Volleyball recap: Rams grind out sweep over New Mexico State

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Sept. 12, 2014

Final Stats

By Craig Buchanan

Athletic Media Relations

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Coming off a signature win earlier in the day, the 14th-ranked Colorado State volleyball team was tested by a feisty New Mexico State squad, but showed its grit in a tight three-set sweep (26-24, 28-26, 25-23) Friday night at the Pan American Center. 

"I feel lucky to just win," Head Coach Tom Hilbert said. "I think we were outplayed. We just hung in there and won the sets at the end by being better at the end. The tanks are empty. We were taking swings and not getting kills."

For the second time of the day, and fourth match in a row, freshman outside hitter Jasmine Hanna led the Rams (8-1, 0-0 MW) for kills, with 13. Hanna was joined by senior outside hitter Marlee Reynolds, who also posted 13 kills, while senior middle blocker Kelsey Snider (nine) and junior right-side hitter Adrianna Culbert (eight) rounded things up offensively for CSU.

Senior setter Deedra Foss earned praise from her head coach after dishing out 39 assists.

"One of the big difference makers today was Deedra," Hilbert said. "She's just so much better than everybody else on the court. She's making good decisions, she's taking apart their block and she's doing it so much you think it's old hat. She is very good."

The opening action of the match set the tone for what was to follow. Set 1 featured 14 ties and four lead changes. The two teams alternated points all the way from 2-2 to 10-10 in the opening set before New Mexico State (3-4. 0-0 WAC) opened up a four-point lead. The Rams showed their determination, however, and closed the gap before winning the set, 26-24, after back-to-back kills from Snider and Hanna.

In the first set, the Rams hit .394 while New Mexico State also hit at an impressive clip of .389. That trend would not continue, however, as defenses from both teams picked things up and continuously extended rallies. After the high hitting percentages in the first set, CSU was held to .218 hitting for the match while the Aggies hit .252.

The Rams led by as many as six points in the second set, at 17-11, before the Aggies climbed back into it. Set 2 featured 10 ties and four lead changes total, but led by the impressive defense from CSU’s backline and some timely kills, the Rams toughed out a 28-26 set win to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission.

Coming out of the break, CSU looked primed to take control of the match, taking an early 10-5 lead in the final frame. Once again, New Mexico State showed that it would not go easy, eventually tying the set at 16-16. The two teams battled back and forth over the next several points in a set that featured 11 ties and three lead changes, but once again, CSU showcased its resilience and quality of play late in the set to win it, 25-23.

"We always work on drills we call end game, and for us to stay competing and stay composed is exciting," Snider said. "This was very good. We kept really composed and kept playing the way we know how."

In total, the match saw 35 ties and 11 lead changes, but the Rams were at their best late in the set to earn the sweep. It was much of the same in 2011, the last time the two teams met in Las Cruces, with all four sets being decided by two points in CSU's 3-1 win.

The Rams will conclude the weekend Sunday with their third match in a 25-hour period. CSU will travel to El Paso, Texas, to face the UTEP Miners at 12 p.m. MT. CSU has won 20-straight true road wins dating back to 2012.

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