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The New Mexico volleyball team struggled with youthful errors as No. 19 Colorado State outlasted them 3-2, snapping the Lobos’ ten-game win streak.
The Lobos did not open Saturday’s game as the dominant team that had served losses to its last ten opponents. For the first time in the early season, the Lobos suffered a loss in the first set.
Head coach Jeff Nelson was disgruntled with the team’s inconsistency.
“We beat them in every stat … We let the game get away,” Nelson said. “I do realize we are young and have to mature and grow.”
The first set was closely contested. Neither team was able to manage any type of run in the back-and-forth match. The Rams finally took the first match 27-25, establishing a tone against New Mexico.
Nelson attributed the first set loss to young mistakes. For the first time this season, the head coach had to prepare his team to play catch-up.
UNM was not able to establish its offense in the second set, either, falling to CSU 25-18. The Rams dominated the set by using their large frames to slam balls off the hardwood.
Facing elimination, UNM challenged the Rams in the third set by sneaking through with a 27-25 victory, tying CSU for the first time at 22 points.
The Lobos dominated the fourth set as well, finding their groove early in the match. Never trailing during the set, they were able to force a fifth and final match.
UNM established an early 11-8 lead in the fifth set before CSU called for a break in the action. The break was exactly what the Rams needed. CSU knotted things up at 11 apiece before pulling ahead to take the match 15-13.
Nelson said he did not think UNM should have lost the first match, which changed the entire pace of the game, providing the Lobos with their only home loss of the season.
Redshirt junior right side hitter Chantale Riddle said she was not pleased to take the loss, but made sure to stress the outstanding play of CSU (12-0).
“They are a good team,” Riddle said. “We have to fight a little harder and practice a little harder when we go visit them away.”
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Freshman outside hitter Julia Warren seemed to find her groove in the final three sets as she was achieved her first double-double as a Lobo, reaching her career high with 15 kills.
“It stings right now,” Warren said. “It’s still a long season and we’re going to learn from this.”
