10. UNM held a 15-13 lead at the media break, but UNLV tied the set at 16 before another Guereca kill gave UNM the lead again. There were ties at 22, 23 and 24 before a Jaloba ace gave UNM set point at 25-24. The Lobos again had set point at 26-25 on a Payne kill, at 27-26 on a Guereca kill and at 28-27 on a Kaitlynn Biassou kill with the Rebels fighting off each set point. After a Biassou kill tied the set at 29, UNLV took the next two points for the 31-29 win.
There was a total of 17 ties and seven lead changes in the set.
The third set was close at the start with three ties in the first six points before UNLV took a 6-3 lead. Lobo blocks by Biassou and Jaloba and Sher and Jaloba brought UNM within one and a Wolf kill tied the set up at six. There were ties at seven, eight, nine and at 10 before UNLV took the 13-10 lead to which the Lobos responded to close at 13-12. UNM used a 4-0 run to tie the set at 17 and take an 19-17 lead, and continued to lead at 22-18 before UNLV answered to tie the set at 22. Following another tie at 23, Biassou gave UNM set point at 24-23, which the Rebels fought off and won the next two points for the 26-24 win.
UNM had 5.0 total blocks in the set with Jaloba responsible for three assisted blocks and Biassou two. There were 13 ties and 10 lead changes in the third set.
The Lobos (11-5, 2-4 MW) return to the road for their next two matches, set to face San José State on Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. MT and Nevada on Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. MT.