A hotly-contested third set that featured 10 ties, five lead changes and went to San Diego State 25-23 was not enough to stem the University of Nevada volleyball team’s surging momentum, as the Wolf Pack came back to beat the Aztecs 3-2 (16-25, 25-17, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13) in its Mountain West debut at home on Saturday night.
“Tonight was a great team victory and exceptional way to begin Mountain West play,” head coach Ruth Lawanson said.
Nevada improved to 4-10 (1-0 MW) with its third-consecutive victory, while San Diego State fell to 8-5 (0-1 MW) with the loss.
Three players recorded at least 10 kills for Nevada, with Janelle Batista leading the way at 16. The Pack fought back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits, closing strong to defeat a team many pegged as a contender for a conference title this season.
“We gained so much momentum throughout the match, when the fifth set started, I was positive about the outcome,” Lawanson said.
Bonnie Paul proved to be a weapon from the service line against the Aztecs, recording six of Nevada’s 12 service aces. She also chipped in with seven kills and three digs. Kelly Chang led the Pack with 13 digs. The other two players to record at least 10 kills for the Pack were Tessa Lea’ea (15) and Grace Anxo (10).
As a team, Nevada hit .173, recording 53 kills on 156 attacks and committing 26 errors. San Diego State recorded six more kills than the Pack, but also made three more errors on offense.
Nevada will take on Colorado State on the road on Thursday night at 6 p.m. in its next contest.
