New Mexico came out with a new rotation Friday night, giving the red-long-sleeved jersey to Ashley Kelsey in UNM’s 3-1 victory over Cal State Northridge.
Kelsey, listed as an outside hitter, took over the libero duties for the first time this season after Mercedes Pacheco’s difficult tournament at the USC Classic last weekend. Head coach Jeff Nelson said Kelsey provides more of a reliable option wile Pacheco finds her way back into the starting lineup.
“I think right now Ashley (Kelsey) is playing a little bit more consistent,” Nelson said. “Mercedes hasn’t, the last couple of matches, put up the numbers we needed her to…We just decided that we needed to look at something different.
Kelsey who is not new to the libero position, having started in the spot last season before being plagued with injuries, played well in her first game back. She dug out 16 balls, while assisting on four separate occasions on the night.
However, as a whole, New Mexico (6-4) didn’t appear comfortable in the first game played at WisePies Arena aka The Pit in over three years. Despite winning three of four sets played, the Lobos were out-hit in the victory.
UNM combined for 27 total hitting errors, finishing the night with a .167 hitting percentage, the second worst percentage of the season. New Mexico’s lowest hitting percentage came against USC last weekend, when the Lobos only managed a .110 percentage against the third best team in the nation.
“Our goal this week is to make less errors and stay focused,” Nelson said. “We played a good team, I’m happy to get the win, but I think we have some work to do on things we need to get better.”
CSUN (1-9) hit .190 against the Lobos with 22 errors, but could only come up with seven total blocks on the night. UNM stuffed 12 balls on the night in a solid defensive showcase.
However, the Lobos received a huge boost from beyond the court, tallying 11 total service aces in the contest. Stephanie Chavez, the 5-foot-4 sophomore accounted for five total service aces, three of which came in consecutive serves down the stretch in the second set.
Set two was by far the closest match between the Lobos and the Matadors. In a set filled with runs, the Lobos were able to overcome a late 3-point run by CSUN as the Matadors sat on set point.
UNM remained poised coming up with a 3-point swing of its own to garner a 27-25 victory in the late stages of the match.
The Lobos relied on a familiar face in the four-set showcase as Devanne Sours took home the game-high in kills with 15. She has been the Lobos busiest offensive weapon having accumulated 137 kills on the season on 350 attempts, both team-highs.
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Even with Sours’ solid play, she was out-hit in terms of percentage by senior Cieana Stinson. The Matadors’ outside hitter was a force to be reckoned with, collecting 14 kills on 33 attempts and committing only two errors on the night.
Overall, Nelson said he was pleased with the team’s return to The Pit, despite the amount of errors and hitting errors on the offensive side of the court. He said he appreciated the enthusiasm of New Mexico’s fan base even though the team was away from the comforts of Johnson Gym.
“The crowd brought great energy,” Nelson said. “They just did a great job keeping us in the match.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at assistantsports@dailylobo.com or on twitter @Liam_CE.
