Served.
After dropping Game One, the UNM volleyball team rebounded for a 3-1 victory over Brigham Young on Thursday at Johnson Center.
With the win, UNM improves to 12-8 on the season and 4-3 in the Mountain West Conference action. BYU falls to 8-13 and 3-4.
Head coach Jeff Nelson said he was proud of his team for the come-from-behind win.
“This is honestly the best we’ve played in a while,” he said. “After we lost that first game, our seniors took charge and decided that we weren’t going to lose.”
Senior right-side hitter Taylor Hadfield led the Lobo offense with 20 kills, just one shy of her career best. Senior outside hitter Lisa Meeter chipped in 18 kills and 9 digs, one dig away from a double-double. Meanwhile, senior setter Jade Michaelsen dished out 49 assists, needing only three more to surpass Janelle Torres for the top spot on the all-time UNM career assist list.
“We were fired up after game one,” Michaelsen said. “We felt like we gave that first one away, and we weren’t about to give away the match.”
After the first set blemish, the Lobos rallied for three-straight sets, 25-20, 25-23, 25-18.
At times, the Cougars showed their athletic ability and power hitting, but it was UNM’s blocking that took center stage. The Lobos outblocked BYU 11.5 to 7 on the match.
“I was pleasantly surprised with our blocking,” Nelson said. “BYU is leading the conference in blocking right now, and outblocking a team with a 6-6 middle is not an easy thing to do.”
UNM’s backrow defense was also stepped up. The Lobos posted 63 digs, compared to 44 for BYU. Freshman defensive specialist Mariah Agre notched a career-high 15 digs, while junior libero Allison Buck added 14.
“We executed our game plan,” Nelson said. “We knew we had to serve well and keep their offense out of rotation. Their big middles didn’t see a lot of sets, and that’s where we knew they could hurt us.”
The win moves UNM into a three-way tie for third place in the MWC with San Diego State and Wyoming. Colorado State leads the pack at 7-0.
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“This was a crucial win for us,” Hadfield said. “CSU is on top. But after that, the 1-2-3-4-5 spots are all up for grabs. You have to come out and fight every night because every team in our conference has the ability to beat you.”
The win also sets up a pivotal matchup against second-place Utah (10-10, 5-2) on Saturday. The game is also UNM’s “Think Pink” night.
“The ‘Think Pink’ game is something our team looks forward to each year,” Nelson said. “It will be a good test for us. Utah is playing great volleyball right now, and they are a well-coached team. We’re expecting a big crowd, and we hope to put on a show for our fans.”
And there just might be some good juju in the Lobos’ pink jerseys, too.
“Last year, we wore the pink jerseys and won some tough matches on the road to teams that we hadn’t beaten in awhile,” Hadfield said. “[The pink jerseys] are sort-of a good luck charm for our team, for sure.”
