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A lack of communication brought the New Mexico volleyball team its third loss of the season against UNLV Saturday.
The Rebels defeated the Lobos 3-1 and improved to 10-6, 5-1 Mountain West Conference in front of 2,157 fans — the largest crowd of the season at Johnson Gym. It’s the first time all season that UNM (14-3, 5-2 MWC) lost in fewer than five sets.
The Lobo players did not appear to be on the same page all game, letting numerous off-speed shots settle on the floor. Head coach Jeff Nelson said his team didn’t follow through with the game plan, which led to an abundance of soft shots that slipped through the defense.
“They are a bigger team than us,” Nelson said. “We decided we were going to overpower them and we didn’t play smart.”
Nelson was frustrated that his team was unable to place the ball where they intended. He said overconfidence may have played a large role in the team’s mental errors.
In the first set, the Lobos and Rebels kept a tight and competitive match trading points back and forth. The Rebels took the lead after a 14-14 tie and never looked back. UNLV went on an 8-point run that the Lobos were unable to come back from. UNLV took the first set 25-18.
Redshirt junior Chantale Riddle stood out as UNM’s dominant scorer, having a game-high 24 kills. Yet Riddle’s solid performance wasn’t enough to make up for the Lobos’ miscues in the passing game along with the miscommunication on defense.
“We didn’t go after the team like we needed to,” Riddle said. “We just didn’t follow the game plan.”
Several other Lobos had good games, including redshirt sophomore Hannah Johnson, who recorded her 11th double-double of the season with 47 assists and 16 digs. Freshman Julia Warren amassed 22 digs throughout the night, a career high.
“We had been such a solid unit,” Nelson said. “Tonight we had individuals out on the floor.”
In the second set, the Lobos were able to keep within striking distance of the Rebels. The Rebels took a 24-21 lead as the Lobos were on the verge of losing the set.
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UNM battled back and then took a one-point lead, needing only one more score to win the set and tie the match at 1. The Lobos sat on set point three times in the second set, but were unable to finish the Rebels off.
UNLV took advantage of the opportunity and eventually took the set from the Lobos with a final score of 30-28.
The Lobos played well in the third set, starting with a 6-point run. They maintained a comfortable lead the entire set, winning and avoiding the sweep 25-18.
UNM struggled to get any sort of rhythm in the fourth set, falling behind early and never recovering. UNLV took the lead after a 4-4 tie and didn’t let the Lobos back in the match. UNLV won the set 25-18, and the match 3-1.
The loss comes after a UNM comeback against San Diego State University, winning 3-2 on Thursday.
UNM travels to California to take on Fresno State Thursday, and will play San Jose State on Saturday. Both games will be played at home.
