Sport

Lobos Stay Hot in Four-Set Rout of San Jose State

Lobos Stay Hot in Four-Set Rout of San Jose StateLobos Stay Hot in Four-Set Rout of San Jose State
Box Score

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico Volleyball closed out a 2-0 weekend with another four-set victory over San Jose State (23-25, 25-18, 26-24, 25-19) Sunday at The Pit - Powered by Nusenda, riding a career-high 55 assists from Madeleine Miller and double-digit kills from five Lobos to keep UNM's midseason turnaround on go.

The Lobos (9-11, 7-3 MW) have now won seven of their last eight matches and six in a row at home, remaining tied for second place in the Mountain West standings with eight matches left to play.

After a late rally fell just short in the opening set, UNM responded with a .500 hitting percentage in the second to even the match. The Lobos then weathered a late Spartan push in a tightly contested third, scoring the final two points to take control before pulling away in the fourth to complete the weekend sweep.

Miller’s 55 assists were the most by any Mountain West player in a four-set match this season and the second-most in a match of any length. She added seven digs, three kills without an error and two block assists while directing a Lobo offense that finished with 63 kills on .336 hitting.

Reagan Miller and Addison France shared the team lead with 14 kills, hitting .417 and .323, respectively. France added 13 digs for a double-double, while Miller led UNM at the net with three total blocks. Campbell Hollister put away 11 kills with just one error on 19 swings for a team-best .526 hitting percentage, with Seenane Brewer adding 11 kills and Mina Stanojevic finishing with 10 on .333 hitting.

“It was a battle for sure,” said UNM Head Coach Brian Hosfeld. “When they are in system they are very athletic … there were times they were going over the top of our blocks and we couldn’t get our defense in the right spots. 

“How about our middles? We figured out a way and we showed up today, so that was great – and good distribution by [Madeleine Miller].”

Stanojevic also collected 13 digs for a double-double, while Camila Canedo led all players with 24 digs as the Lobos finished with a 65-49 advantage in that category.

UNM outpaced SJSU in kills (63-59), assists (61-55) and hitting percentage (.336-.267), with both teams finishing with five blocks. The Spartans held a 4-2 edge in service aces but committed 13 service errors to the Lobos’ six.

UP NEXT
The Lobos (9-11, 7-3 MW) continue their homestand with a pair of matchups with Grand Canyon at The Pit - Powered by Nusenda on Thursday (6:30 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.).

Both matchups with the Lopes will be available to stream via MW+, with live stats for both matches available via GoLobos.com/VBStats. Follow @UNMLoboVB on IG, X and Facebook for match updates and coverage, promotional information, behind-the-scenes content and more.

ALL-TIME SERIES
With back-to-back wins over the Spartans this weekend – the Lobos’ first time beating SJSU twice in a row since 2018 – UNM improved to 19-14 all-time against San Jose State. The Lobos improved to 10-5 against the Spartans at home.

SET ONE - NEW MEXICO 23, SAN JOSE STATE 25
UNM nearly erased an eight-point deficit in the opening set, but its late surge fell just short as they dropped the opening set 25-23. The Spartans built a 12-4 advantage early and still led 22-17 before a Stanojevic kill sparked a 4-0 Lobo run to pull UNM within one. Hollister kept the pressure on with a kill to make it 23-22 and France fought off set point with another, but a Lobo attack error ended the comeback bid.

Stanojevic led UNM with four kills on .333 hitting and five digs, while Hollister added three kills without an error on seven swings (.429). Canedo anchored the defense with 11 digs and Madeleine Miller distributed 11 assists. 

SET TWO - NEW MEXICO 25, SAN JOSE STATE 18
The Lobos found their offensive rhythm in the second set, hitting .500 with 15 kills to pull away for a 25-18 win and even the match. After SJSU edged ahead 13-12, UNM responded with a 7-2 surge fueled by three France kills and a team-up block from France and Reagan Miller. UNM then rattled off four straight points to stretch its lead to 23-16 before Miller’s fourth kill of the set finished the job.

France and Reagan Miller led UNM with four kills apiece, while Brewer added three. Madeleine Miller dished out 12 more assists along with a pair of kills of her own, and Reagan Miller contributed two block assists. The Lobos totaled 15 kills with just two errors on 26 swings, outpacing SJSU’s 12 kills and .233 hitting. 

SET THREE - NEW MEXICO 26, SAN JOSE STATE 24
UNM outlasted the Spartans in an offensive back-and-forth to take a 2-1 match lead, with both teams putting away 20 kills and hitting better than .400. A 4-0 Lobo run opened a 13-8 advantage, and UNM maintained its cushion deep into the set before SJSU rattled off four straight points to erase a 23-19 deficit. Stanojevic stopped the run with a kill to give the Lobos set point, and after the Spartans pulled even again at 24-all, France and Reagan Miller delivered consecutive kills to seal it.

Stanojevic finished with five kills without an error on seven swings (.714), matching Reagan Miller for the team lead in the set. Hollister added four kills on five error-free attempts (.800), while France contributed four kills and five digs. Madeleine Miller assisted on 19 of UNM’s 20 kills, with Canedo collecting six digs as the Lobos hit .457 to SJSU’s .439.

SET FOUR - NEW MEXICO 25, SAN JOSE STATE 19
The Lobos seized control early in the fourth, turning a 5-4 deficit into a 12-6 lead with an 8-1 surge that included consecutive Hollister kills and a Stanojevic ace. SJSU chipped away to get within two at 15-13, but Reagan Miller answered with a kill before Hollister and Stanojevic teamed up for a block to restore a four-point cushion. The Spartans pulled within 19-17 late before UNM closed on a 6-2 run, with a Leonard ace helping create separation and Brewer delivering the final kill to secure the Lobos’ sixth consecutive home win.

Brewer led UNM with six kills in the closing frame, followed by France with four on .286 hitting and Reagan Miller with three. Madeleine Miller added 13 assists to finish her career day, while Canedo and Stanojevic collected four digs apiece. UNM totaled 16 kills on .303 hitting while holding the Spartans to 12 kills and a .176 clip.