Lobos Drop Match to Rams in Three

FORT COLLINS, Colo.— The University of New Mexico volleyball team fell to Colorado State in straight sets on Thursday night in the battle of the 5-1 Mountain West teams.

The third set was the closest set of the night with 10 ties and seven lead changes before the Rams took the 25-20 set win to end the match.

Avital Jaloba opened the third set with a kill to give New Mexico its first lead of the match, although the Rams tied the set at one and again at two before gaining a 5-2 lead. Trailing 9-4 in the set, UNM rallied to tie the set at 10 on a Kaitlynn Biassou kill and regained the lead at 11-10 on a kill by Kali Wolf. A block by Uxue Guereca and Elizabeth Woods put the Lobos back in front 14-13 and the Lobo lead grew to two on a Biassou kill and Ram attack error at 16-14. However, CSU answered to tie and take the lead. There were ties at 16, 17 and 18 and a Kassie McGill block kept the Lobos within reach at 20-19 before Colorado State pulled away for the 25-20 set win.

UNM had three total blocks in the third with a McGill solo and an assisted block each for Guereca, Woods, Jaloba and Biassou. Jaloba had two assisted blocks in the match while McGill finished with a solo and an assisted to tie for the team lead.

Biassou led the Lobos in kills with seven, but with it, brought the end to her streak of at least 10 kills in the last 10 matches. Alena Moldan reached double figures in digs at 10 for the team high and Melissa Walden accounted for 13 assists. Chloe Clark recorded the lone service ace for UNM.

In the first two sets, CSU led from start to finish in identical 25-13 set scores.

The Lobos fall to 14-4 on the season, 5-2 in conference and remain on the road to take on Wyoming on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. MT.