New Mexico vs. Colorado State — Albuquerque, N.M.
When: Saturday, April 18
Who: Colorado State at 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Where: StoneFace Courts in Albuquerque
Tickets: $5 Admission
After 12 matches and one heck of a learning curve, the Lobos are just about ready to wrap up their debut season.
But, before the bow is tied, they have one more day of fun in the sun.
The University of New Mexico sand volleyball team closes out its inaugural season Saturday as its takes on Colorado State for a pair of matches at StoneFace Courts in Albuquerque.
The Lobos, who return home after eight straight road matches, are looking to finish their debut campaign with some wins and break a 10-match losing streak that, despite its heft, has helped the team grow and mature.
“I think this weekend we have an opportunity to get a couple of wins if we play well,” New Mexico head coach Jeff Nelson said. “… I hope we can finish on a positive note this weekend. I think we can.”
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| Ashley Kelsey |
Although the Lobos (1-11) have been mired in first-year doldrums since winning its lone match versus fellow first-year program TCU on March 8, things have been trending up.
New Mexico came within a point of winning last Friday against Bakersfield in Tempe, Ariz., and captured a match point against both a good Arizona State team and a very strong Arizona team last Saturday.
So, as the Lobos return to Albuquerque for the first time since hosting Grand Canyon for a doubleheader on March 21, they’ll be looking to ride this momentum to some wins.
“I think last weekend was the best we’ve competed,” Nelson said. “So it’s nice to know that they’re getting better still and hopefully this weekend I’ll see even more improvement.”
This weekend’s doubleheader, which features matches at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., gives New Mexico two opportunities to potentially win.
Colorado State, while a top-tier team indoors, doesn’t sponsor sand volleyball as an intercollegiate sport (like the Mountain West) and, as such, doesn’t have a full, experienced sand team.
And while there’s no reason to discount the Rams’ 31-3 record and consistent top-10 ranking last fall on the hardwood — “They’re a program with a lot of pride that’s very successful,” said Nelson — the Lobos do have one edge.
Experience.
After playing a schedule that might make veteran teams cringe, the Lobos have an opportunity to put their battle-forged experience to the test.
“Do I think we have an advantage having done what we’ve done this spring? I would hope so,” Nelson said. “We’ve played the No. 1 team in the country. We’ve played eight top-20 matches out of 12.
“The toughness of what we’ve done should help us.”
And, considering the schedule Nelson and his staff compiled for the Lobos’ first season, there is undeniable toughness.
It came to the forefront in part last weekend as some pairs, like Ashley Newman and Lise Rugland, shined.
Newman, the Lobos’ lone senior and team captain, has paired up with Rugland since the start, but only last week did they finally string together consecutive wins.
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| Lise Rugland |
Between knocking off Arizona State and winning points against Arizona in the last two meetings, Newman and Rugland are on a modest roll.
“They’ve had a lot of close matches that they’ve let get away, and it was really nice for them to have a day where they played really well,” Nelson said.
That pair will take on the No. 4 court for the Lobos against Colorado State.
But, that tandem is just one that has been gaining steam heading into the homestretch.
The Lobos’ No. 3 duo of Eastyn Baleto and Julia Warren broke their own slump against Bakersfield last week, while, on court four, Devanne Sours and Chloe Crappell won their first match point together against the Roadrunners.
Maddie Mayfield and Jackie Baro have also impressed lately on court five, showing grit on a court that New Mexico was “getting bounced” on earlier in the year.
Even the Lobos’ embattled No. 1 duo of Hannah Johnson and Ashley Kelsey have shown marked improvement, especially last week.
“I thought we just competed better at everything,” Nelson said of last weekend’s performance. “Even the ones, where we’ve been kind of throwing Hannah and Ashley to the wolves to learn and get better, I thought they did better.”
For this weekend’s slate, the action starts at 10 a.m. with the first flight of doubles and will continue around 11 a.m. with the second flight. The same format will be used for the 1 p.m. match.
Admission costs $5, and fans can park in the lots east and south of StoneFace Courts, which is located west of StoneFace Tavern.
Fan can also follow @UNMSandVB on Twitter to keep track of New Mexico and check GoLobos.com Saturday evening for a full recap.