VB: Lobos fall to Colorado State Rams 3-0

by Richard Stevens - Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
Oct. 13, 2011

The search for Lobo healing continues. It moves from Fort Collins, Colo., a few miles North to the home of the Wyoming Cowgirls.

The University of New Mexico Lobos were looking for a huge upset Thursday in Colorado State's Moby Arena. The Lobos played tough in Game One and Game Two, but were simply overpowered by the Rams in Game Three, dropping a Mountain West contest 3-0 -- 25-20, 25-23 and 25-14.

The Lobos in the final game did not resemble the same Lobos who battled into a 20-all tie in Game One and a 21-all tie in Game Two. The Rams broke out of a one-point 12-11 lead in the third game and powered into the 25-14 win.

The win dropped UNM to 10-7 overall and 2-3 in the Mountain West. CSU jumped to 11-4 and 4-1. The Lobos will play Wyoming at 7 p.m. on Saturday trying to scratch their way back up the MW standings.

The Lobos were paced by senior Ashley Rhoades with 13 kills and sophomore Mariah Agre with 28 assists and seven digs. CSU's advantage was at the net, but the Rams did just fine on the back row with 40 digs to 30 for UNM.

The Lobos ended with 37 kills to 38 for CSU. UNM hit at a .167 percentage and CSU was more efficient at .271. CSU had 14 blocks to 12 for the Lobos.

Colorado State got 10 kills from Katelyn Steffan and nine from Dana Cranston.

Game One: CSU 25, Lobos 20

The Lobos did a good job hanging with Colorado State - until the last five points of the set. UNM kept pulling out of small deficits to form ties at 18-all and 20-all. The Rams then called a timeout and went into a huddle. The talk obviously worked. The Rams came out of the break and rolled off five straight points to claim the all-important first-set win.

The Lobos jumped up 3-1 and 6-3 early in the game before CSU's power at the net pushed them up 9-6. Riddle snapped that run with a hard spike and UNM pulled into a 9-9 tie. The Rams threatened to pull away at 14-11, but good net work from Rhoades, Kreig and Riddle formed a 16-16 tie. UNM also looked at ties at 17-all, 18-all and 20-all before CSU got on the set-winning roll.

Game Two: Colorado State 25, Lobos 23

The Lobos made the same mistake in the second set that they made in game one. They let CSU pull ahead at the end. This time the Rams pulled out of a 21-all tie into a 24-21 lead and this time UNM almost came back. Almost.

UNM used some Williamson muscle at the net to make it 24-23 and make CSU go into a huddle. CSU came out of their huddle and made a passing error on a Williamson serve. The error gave Kreig a quick look at a kill, but the young Lobo hit the ball wide. CSU went into the break leading 2-0.

The Lobos did a good job shaking off their skid at the end of game one and went up 6-2. CSU stormed back with a 4-0 run to form a 6-all tie and then went up 7-6 and 8-6 before Nelson called a timeout trying to snap that CSU momentum. UNM came out of the huddle and got a spike from Rhoades to pull to 8-7. CSU answered with a hard one to make it 9-7.

UNM pulled to 13-all before UNM stumbled in its passing game allowing CSU to go up 17-13. Nelson called for time. The Lobos used two Rhoades' kills and a Rhoades block to pull to 19-17. CSU called a timeout, but UNM pulled into ties at 20-all and 21-all.

The Rams went into the two-game break hitting .302 to .242 for the Lobos. Rhoades led all players with 10 kills at that point. Riddle had six kills. Steffan had eight for CSU and Cranston had six kills. Agre had a solid first two games for the Lobos with 23 assists and six digs.

Game Three: Colorado State 25, Lobos 14

The Rams came out of the break looking to end this match in three games. The Lobos hung around for a while, but CSU powered to the 25-14 decisive win.

CSU went up 5-2, 7-3 and 12-8 before a Lobo surge made the score 12-11 and CSU went into a huddle. The Rams came out of that break to go up 16-12 and UNM asked for a timeout. A few plays later and the Lobos were back in a huddle, down 19-12. CSU rolled into a 21-12 lead and kept on rolling for the third win.