The UNM volleyball team swept Nevada on Wednesday night, and the team hopes to ride the momentum towards closing the season with a winning record.
The Lobos (15-15, 5-11 Mountain West) found themselves balanced in all aspects of the game, defeating Nevada (18-10, 9-7 MW) 25-20, 25-23, 25-21 as one of their players hit a major milestone.
“I was really happy with the way we played,” Lobos head coach Jeff Nelson said. “We played really steady and solid. I thought our team had a lot of fun playing tonight.”
The head coach emphasized technical blocking after the team’s last match, and it paid off; the Lobos were dominant on the net against Nevada.
UNM registered 11 blocks as a team, while Nevada registered just six team blocks. The Lobos also outhit their opponent in the match, posting a hitting percentage of .224, compared to.122 for the Wolf Pack. It was only the second time Nevada hit under .220 at home all season.
“We spent a lot of time this week running Nevada’s offense,” Nelson said. “We knew what they were doing. We did some commit blocking, which made it a little easier for us.”
New Mexico opened the first set strong, amassing a 10-4 lead, but Nevada bounced back to seize control, 13-11. The Lobos fought back with a 9-3 run and eventually converted late to pick up the first round 25-20.
Game two was fiercely competitive, with the teams trading leads throughout. The Wolf Pack broke a tie to go out in front, 10-7. UNM then went on a 10-2 run to take a five-point lead, but Nevada would eventually tie the affair at 18-18.
The squads continued to go back and forth, but the Lobos picked up the final two points to snag a 25-23 win.
In set three, things were tight again. The teams were tied at 8-8, and late in the potentially clinching set they tied again 17-17. The Lobos went on to finish the set on an 8-4 run to earn the sweep over Nevada, 25-21.
Lobo seniors Julia Warren and Devanne Sours both shined, and continued their usual double-digits kill performances. Warren hit .233 with 15 kills, while Sours added 12 kills and hit .258.
The pin hitters owe their solid performance at least in part to the “thread” of the team — setter Lise Rugland, who logged a double-double with 30 assists and tied the match-high for digs with 11.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Libero Ashley Kelsey added 11 digs of her own to the defensive line, which allowed her to reach a major personal milestone of 1,000 in her career as a Lobo.
“It was really great to see that,” Nelson said about Kelsey’s accomplishment. “She’s had an amazing year and I’m really happy for her. I think that this has been her best year yet.”
Kelsey is the third player on the team to reach the 1,000 digs. Warren also eclipsed the mark, and Cassie House has hit over 1,000 kills.
One change for the Lobos in this match was the insertion of freshman Lauren Twitty into the starting lineup, replacing House. Twitty had a solid performance with eight kills, two service aces and three block assists.
The Lobos return home to host San Diego State on Saturday, which will officially be senior night. The team will honor its four seniors — Sours, Warren, House and Marisa Doran — prior to the match.
Bo Yu is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers cross country and volleyball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Bo_YuB.
