Head coach Jeff Nelson made changes to his squad’s rotation, handing the libero duties over to sophomore Maddie Mayfield. Nelson said redshirt freshman Ashley Kelsey’s difficult time on the court warranted the switch.
“I don’t know if it’s permanent, but we felt like we needed something different,” Nelson said. “Ashley Kelsey had struggled the past couple of matches and we felt like we needed to spin the wheels.”
Mayfield said her main focus is helping the team get wins. In her first start switching from defensive specialist to libero, Mayfield dug 17 balls off of the hardwood in addition to her five assists.
“I’m just happy to be on the court no matter what,” Mayfield said. “It’s probably one of the better games I have had this season.”
Freshman defensive specialist Taylor Cross took over Mayfield’s previous spot in the rotation. For the first time in her short-lived collegiate career, Cross played in all three sets, recording six digs in the match.
“I felt like Taylor Cross did a good job and served tough,” Nelson said. “For the most part she passed well and it’s good to see that out of a freshman.”
Nelson moved sophomore Julia Warren from her previous outside hitting spot to assist with defensive duties, as opposed to slugging the ball from the outside. Nelson said Warren’s consistent passing and reliable defense is more efficient from the middle-back of the court.
“Julia Warren is in the middle-back in almost every rotation,” Nelson said. “She’s the person we want playing the most balls.”
Nelson applauded the Lobos’ performance in the first two sets. Following a 5-5 tie in the first set, UNM went on a six-point run, putting the 25-13 win out of reach early.
UNM’s offense stood out in the first set, hitting .306 in the dominant performance. The defense put on a stellar show as well, holding Boise State to .000 hitting.
In the second set, Boise State (8-8, 1-3 MW) hung in the match longer than in the first. However, following an 11-11 tie, UNM slowly pulled away, eventually defeating the Broncos.
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New Mexico’s offense was not nearly as efficient in the second set. However, UNM’s eight total blocks in the second set gave UNM the advantage late.
“Our team can really explode blocking at times,” Nelson said. “We’re really good at keeping teams out of the things that they do best.”
UNM came out in the third set in what appeared like another dominant performance, leading 8-4. However, after a Boise State timeout, UNM lost its rhythm.
The Broncos eventually tied the game at 11 before taking a 19-16 lead late in the match. New Mexico bounced back in the contest, tying the game at 24 after the Broncos were standing on set point.
Boise State would have four more opportunities to avoid the sweep. With three consecutive game-winning opportunities, the Broncos choked without making the Lobos return the serve.
Nelson said that Boise State’s best three servers don’t generally make mistakes when beginning the volley. He said the Broncos’ mistakes provided some big breaks for his unit.
UNM (11-5, 4-0 MW) finally pulled out a 29-27 victory over Boise State, completing the sweep. Nelson said the lack of aggressive play was concerning late in the game.
“We went out there and waited for them to lose in game three instead of going out and winning,” Nelson said. “That’s not a characteristic I want for our team.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
