Sept. 9, 2008
Fairchild Named MWC Player of the Week
Up Next For Lobo Volleyball
Matches #8-9 — Ameritas Players Challenge
Friday, Sept. 12 2:30 p.m. (MDT) vs. St. John’s
Devaney Center Lincoln, Neb.
Saturday, Sept. 6 11:30 a.m. (MDT) vs. LSU or 2 p.m. (MDT) at No. 2 Nebraska
NU Coliseum Lincoln, Neb.
Live Stats and Webstreaming: Links available on www.GoLobos.com.
Ameritas Players Challenge: The Lobos will face St. John’s in the opening round of the Ameritas Players Challenge on Friday. It will be the first meeting between the two schools. The possible opponents on Saturday are LSU and No. 2 Nebraska. The Lobos are 7-3 against LSU and 2-2 against the Cornhuskers.
Up Next: The Lobos open MWC play at TCU on Sept. 17 and stay in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex for the UT Arlington Holiday Inn Invitational.
QUICK HITS
Mileage Rewards … The Lobos hope to rack up some wins in September to go along with the frequent flyer miles. UNM picks up 1,640 more miles this week, roundtrip to Lincoln, bringing the two-week total to 5,384.
More Tournament Wins and Honors … The Lobos picked up their second tournament title of the 2008 season with a 4-0 weekend at the George Mason Patriot Invitational. UNM had three-set wins over Rutgers, La Salle, St. Francis (Pa.) and George Mason. Senior Jeanne Fairchild was named tournament MVP, while teammates Rose Morris and Jade Michaelsen were named to the all-tournament team.
Fairchild Named MWC Player of the Week … All-America candidate Jeanne Fairchild was named Mountain West Player of the Week for her MVP performance at the GMU Patriot Invitational. She led UNM in kills in three of the four matches, including a season-high 19 to go along with eight digs and three blocks vs. Rutgers to open the tournament. Against La Salle, Fairchild knocked down 12 kills with only one hitting error for a .478 hitting efficiency. She followed with a .682 attack percentage (15-0-22), two digs and one block vs. St. Francis, and concluded the tournament with seven kills, three blocks, two digs and one assist vs. tournament host George Mason. For the week, Fairchild averaged 4.42 kills, 1.00 digs and 0.58 blocks per set. She also accounted for 4.75 points per game in 12 total sets. It is the second weekly honor of her career.
Lobo Volleyblog … This week’s blog is from freshman libero Allison Buck.
About New Mexico … The Lobos are won the 2008 George Mason Patriot Invitational with wins over Rutgers (3-0), La Salle (3-0), St. Francis (Pa.) (3-0) and George Mason (3-0) … UNM has not dropped a set this season at 21-0, a school record. UNM started the 1988 season at 15-0 and in 1986 had a 15-0 set streak from Sept. 6-26. A 16-set win streak occurred in 1993 from Nov. 19 thru the first set on Dec. 1. The previous record of 18 crossed from the end of the 1987 thru the streak to begin the 1988 season … All-America candidate Jeanne Fairchild leads the Lobos with 4.65 kills per set, while Jade Michaelsen leads the setters with 11.00 assists per set … Defensively, Anna Lehne leads the front row with 1.61 blocks per set, while Gayle Tripp runs the back row with 4.62 digs per set.
About St. John’s (4-3; 2008 Poll – Receiving votes) … The Red Storm also spent last weekend in the Washington D.C. area, playing in the Spring Hill Suites at Arundel Mills Invitational at the University of Maryland … St. John’s came away from the tournament with wins over Kentucky and Maryland, and a loss to Missouri … Head coach Joanne Persico-Smith is in her 15th season as the head coach of the Red Storm … The 2007 squad won the Big East Conference championship … Senior middle Chen Chen leads St. John’s with 3.04 kills per set and 0.78 blocks per set … Wiolet Leszczynska averages 10.26 assists per set … Valeria Kovaleva averages 3.96 digs per set.
All-Time vs. St. John's (0-0; H: 0-0, A: 0-0, N: 0-0)9/12/08 First meeting
About LSU (4-1; 2008 Poll – Receiving votes) … The Tigers had a change of venue last weekend due to damage from Hurricane Gustav that ripped through Baton Rouge … LSU cancelled the Tiger Classic and travelled to Lake Charles, La. for two matches at McNeese State … Kyna Washington leads LSU with 3.74 kills per set … Sam Dabbs is the top setter with 9.41 assists per set, while Elena Martinez averages 4.26 digs per set to lead the Tigers … Lauren DeGirolamo is tops in blocks with 1.05 per set … Head coach Fran Flory is in her 11th season with LSU, 18th overall.
All-Time vs. LSU (7-3; H: 1-1, A: 0-2, N: 6-0)11/5/83 W, 2-0 Los Angeles, Calif.9/21/85 W, 3-2 Bozeman, Mont.9/27/86 L, 1-3 Baton Rouge, La.10/3/87 W, 3-2 Springfield, Mo.9/8/90 W, 3-1 Fort Collins, Colo.9/13/90 W, 3-1 Albuquerque, N.M.9/29/91 L, 1-3 Baton Rouge, La.9/13/92 L, 0-3 Albuquerque, N.M.11/26/94 W, 3-0 Stockton, Calif.9/7/96 W, 3-1 Los Angeles, Calif.
About Nebraska (6-0; 2008 Poll – No. 2) … The Cornhuskers are 6-0 on the season and have only dropped one set in the first two weeks, beating Southern California, 3-1 on Aug. 31 … Jordan Larson averages 3.62 kills per set to lead Nebraska, while Sydney Anderson leads the squad in assists with 11.62 per set … Kayla Banwarth averages 4.31 digs per set and Amanda Gates averages 1.33 blocks per set … Head coach John Cook is in his 9th season at the helm of the Cornhusker program and 14th overall as a head coach … Nebraska has won three national titles – 1995, 2000 and 2006 – and made it to the regional finals in 2007.
All-Time vs. Nebraska (2-2; H: 0-1, A: 1-1, N: 1-0)9/21/91 W, 3-0 Provo, Utah9/4/92 W, 3-2 Lincoln, Neb.9/24/94 L, 1-3 Lincoln, Neb.8/31/96 L, 0-3 Albuquerque, N.M.