Staff Report
The Lobo volleyball team was unable to get a whole lot going against a tough 16th-ranked BYU team Saturday.
The Cougars swept all three games, solidifying their place as one of the top teams in the nation. It was the first time the Lobos had been shut out this season since Sept 3.
It was a tough weekend for the Lobos, who also lost 3-1 against Utah on Friday.
UNM's record stands at 11-7 overall, and drops to 3-5 in the Mountain West Conference.
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BYU got off to a fast start in game one, jumping out to a 15-5 lead and never looking back, going on to win 30-15.
In game two, UNM grabbed an early lead 10-7, and the game was tied at 15-15 until BYU ran away with it, winning 30-18.
In game three, the Lobos again managed to get a lead on BYU at 14-11. BYU would not be denied however, and rallied for a 30-22 victory, which sealed the tournament for the Cougars.
Nicole Ryan continued to play well as one of the leaders for UNM. The senior finished with a team-high seven kills.
Freshmen Michelle Miller and Sarah Kwasigroch also had some key contributions for the Lobos. Miller led the team with four digs, and Kwasigroch finished with 17 assists, also a team high.
Facing Utah in Salt Lake City on Friday, UNM had the tough task of trying to become the first team to defeat the Utes at home this season.
Game one was a back and forth match that featured 15 ties and 15 lead changes. Utah was able to use the home court to their advantage, pulling away to win 30-22.
The Lobos came out a little flat in game two, but after being down 29-21, rallied to make it a close game, in the end falling 30-25.
UNM would not go down easy, however, and had their best performance in game three. With the score tied at 13, UNM went on a run to win 30-23.
With a chance to tie the match at two games apiece, the Lobos tried to get a big lead early, and were up 2-0. Utah would not disappoint its home fans however, and fought back to eventually win the game 30-23 to secure the match.
In the Utah match, there was some history made for the Lobos. Junior Kelly Therkelsen added two block assists, giving her 206 and putting her in a temporary ninth-place tie on the UNM all-time list. She added four more against BYU, moving her into eighth place with 210.
In the loss to Utah, Ryan put up a double-double, with 10 kills and 10 digs. Freshman Gayle Tripp led the team with 15 digs while sophomore Samantha Weber had 11 kills for the match.
Miller led UNM with 12 kills and Kwasigroch tied a career-high with five kills.
The Lobos will try to get back on track this Thursday as they host Wyoming in an all-important Mountain West Conference showdown.
