Utah State women’s volleyball (12-15, 7-9 MW) came back from two sets down to post a season sweep over New Mexico (14-15, 4-11 MW) on Saturday afternoon with a 26-28, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-13 victory. The win marks the third Mountain West sweep for the Aggies this season, having already captured both conference wins over Nevada and Air Force.
Senior outside Kaylie Kamalu-Smith led Utah State with 26 kills, hitting .344 (26-5-61), and added 12 digs for her sixth double-double of the year. She was followed offensively by junior outside Lauren Anderson with 18 kills, hitting .291 (18-2-55), and junior opposite Kayla DeCoursey with 16, hitting .273 (16-4-44). Senior setter Erica Moscoso directed the Utah State attack to a .283 (67-16-180) hitting percentage and totaled 54 assists and 13 digs, for her fourth double-double of the year.
Senior libero Hannah Gleason was one of two Aggies on the back row to record double-digit digs, leading the team with 16 and was followed by senior defensive specialist Maddie Day-Larsen with 10. Utah State's block was especially strong during the match, recording 11.0 to New Mexico's 2.0 and paced by junior middle Carly Lenzen with seven (2 BS, 5 BA).
The first set was neck-and-neck as the teams fought through 18 ties and nine lead changes. New Mexico was on the cusp of taking the set at 24-22, but a kill by Anderson and an attacking error by the Lobos squared the match at 24-24. The Aggies then fought off two more set points at 25-24 and 26-25, but New Mexico came back with back-to-back points at 26-26 to take the opening set, 28-26.
UNM scored the first two points of the second and led throughout the game, taking set point at 24-18. The Aggies scored four unanswered points behind a pair of kills from their outsides, a block by Lenzen and Moscoso and an attacking error to come back to within two, 24-22. New Mexico called a timeout and came out of the break with a kill, capping the set with the 25-22 victory.
Utah State came back in the third set and scored the first three points, beginning with a kill by DeCoursey, followed by a block by Lenzen and a bad set by the Lobos. New Mexico rallied to tie the set at 4-4, but the Aggies recorded back-to-back points to take a 6-4 lead and never trailed again. Anderson put the finishing touches on the frame with her third kill of the set at 24-21 for the 25-21 victory.
Utah State continued to fight in the fourth, overcoming a 15-11 deficit with a 5-1 run to tie the set 16-16. The Aggies then broke a 17-17 tie with four-straight points and ultimately closed out the frame with an 8-2 run to force a decisive fifth set with the 25-19 victory.
New Mexico opened the final set with a kill and led by two late in the frame, 12-10. Utah State came back to tie it, 12-12, behind a pair of kills by Kamalu-Smith, but the teams were still tied two rallies later, 13-13. A Lobo attacking error gave Utah State a 14-13 lead and Anderson captured the 15-13 victory for USU with her 18th kill of the match, completing the come-from-behind win.
New Mexico finished the match hitting .238 (77-32-189) and had three players with double-digit kills in Julia Warren (28), Devanne Sours (18) and Cassie House (15). UNM's Ashley Kelsey led both teams with a match-high 28 digs as the Lobos finished with 81 total digs to Utah State's 66.
Utah State will close out its three-match road trip at Fresno State on Wednesday, Nov. 16, and then host San José State in its Mountain West finale on Saturday, Nov. 19. The contests are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. and 1 p.m. MT, respectively.
Kyle Cottam is the Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations at Utah State University.