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Women's Volleyball

Lobos Fend Off Tarleton in Five, Improve to 4-0

by Connor Gilbert
Box Score PDF

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – New Mexico Volleyball stayed unbeaten with another gritty five-set victory on Thursday night, outlasting Tarleton State (25-21, 25-17, 13-25, 18-25, 15-12) at Wisdom Volleyball Gym to open their weekend of nonconference tournament action.

With the victory, the Lobos improved to 4-0 on the season for the first time since 2022, surviving a momentum swing by the Texans and finishing strong behind 12 total service aces – six of which from Madeleine Miller.

The junior setter not only guided the offense with 42 assists, four kills and five digs, but also tied for the seventh-most aces in a single match in program history – the most by a Lobo since Kali Wolf had six at Boise State on Sept. 22, 2022.

Miller had plenty of help on the attack. Addison France hit .378 with 15 kills, delivering four of them in the decisive fifth set as the Lobos took control late, while Zoe Leonard and Gioia Riccato contributed 11 more apiece. Solia Angilau (6 kills), Uliana Yastrub (5 kills), Seenane Brewer (4 kills) and Madeleine Miller (4 kills) rounded out a 56-kill team effort.

Riccato finished with a team-high 18 digs for her first double-double as a Lobo, with libero Camila Canedo picking up 16 more and Yastrub joining them in double-digits with 11.

After taking the opening two sets comfortably, the Lobos stumbled in the third and fourth as Tarleton found its rhythm, hitting .444 in the third set alone. But with the match tied 2-2, UNM regained control in the fifth behind a 7-0 run that included back-to-back aces from Miller. Tarleton ripped off a 5-1 run in response before a kill from Angilau and a Texans attacking error sealed the deal.

Set 1 – New Mexico 25, Tarleton State 21
The Lobos established themselves early with aggressive serving and steady attacking from France and Riccato. A late 5-2 run, sparked by Miller’s first ace of the night, gave UNM the cushion it needed to close the opener.

Set 2 – New Mexico 25, Tarleton State 17
UNM dominated behind a .333 hitting clip, with Yastrub and Angilau contributing key kills. Miller delivered back-to-back aces during a mid-set surge, and Canedo kept the back row clean as the Lobos rolled to a 2-0 lead.

Set 3 – Tarleton State 25, New Mexico 13
The Texans roared back, hitting .444 in the frame and capitalizing on Lobo miscues. Despite France’s four kills in the set, UNM couldn’t slow Tarleton’s attack and dropped its first set of the night.

Set 4 – Tarleton State 25, New Mexico 18
Momentum stayed with the home team as Tarleton blocked three Lobo swings and forced extended rallies. Riccato and Leonard combined for six kills, but the Lobos fell behind early and couldn’t recover, sending the match to a decisive fifth set.

Set 5 – New Mexico 15, Tarleton State 12
With the match on the line, Miller’s serving proved decisive. She landed two of her six aces in the set and directed the offense to a 12-7 lead. France came through with three late kills, and the Lobos finished off the match on a Tarleton error to secure their 4-0 start.

UP NEXT
The Lobos (4-0) return for a neutral-site matchup with Northwestern State (1-3) tomorrow at Wisdom Gym, with first serve set for noon MT. Streaming will be available via WAC International with live stats available at GoLobos.com/VBStats. Follow @UNMLoboVB on IG, X and Facebook for matchday updates, highlights, promotional information, behind-the-scenes content and more.

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