The Lobo volleyball team fell in five games to the No. 22 Utah Utes on Saturday night in Johnson Gymnasium.
The Lobos, coming off a conference loss at home against BYU on Thursday, were poised and ready to redeem themselves, head coach Kelley McKee said.
"Effort-wise, Thursday night wasn't something we were very proud of," McKee said. "I thought tonight's effort was outstanding overall. When it comes down to it, we just made too many mistakes."
The Utes took the first game 30-21, but the Lobos came back and won the next two games, 30-27.
The big story of the night was the Lobos' defensive presence. The team set a school record for the most block assists in a game with 43.
Junior Chelsea Sondrup's 10 block assists on were enough to make her UNM's all-time leader with 254. She said the team felt prepared for the match.
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"We were confident, and we played our system," Sondrup said. "We just kept trying to get touches on the block and stuff their big hitter, and we did."
Going into game four, UNM had momentum and a 2-1 advantage on their side. The Lobos went on a 16-6 run, giving them an 18-13 lead. But the Utes came back and tied the game at 24 after a string of errors on both sides.
It was all Utes from there, and they took the game 30-28 on kills from Lyndsey Henderson and Kelsie Kartchner.
The fifth and final game got off to a rocky start for both teams as they continued to struggle with their serves. The Lobos blocked strong all night, but were held without a block. They couldn't match the Utes' tenacious offense, which put down six kills. The Utes captured the win with a 15-8 victory.
Sophomore Kelly Therkelsen had 16 kills on the night and said the match was proof the team won't go down easy.
"The teams in the conference think they're going to come in here and beat us in three," Therkelsen said. "If we come in and play with energy, we have nothing to lose.
McKee said she was proud of the team's effort.
"They have to learn how to play to their potential against every team and give a solid effort," McKee said. "I think tonight proves that when they do - with a few less mistakes - they can beat a team like Utah."
The Lobos dropped to 6-9 overall and 0-4 in the Mountain West Conference. The Utes improved their record to 11-2 and 3-0 in conference play.
The Lobos head south to face the New Mexico State Aggies in a nonconference match Tuesday.
