ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It might not have been the best home cooking, but the Lobos got their first taste of home Saturday.
The University of New Mexico sand volleyball team, playing its first home matches ever, dropped a pair of closely fought 4-1 decisions to Grand Canyon University Saturday at StoneFace Courts.
Eastyn Baleto and Julia Warren continued their torrid start to the season and helped New Mexico debut the university’s newest intercollegiate sport in the well-received doubleheader versus the 18th-ranked Antelopes.
“We had a great turnout today,” assistant coach Lisa Beauchene said. “It was really exciting to see the fans come out and support us in a new sport.”
A number of fans came out to the first-ever pair of matches in program history and supported the Lobos throughout a day that featured superb weather and some strong volleyball.
But, despite Baleto and Warren’s tear, the Lopes (4-2) spoiled New Mexico’s (1-3) home debut by stymying the rest of the UNM pairs in each match.
The Lobos competed on most of the courts, but lost eight sets by fewer than four points.
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| Eastyn Baleto |
Still, the matches against a veteran team and program — GCU is in its third year sponsoring sand volleyball — provided experience for a youthful New Mexico squad.
“It’s really good experience to learn from a good team like Grand Canyon, who’s No. 18 in the country and has a lot of experience and can teach us a lot and make us compete for it,” Beauchene said.
Game 1: New Mexico 1, Grand Canyon 4
Baleto and Warren kicked off the day in their first match against the Lopes by continuing their undefeated streak and tallying New Mexico’s only match point with a straight-set win over Grand Canyon’s Molly Turner and Emilee Erichsen.
Playing on court two, the Lobo duo overcame some jitters to claim the opening set 21-18 and captured the sweep by winning the second set 21-19.
“I think we both had some nerves or had the butterflies in the beginning, but that was a really good win for us,” Baleto said. “I think it was a big accomplishment.”
But the Lobos couldn’t win another court, and only won one other set, in the first match.
Ashley Newman and Lise Rugland came close to a victory on court four, winning the first set 22-20 over Kaitlynn Ausmus and Megan Glennie. But they dropped the match point in set two en route to losing 22-20, and fell 15-8 in the decisive set three .
Hannah Johnson and Chloe Crappell also gave Grand Canyon a solid fight, but fell 21-17, 21-17 to Alex Green and Brooke Razo on court three.
On court one, Ashley Kelsey and Devanne Sours were swept by GCU’s top team of Mackenzie Phelps and Shannon Dugan (21-11, 21-12), while Maddie Mayfield and Sara Weber also lost in two sets (21-13, 21-14) to Alex Goodman and Becca Conrad in the No. 5 doubles.
In the exhibition game vs. the Lopes, Sami Reynolds and Jackie Baro dropped a two-set decision, 22-20, 21-13 to Kami Dickerson and Chloe Stone.
Game 2: New Mexico 1, Grand Canyon 4
After the first match, New Mexico made some changes to its lineup and switched its No. 1 double and No. 3 double and swapped some players on the fifth court.
Not changing, however, was Baleto and Warren, as they kept their match-play record unblemished. The pair did have to rally back from their first set loss of the season, but rebounded to seize a riveting three-set win over Turner and Erichsen.
“That last one where we went to three, that was one of the most fun games ever,” Baleto said.
Grand Canyon won the first set on court two 23-21, handing Baleto and Warren their only setback this year.
But they avenged the set loss with back-to-back wins in sets two and three, topping Turner and Erichsen 21-18 in the second set before dueling to a thrilling 17-15 win in the third set.
Through four matches, the duo has won every match point they’ve played and are 8-1 in set play.
But, like the first match, the rest of the Lobos were unable to gain a foothold against the Lopes.
Newman and Rugland dropped another close match point to Ausmus and Chloe Jenkins, falling 21-17, 21-19. Mayfield and Sami Reynolds also challenged in the fives position, but lost 21-16, 21-18 to Goodman and Conrad.
GCU’s No. 1 team of Phelps and Dugan swept Johnson and Crappell 21-13, 21-9 on court one, while Kelsey and Sours lost 21-12, 21-19 to Green and Razo on court three.
In the exhibition, Weber and Taylor Cross fell 21-18, 21-12 to Dickerson and Stone.
New Mexico returns to action with next weekend with a three-match road swing in Arizona. The Lobos play No. 3 USC Friday, March 27, in Phoenix before taking on the Lopes in Phoenix and Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz., the following Saturday.
Game 1: Grand Canyon 4, New Mexico 1
- Mackenzie Phelps/Shannon Dugan (GCU) def. Ashley Kelsey/Devanne Sours (UNM) 21-11, 21-12
- Eastyn Baleto/Julia Warren (UNM) def. Molly Turner/Emilee Erichsen (GCU) 21-18, 21-19
- Alex Green/Brooke Razo (GCU) def. Hannah Johnson/Chloe Crappell (UNM) 21-17, 21-17
- Kaitlynn Ausmus/Megan Glennie (GCU) def. Ashley Newman/Lise Rugland (UNM) 20-22, 22-20, 15-8
- Alex Goodman/Becca Conrad (GCU) def. Maddie Mayfield/Sara Weber (UNM) 21-13, 21-14
- Exhibition: Kami Dickerson/Chloe Stone (GCU) def. Jackie Baro/Sami Reynolds (UNM) 22-20, 21-13
Game 2: Grand Canyon 4, New Mexico 1
- Mackenzie Phelps/Shannon Dugan (GCU) def. Hannah Johnson/Chloe Crappell (UNM) 21-13, 21-9
- Eastyn Baleto/Julia Warren (UNM) def. Molly Turner/Emilee Erichsen (GCU) 21-23, 21-18, 17-15
- Alex Green/Brooke Razo (GCU) def. Ashley Kelsey/Devanne Sours (UNM) 21-12, 21-19
- Kaitlynn Ausmus/Chloe Jenkins (GCU) def. Ashley Newman/Lise Rugland (UNM) 21-17, 21-19
- Alex Goodman/Becca Conrad (GCU) def. Maddie Mayfield/Sami Reynolds (UNM) 21-16, 21-18
- Exhibition: Kami Dickerson/Chloe Stone (GCU) def. Sara Weber/Taylor Cross (UNM) 21-18, 21-12