Aidan Bostic (@bostic_aidan) – Spear Reporter
San Jose State volleyball (16-6, 10-2 MW) beat New Mexico (14-8, 5-7 MW) 3-1 in a much-needed win. SJSU volleyball beat UNM earlier this month and finished undefeated against the Lobos in regular season play.
SJSU volleyball entered coming off a loss against Air Force where it seemed out of sorts at times. The win in Albuquerque snapped a two-game losing streak, continuing the Spartans’ dominance in conference play.
Senior outside hitter Amethyst Harper was the kills leader for SJSU with 15. Senior outside hitter Haylee Nelson and redshirt sophomore Blaire Fleming had 13 kills each to lift the Spartans to their 10th conference win.
SJSU volleyball started off the game strong and won the first set, 25-21. In the second set, the Spartans took a 24-23 lead but gave up three unanswered points to lose, 26-24.
With the match tied 1-1, the pressure was on SJSU who needed to snap its losing streak. The team came together and won the third set, 25-20 and the fourth set, 25-23.
The Spartans had a dig party behind 21 digs from fifth-year libero Sarah Smevog. Nelson had 16 digs and Harper added another 15 digs on top of that. SJSU had 75 digs as a team while UNM had 62.
SJSU volleyball also bested New Mexico in assists, 60-44. Junior setter Mia Schafer led SJSU with 30 assists and graduate student Carly Aigner-Swesey had 21 assists.
Two-thirds through their conference schedule, the Spartans hope to finish the regular season on a high note. Their win against the Lobos is a positive sign for a team that lost in a blowout against one of the worst teams in conference in Air Force only a few days earlier.
The Spartans host Colorado State at Yoshihiro Uchida Hall on Thursday at 6 p.m. Both teams are 10-2 in conference play and are battling for second place in the Mountain West behind UNLV.