New Mexico Lobos Volleyball – at the MCM Elegante Lobo Invitational
Friday: New Mexico vs. Montana State, 7:30 p.m., Johnson Center
Saturday: New Mexico vs. Bethune Cookman, 1 p.m. Johnson Center | New Mexico vs. UC Irvinw 7:30 p.m. Johnson Center
GoLobos.com: Live video, live stats, post game interview, recaps and stats.
Promotions: Saturday will be Pet Adoption Day. Animal Humane will be present from noon-4 p.m. for fans to meet the adoptable pets. The day will also be Father/Daughter Day. Fathers with their daughters will receive a discouted tickets of $3.
PARKING: Due to an event at Johnson Field, parking will be limited for the Montana State game, Friday at 7:30 p.m.. Get to Johnson Center early.
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
Maybe it was Island Fever – if there is such a thing. Maybe Acute Altitude Sickness (AAS) will kick in this weekend and be on the New Mexico Lobos’ side in the MCM Elegante Lobo Classic.
There is such a thing as AAS. It’s real. Shortness of breath. Flu-like symptoms. Weak legs in the third match.
But not for Lobos.
Of course, if the Lobos play the way Coach Jeff Nelson knows they can play, they won’t need any help from AAS or anyone. They’ll do it on their own.
If they play Lobo ball, Nelson expects his Lobos to reverse the 0-3 mark that hit them at the Wahine Classic last week in Honolulu when UNM lost to Hawaii, St. John’s and Oregon.
“At times we played very well, but we were terribly inconsistent at times,” Nelson said of his island Lobos.
“I want to get a little more chemistry. We struggled a little bit with that in Hawaii. I want us to be a little bit more consistent.
“Athletically at the net we’re fine. When we get the ball to the net, we score. Our problem is we didn’t get the ball to the net enough (in Hawaii).”
The Lobos open the MCM Elegante Invitational tournament at 7:30 p.m., Friday vs. Montana State. Montana State was 6-25 last year and 4-16 in the Big Sky.
“They are a team I feel like athletically and physically we should go out and handle,” said Nelson. “We have to pass better and serve a little tougher and make fewer errors.”
The Lobos play Bethune Cookman (0-7) at 1 p.m., on Saturday and battle UC Irvine at 7:30 p.m., Saturday in Johnson Center in what should be the marque match of the tournament.
Irvine comes to Johnson Center with a 4-3 mark. UC Irvine is picked fifth in the Big West Conference. The Anteaters finished the 2013 season at 14-16. They lost 3-2 to Utah State of the Mountain West, a team picked a notch below UNM in the Mountain West’s preseason poll.
“UC Irvine is a good team,” said Nelson. “They already have a big win. I think that’s going to be a really tough match and a really exciting one and one we are really going to try and get up for.”
Nelson said his Lobos need to return to winning ways especially with a Sept. 20 date with SMU in the Mustangs’ Invitational in Dallas.
The Irvine match should be a challenge for UNM this weekend, but Nelson is expecting a win. He also expects his Lobos to defeat Montana State and Bethune Cookman.
Against Bethune Cookman, Nelson said: “If we do the things we need to, we can get some other kids playing time. But you never know. We have to go out with our best lineup and see where we land. Hopefully, that’s a good place.”
A good place for the Lobos to get the ball is at the net. Chantale Riddle averages 4.11 kills per set followed by Julia Warren at 2.47 and Cassie House at 2.42. Riddle has 468 kills on the season followed by Warren at 222. Hannah Johnson has 324 digs and 1,220 assists.
The Lobos are 2-4 on the season and need to get back on the winning side of the ledger. Nelson said team chemistry is a must, but sometimes that starts with individual soul-searching.
“When a team has big expectations and a lot of pressure and they don’t maybe live up to that in the first couple of weeks, you have to reevaluate and take a look at yourself and not the people around you,” said Nelson. “People got on board and said, ‘I need to do better.’
This has the potential to be really good weekend for us and one that we really need to get.”
Editor’s Note: Richard Stevens is a former national award-winning Sports Columnist and Associate Sports Editor at The Albuquerque Tribune. You can reach him at rstevens50@comcast.net.