Errors prove costly as Lobos sweep Aggies.
Source: NMSU Athletics
NMSU Photo by Matthew Knope: Courtesy
In a rematch from Tuesday’s affair in Albuquerque, the Aggies fell once again to their in-state rivals. A hot start proved short-lived, as UNM ran away with the match quickly. 33 attack errors were far too many to overcome as the Crimson & White fell to 4-6 overall. The Aggies will be back in action tomorrow against Southern (1-10).
Set-by-set: NM State loses 0-3 (19-25, 21-25, 13-25)
FIRST SET
The Aggies came out with a vengeance, exploding to a 7-2 lead. The visitors responded with an 8-3 run that knotted things up at 10-10 and forced an Aggie timeout. After the 12-12 mark, the home team never pulled in front again. NM State tallied 12 attack errors in the first set, hitting -.061 as a team in the frame. The Lobos took the opening stanza by a score of 25-19.
SECOND SET
The Lobos continued their momentum into frame two, pulling out front 5-0 and forcing a timeout from the home bench. After a Maggie Lightheart kill pulled the Aggies within one point (13-14), the two sides remained close until UNM called a timeout of their own while ahead 20-19. A Lobo 5-1 run closed out the set and put the visitors ahead 2-0.
THIRD SET
The final frame did not break the trend, as the Aggies posted another 11 attack errors. For the second set of the night, NM State’s hitting percentage fell below .000 as they tallied just nine kills. UNM was ahead 13-2, and the margin never snuck below 10 points the rest of the way. The Lobos closed out the match with a 25-13 victory.
UP NEXT
The Aggies will return to the Pan American Center tomorrow as their three-match weekend rolls on. NM State will host Southern on Friday, Sept. 20 at 6:00 PM before taking on Incarnate Word the next day at 1:00 PM. Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+ and available to follow via LiveStats at nmstatestats.com.
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