Aug. 8, 2008
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico volleyball team reports to preseason camp today in preparation for the 2008 season. Second-year head coach Jeff Nelson will have 16 Lobos on the 2008 roster as UNM begins its battle for the Mountain West Conference championship and a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Practice Schedule (Aug. 8-16)
Friday, Aug. 8 – Team Reports
Saturday, Aug. 9 – Practice #1, 9:30-11:45 a.m.; Practice #2, 2-4:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 10 – Practice #3, 1-4 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 11 – Practice #4, 8:30-11:30 a.m.; Practice #5, 1:30-4 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 12 – Media Day, 1:30-2 p.m.; Practice #6, 2-5 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 13 – Off Day
Thursday, Aug. 14 – Practice #7, 2-5 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 15 – Practice #8, 8:30-11 a.m.; Practice #9, 1:30-4 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 16 – Practice #10, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
In addition to practice, the Lobos will take some time out to watch the debut of A Day In The Life … Lobo Volleyball in Argentina on Monday, Aug. 11 at 7:30 p.m. on The Mtn. (Comcast Channel 276 in Albuquerque). The show was taped during the Lobos Spring Training trip to Argentina from May 27-June 7. The Mtn. will air the show numerous times during the month of August leading into the season.
New Mexico 2008 Volleyball Season Preview
written by Dave Lepre, UNM Athletics Media Relations Intern
It did not take long for head coach Jeff Nelson to make an impressive mark on the New Mexico Lobos volleyball program. In fact, Nelson’s 2007 squad reached heights not seen within the program in over a decade. In Nelson’s first year at the helm last fall, the Lobos compiled a 16-13 record – their best since 1996. In addition, UNM won seven Mountain West Conference matches, also its best showing since entering the league. The Lobos finished their 2007 campaign as the sixth seed in the Mountain West Conference Tournament, pushing No. 3 seed and future NCAA Regional finalist BYU to five games before bowing out in the quarterfinals.
The rest of the coaches in the Mountain West took notice of the Lobos’ improvement. Chosen to finish fifth in the MWC Preseason Poll last season, UNM was picked a close fourth this season, finishing only one point behind BYU for third place. It is the highest UNM has been chosen since joining the conference. Two Lobos – libero Gayle Tripp and outside hitter Jeanne Fairchild – were named Preseason All-MWC selections.
“I expected us to be in the top four this season, actually we hoped for the top three and just missed it,” said Nelson. “I think the conference continues to get stronger. There are a lot of great coaches and players in the league. I think with Colorado State winning last season, clearly they are the favorite. But after that, Utah and us really factor in as the teams with the best shot and I’m excited about that. If we keep people healthy, we’ve got potentially the best outside hitter in the conference in Jeanne, great ball control with Gayle and Lisa (Meeter) and (freshman) Allison Buck coming in. We’re deeper in the middle than we were last year. I think we have the experience level to shake things up and finish even higher than where we were picked. Our players have their sights on the top of the conference. That’s our goal and that’s what we’ll be shooting for.”
The 2008 Lobos have set a number of goals for the program, including raising home-match attendance, winning each of their home matches and playing as tough as possible on the road.
“We’re determined to raise the attendance again,” Nelson said. “It almost tripled last year and we’d like to see a significant increase again.”
The Lobos had seven consecutive home crowds of over 1,000 fans to end the regular season. A season-high 1,506 watched the Lobos take on Colorado State on Saturday, Nov. 17. The overall season average was 847. During the eight MWC matches, it jumped to 1,158.
As to winning each of their home matches, Nelson hopes his team can take advantage of what he sees as a tremendous home-court advantage – the Johnson Center. The Lobos finished with a 10-5 record at the Johnson Center last season while managing a 4-7 record on the road.
“We have a great atmosphere,” he said. “We have the best fans here and they just keep getting better. It’s a great opportunity and we feel like we have to win all of our matches at home first and foremost and then be tough on the road. We have to be ready to play at all times. Our goal is to be at the top of the conference, to be fighting for the championship and getting into postseason play – all those things.”
The Team
With 10 letterwinners returning for the 2008 season, including 2007 All-MWC outside hitter Jeanne Fairchild and MWC Freshman of the Year Lisa Meeter, UNM seems poised to get stronger from top to bottom this season. Fairchild became just the second Lobo to receive all-MWC honors and Meeter was the first Lobo to be named MWC Freshman of the Year.
“I’ve seen huge improvements in all of the players that return,” Nelson said. “I think the recruiting class is going to lend itself to producing something for us that will make us stronger and deeper.”
The Lobos used a busy spring schedule – including a trip to Argentina – to help hone their skills for the upcoming season. UNM spent 10 days playing eight matches and sightseeing in Buenos Aires, Cordoba, and Santa Fe. The Lobos finished the trip 6-2, including two wins over the Argentine Junior National Team.
