This time wasn’t like last time.
After dropping a 3-0 decision to TCU on the road Oct. 8, the UNM volleyball team steamrolled the Horned Frogs 3-0 Friday at Johnson Center.
It was UNM’s fifth straight win, moving it into second place in the Mountain West Conference at 16-8 overall and 8-3 in conference, while TCU dropped to 13-12 over and 4-7 in the MWC.
“We all got together before the game and decided that we weren’t going to lose this one,” senior setter Jade Michaelsen said. “Last time, we felt like we made too many errors and gave them the match. We decided that this time was going to be a whole new ball game.”
The Lobos and Horned Frogs battled to a 14-14 tie in Game 1.
After rallying off a string of three points thanks to two TCU errors and a kill by junior middle blocker Ashley Rhoades, UNM took the lead for good at 17-14. The Lobos never looked back, and took Game 1 25-22.
“It’s no secret that we’ve had some trouble in first games this season,” head coach Jeff Nelson said. “Instead of coming out on fire and ready to win, we like to see what the other team is going to do. We need to instill that passion — that winner’s mentality — from the first point.”
UNM ran away with Games 2 and 3. The Lobos won handily 25-14 and 25-17, thanks to some spectacular diving saves by freshman defensive specialist Mariah Agre and junior libero Allison Buck.
Agre finished the match with 13 digs, while Michaelsen chipped in 10 digs and Buck added eight.
“Our back-row defense was solid,” Nelson said. “Jade, Allison and Mariah all had some great digs that kept us in points that we probably should not have won otherwise.”
On the offensive end, Rhoades paced the Lobos with 12 kills on 20 attempts for a solid .550 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, senior middle blocker Taylor Hadfield chipped in 11 kills and two service aces. Senior Lisa Meeter and junior Kelly Williamson each added nine kills.
“Our hitters did a nice job of getting the balls down,” Michaelsen said. “I would set them the ball, and they would put it to the floor.”
Because of Greeks at the Game Night and Parents’ Weekend celebrations, more than 2,500 fans were on hand to cheer UNM to victory.
“Hands down, we have the greatest fans,” Rhoades said. “Our team builds off the energy, and it gets us pumped up and excited to play. Tonight was no exception.”
The Lobos are a perfect 5-0 at home in conference, with perhaps their biggest test still ahead of them. UNM faces off against No. 18 Colorado State on Thursday, having lost to the Rams 3-0 on Oct. 16, in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“We’re on a roll right now,” Rhoades said. “We have a lot of momentum heading into Thursday’s game. CSU is a great team, and we’ll have to work really hard in practice this week if we want to come out on top.”
