ALBEQUERQUE, N.M. – The Nevada volleyball team (9-17, 7-7 MW) took down the New Mexico Lobos (14-13, 6-8 MW) on Saturday by a score of 3-1 (25-19, 18-25, 31-29, 25-20). With the win, the Wolf Pack moves to .500 in conference play and has now won three consecutive games for the first time this season.
Sophomore Ayla Fresenius led the way for Nevada, racking in a game-high 20 kills to go along with 10 digs for her eighth double-double of the year and second against New Mexico. She was followed by senior Madison Foley and junior Peighton De Von, who had 17 and 12 kills, respectively, to guide Nevada's offense. Foley also collected 13 digs for her third double-double of the season. Sophomore setter Dalyn Burns dished out 47 assists and dug 12 balls for her fifth double-double this year. Burns is now averaging 13.75 assists per set in her past two games played.
After Nevada got things going quickly and took an early 7-3 lead to force New Mexico to call its first timeout, De Von pounded her third kill of the day to extend the Pack's advantage to 13-8. Foley then recorded Nevada's second service ace of the game to push her team's lead to seven, but not before the Lobos strung together a 4-1 run of their own and trim Nevada's lead to 19-15. The Pack then followed that by scoring six of the next 10 points to claim the first set 25-19.
New Mexico jumped out to a 9-5 lead in set number two and never looked back from that point. Though Nevada did its best to stay within striking distance, finding itself down just one at 15-14, the Lobos came back scoring three unanswered points and ran away with the set 25-18 as both teams went to the locker room tied at one set a piece after the first two sets.
Coming out of the locker room, neither team was willing to give in as the third set was about as evenly matched as possible. Nevada found itself tied throughout much of the set, until the Pack took a two-point advantage at 18-16, courtesy of Fresenius's 14th kill of the match. After New Mexico climbed back to take a 24-21 lead, Nevada fought off three set points to knot the score once again at 24 apiece. Once the set moved to a 28-28 tie, Nevada then went on a 3-1 run to win the third set 31-29 and go up two sets to one in the match.
Set number four began much like the third where neither side was able to find an edge as the score was tied 14-14. However, the Pack then went on a 4-1 run that was jumpstarted from a kill by sophomore Shayla Hoeft to claim an 18-14 lead, where Nevada never looked back from that point and took the set 25-20 to win the match 3-1.
The Pack will be back in action on Thursday, Nov. 9 when Nevada hosts Colorado State inside Virginia Street Gym at 6:30 p.m. PT.