The Lobos have six freshmen joining the 2008 squad – Rachel Barber, Allison Buck, Kameo Pena, Ashley Rhoades, Kelly Williamson and Amy Wong. Several in the group are expected to contribute early for the Lobos.
As one of, if not the best outside hitter in the conference, Fairchild is going to lead the way for the Lobos in 2008. Having earned All Mountain West Conference honors in 2007, Fairchild, a senior, was one of the most dominating players in the conference last year, despite suffering a foot injury early in conference play. Regardless, Fairchild accounted for 477 of the Lobos’ 1573 kills last season and averaged 4.63 kills per game. Fairchild should return in 2008 healthy and ready to go.
“Look for her to take that even farther this year,” said Nelson. “She’s improved her backcourt game and taking more swings out of the back row than in the past. She’s being a little more diversified in the front row so hopefully that will help. I do see her as one the premier outside hitters not only in the conference, but in the country this year. We’re excited about what she can do and the numbers she can produce.”
Lisa Meeter returns at the other outside position. Although only a true freshman last season, Meeter, the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year last season, finished second on the team with 350 kills and an average of 3.33 kills per game. She led all freshmen in the Mountain West Conference in kills, service aces (38 – also tops for the Lobos last season) and points per game (3.9).
“She’s the player we look to for consistency and stability,” said Nelson. “She really provides strong play with all her skills. Where as Jeanne is a dominant hitter and blocker, Lisa can really get it done with passing and tough serving and some quality hitting so they really compliment each other. With both returning, we’re expecting they’ll really do some nice things for us. Lisa’s game has grown immensely over the last year. She’s got more variety in her shots. She’s looking for things more. On the flip side, Jeanne has learned that she can be a dominating player and really needs to be taking over in some of the games for us.”
Jade Michaelsen, now a sophomore, has a year of setting experience under her belt. Sarah Kwasigroch goes into her senior season with over 2,500 assists in her UNM career. Both draw praise from Nelson.
“Both of them will have roles on the team this year,” he said. “I think they’re ready to lead the team to where we want it to be. They’ve done a great job and worked really hard.”
Nelson points to Michaelsen’s blocking ability, calling her the best blocking setter in the conference. Both setters have been named team captains for the 2008 season. Freshman Amy Wong is training as the Lobos’ future setter.
Rose Morris stands to see some time on the left side for the Lobos this fall, but is predominantly going to play on the right side. She returns with two years of starting experience, having averaged 2.07 kills per game in 2007. Morris, a junior, was chosen to play for the Bring It Promotions (BIP)/USA Developmental Team at the 2008 Global Challenge, July 21-24, in Pula, Croatia.
“Rose really improved her blocking and her ability to hit off balls this spring,” said Nelson. “She took her game to a much higher level. She was much improved in the spring in all aspects of the game. I look to her to possibly have a real break-out year – a real exciting, exceptional year. She’s had a great 8-9 months since the last season ended and really elevated her game.”
Sophomore Melissa Middleton also figures to push for time on both the left and right side.
“Melissa has a nice shot selection, hits the ball hard and will be pushing for time,” said Nelson. ” She’ll see some opportunity on the right side. It’s a good position for her. She’s improved her hitting over there. She has great ball control and has played that side a lot in the past. I think she can lend good experience over there.”
Two of the freshmen figure to contribute at the outside hitter position as well this fall. Kelly Williamson and Rachel Barber, both standing over 6′ tall, will be given every opportunity to earn minutes on the floor.
“Williamson has big upside,” said Nelson. “She has solid height, is a big jumper and has a nice arm swing. I think she’s going to come in and do some great things for us blocking and hitting at the net. I think her game is going to develop quickly. I expect her over the next year to become a primary passer for us as well and really lend a lot to the program. I’m looking forward to getting her here and working with her.”
Rachel Barber is described by Nelson as a big, strong, 6’1″-plus outside hitter.
“She’s very physical and hits the ball hard,” he said. “Rachel is a big block and big, strong arm that’s really going to help us on down the road. Both Kelly and Rachel have the potential to be very physical players.”
Williamson and sophomore Taylor Hadfield will figure into the right-side mix.
“Rose was our primary starter, but Taylor had some starts and played in a number of games as a freshman,” said Nelson. “Taylor has also really improved her game by hitting the ball much harder. She’s jumping a couple of inches higher than she was when she got here last fall. She’s much, much more physical with her game. She hits great off one foot. We’re going to look at her both in the middle and on the right side. We know we need her offense – she’s got a great arm. We’re just trying to figure out where she’s going to produce the most for the team. Everything about her game is up right now.”
