RENO, Nev. - Nevada Volleyball closed a two-game home series against Wyoming Saturday, losing in a five-set thriller (26-24, 29-31, 19-25, 25-23, 16-14).
Nevada and Wyoming opened the match with a tightly contested first set that featured 13 ties and multiple late lead changes. The Wolf Pack used an early four-point run behind a kill and ace from
Lara Pacheco to build an 8-4 advantage, while kills from
Mckaley Herr,
Ceren Sert, and
Adriana Dorn helped Nevada maintain control through the middle stages of the set. Wyoming gradually chipped away before the teams traded points down the stretch. Consecutive kills from
Paige Thies erased a late deficit and tied the score at 20-20, while a block from
Madison Long and Sert gave Nevada a 23-22 advantage. The Cowgirls responded with back-to-back points, and after Nevada fought off one set point, Wyoming closed out the opener 26-24.
The Wolf Pack answered in the second set, racing out to an early 5-1 lead behind kills from Herr and Dorn and strong play from setter Keely Hummel. Nevada maintained the advantage through much of the set, with Sert, Thies, and Long all contributing offensively. Wyoming battled back to tie the score at 20-20 before the teams exchanged points in a back-and-forth finish. Nevada faced multiple set points but continued to answer, getting key kills from Herr, Long, and Thies. After Long gave the Pack a 26-25 lead, the sides traded points until Wyoming committed an attacking error at 29-30. Herr then delivered the deciding kill as Nevada claimed the marathon set, 31-29, evening the match at one set apiece.
Nevada carried that momentum into the third set, jumping out to a 9-5 lead behind kills from Bonaventure, Thies, Long, and Navarro. The Cowgirls responded with a mid-set run, using consecutive service aces to tie the score at 12-12. Nevada answered immediately, as back-to-back blocks from Sert and Dorn sparked a four-point run. Kills from Dorn and Thies extended the Pack lead to 18-15, forcing a Wyoming timeout. Sert added another kill and Thies recorded a solo block during the closing stretch as Nevada continued to build separation. A late kill from Thies set up match point before a Wyoming attacking error sealed a 25-19 Wolf Pack victory and a 2-1 match advantage.
The fourth set was tightly contested throughout, featuring 12 ties as neither team could create much separation early. Nevada used a six-point run midway through the frame, sparked by consecutive kills from Dorn and a service ace from Lara Pacheco, to take an 8-6 lead. Jess Walkenhorst, Thies, and Dorn continued to power the offense as the Pack erased a four-point deficit and tied the score at 13-13. Following the media timeout, the teams traded points before Wyoming used a late 5-1 run to build a 23-17 advantage. Nevada showed fight down the stretch as kills from Dorn, Thies, and Bonaventure, along with a pair of blocks, cut the deficit to 24-23. The Cowgirls ultimately escaped with a 25-23 win to force a decisive fifth set.
Nevada came out strong in the deciding fifth set, building an early 9-5 advantage behind kills from Thies, Walkenhorst, Herr, and Sert. A Thies service ace and strong play from setter Hummel helped the Wolf Pack maintain control through the opening stages. Wyoming battled back after the side switch, using a 4-0 run to tie the score at 9-9. The teams traded points throughout the closing stretch, with kills from Herr, Dorn, Bonaventure, and Sert keeping Nevada within striking distance. After fighting off one match point at 14-13, the Pack tied the score on a Wyoming service error. The Cowgirls answered on the next rally before an attacking error ended the match, giving Wyoming the 16-14 set victory and the match.
Mckaley Herr powered the Nevada offense with a match-high 19 kills while hitting .422, and
Paige Thies added 17 kills, 12 digs, two service aces, and four blocks for a double-double.
Adriana Dorn delivered an outstanding all-around performance, notching a triple-double with 14 kills, 36 assists, 10 digs, and two blocks, while hitting .400 to help lead the Wolf Pack attack.
Karly Bonaventure contributed eight kills, and
Madison Long and
Ceren Sert added seven and six kills respectively, with Sert matching Thies for the team lead with four blocks. Defensively,
Masyn Navarro anchored the back row with a match-high 23 digs, while
Keely Hummel added 28 assists and nine digs and
Lara Pacheco chipped in nine digs and two service aces.
