The Lobos had a decisive victory on Saturday against San Diego State, setting them up for another winning season.
“This was a great week for us. We played two really good teams and went 6-0 in games. It’s such a great turn for the future,” said Lobo head coach Jeff Nelson, expressing his satisfaction about the performance of his team in its last home match.
The Lobos (16-15, 6-11 Mountain West) climbed to No. 8 in the Mountain West, and ensured for themselves at least a .500 season record after defeating the Aztecs (16-15, 8-9 MW) 25-18, 25-19, 25-23.
“We wanted to close this out, go to UNLV and get another win and finish on a really high note,” Nelson said.
If New Mexico upsets UNLV on Tuesday, the Lobos would finish with a ninth winning season under head coach Nelson.
“I’m really excited with what they’re doing,” Nelson said. “It’s been a while since we’ve done that.”
The Lobos dominated the game with 40 kills and a hitting percentage of .223, while the Aztecs hit just .151 with 35 kills.
The two teams were close in team blocks and assists as UNM registered seven blocks and 35 assists — compared to six blocks and 34 assists for San Diego State.
However, UNM changed the match with its attacking service and smooth setting — six service aces against two from SDSU, and 49 digs versus 33 for the Aztecs.
The Lobos dominated set one with their impressive four service aces. UNM quickly ran ahead to lead 12-5 and extended the advantage to 20-11. New Mexico reached first game point at 24-14. The Aztecs staved off four game points before the Lobos clinched the game, 25-18.
In game two, UNM got off to another good start, but a 6-1 run by SDSU gave it an 11-9 lead. The two teams went back and forth until New Mexico broke ahead 20-17 and went on to close it out 25-19.
The affair was similar in set three. The Lobos held early leads at 8-2 and 19-14, but SDSU fought back to pull within one point. New Mexico, up 24-19 and serving for the match, again saw the Aztecs save four game points, and called timeout to regroup. After the timeout, senior outside hitter Devanne Sours sealed the game 25-23.
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“Jeff was on us and it was on our shoulders,” Sours said about that timeout. “We knew that we really wanted to finish with a bang, and we were trying a little too hard. We just realized that we needed to relax and play like we knew how we could.”
UNM’s seniors shined on Senior Day as Sours and Warren both posted double-digit kills in the match — the fifth match in a row that they both did so.
Sours registered a game-high 14 kills with a hitting percentage of .128, putting herself only 17 kills away from her goal of 1,000 career kills. She also contributed five digs and one service ace.
Warren hit .308 with 12 kills while registering eight digs and two service aces. Cassie House added six kills and two service aces for the team.
Middle blockers Mariessa Carrasco and Victoria Spragg both hit three kills offensively. Spragg also registered two solo blocks and three block assists.
Lise Rugland continued her solid performance at setting with 30 assists.
Ashley Kelsey built up the defensive line with 13 digs. Warren (eight digs), Rugland (seven), Mercedes Pacheco (six) and Marisa Doran (two) also contributed defensively.
Although the seniors are on their way out, the departures will make room for some new recruits that the head coach is excited about.
“Our recruiting class is very good,” Nelson said. “We are excited about the direction we are heading.”
The Lobos will travel to Las Vegas on Tuesday to take on UNLV, in an attempt to finish the season with a third straight win.
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.