In the middle, a number of returning Lobos will be vying for the starting jobs. Junior Anna Lehne returns as the player with the most experience, having started all last year, while Allie Suiter and Taylor Hadfield will fight for time. Freshmen Ashley Rhoades and Kameo Pena will push the veterans for time on the court as well.
“Anna can hit the ball well and had good blocking numbers,” said Nelson. “Anna is in better shape and her game is a little smarter than it was a year ago. We’re hoping we can continue to improve her at the rate we have because she has the potential to become a very significant player for us. She was one of the players that played the best and most consistent during the Argentina trip. Hopefully that’s a sign of what she’s going to do in the fall. She hits the ball hard, jumps well and can put up the numbers for us that we need. I have a lot of confidence in what she can do.”
Suiter, a junior, was another Lobo Nelson heaped praise on for her spring efforts.
“She had a great spring as well,” Nelson said. “Allie played much better in the spring than in the fall and took her game to a higher level – in particularly blocking – something we’re going to look for in that M2 spot.”
Senior libero Gayle Tripp moved into second place on the UNM career digs list with her six against Colorado State on Nov. 17 last season. Tripp joined the UNM 1,000-Dig Club on Saturday, Oct. 13, against UNLV. She now has 1,143 digs in her three-year career. Having posted over 400+ digs over the past two seasons, Tripp will attempt to move into first place next season and pass Sharon Browning (1989-92) with 1,504. Freshman Allison Buck will challenge Tripp and prepare to take over for the senior leader.
“I think Gayle’s the best passer in the MWC,” said Nelson. “She has a solid serve and has made a dramatic improvement in her passing and defense. She’s learned more of her role, and as a result is much more confident.”
“Overall, we’re deep this year and it’s going to be exciting,” said Nelson. “The right side, left side and middle – we weren’t deep last year and this year we are deep. We have a number of quality players.”
The Season
The schedule features seven teams that participated in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, including regional finalists BYU and Nebraska. The Lobos will host two tournaments, the MCM Elegante Lobo Classic to begin the regular season, and the Comcast Lobo Challenge to end the regular season.
The MCM Elegante Lobo Classic will consist of six matches from Aug. 29-30 in Johnson Gym. The Lobos will host Central Arkansas, Idaho State and Loyola Marymount in the annual season kickoff tournament.
New Mexico will spend the month of September on the road for both non-conference and the start of Mountain West Conference competition. The Lobos will spend Sept. 5-6 at the George Mason Patriot Invitational in Fairfax, Va., facing Rutgers, LaSalle, St. Francis (PA), and host George Mason. UNM’s toughest non-conference challenge is expected to come at the Nebraska Ameritas Players Challenge on Sept. 12-13 in Lincoln when the Lobos will face Top 25 competition. The Lobos will face 2007 Big East co-champion St. John’s in the first round, with the possibility of facing SEC Western Division champion LSU or Big 12 co-champion Nebraska in the second round.
The Lobos will begin MWC competition on Sept. 17 at TCU and stay in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex for the University of Texas-Arlington Holiday Inn Invitational, Sept. 19-20. The Lobos will face Southland Conference members Sam Houston State and Texas-Arlington, and perennial Sun Belt Conference contender Arkansas-Little Rock.
The month of September wraps up with a road trip to Mountain West Conference foes San Diego State (Sept. 25) and UNLV (Sept. 27).
The Lobos return to Johnson Gym on Oct. 2 to face BYU and Utah on Oct. 4 for Homecoming weekend, then back on the road for an Oct. 9 meeting at Wyoming and Oct. 12 at Colorado State. Air Force, UNLV and San Diego State will be in Johnson Gym Oct. 18, 23 and 25.
UNM ends October and begins November on the road at Utah (Oct. 30) and BYU (Nov. 1). 2007 MWC champion Colorado State comes to Johnson Gym on Nov. 6, followed by Wyoming on Nov. 8. The Lobos final road trip for the regular season will be Nov. 13 at Air Force. TCU will wrap up MWC regular season play at Johnson Gym on Nov. 21.
Without a postseason conference tournament in 2008, the Lobos will host New Mexico State and Virginia Commonwealth, Nov. 28-29, in the Comcast Lobo Challenge.
The Lobos will be featured in four televised matches this season – Oct. 2 vs. BYU (The Mtn.), Oct. 12 at Colorado State (CBS CS), Nov. 1 at BYU (BYU-TV), and Nov. 6 vs. Colorado State (The Mtn.).
“I’m really excited about our schedule this season,” said Nelson. “This schedule is going to be challenging and that is what we need to move the program forward. We have some great non-conference matches lined up to get us ready for Mountain West competition, including a trip to Nebraska.”
All signs point toward a deep and talented Lobo squad improving on last season’s dramatic improvement.
“We’re excited about the year,” said Nelson. “Our goals are high but I think they’re high with a purpose and for good reason. We’re just excited to get in there and get after it.”