New Mexico at New Mexico State — Las Cruces, N.M.
When: Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Where: Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M.
GoLobos.com: Recaps, Results, Photos
Live Stream: ESPN3Match Notes | Live Stats | Live Stream
Hot off a season-long five-game homestand, the Lobos are hitting the road for four games.
First up? A trip down I-25 for the Rio Grande Rivalry.
The University of New Mexico volleyball team is taking on New Mexico State Tuesday night at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces as it looks to wrap up the nonconference portion of its schedule against the Aggies.
After opening Mountain West play with a split, the Lobos (8-6, 1-1 MW) are eyeing not only a third straight victory against Aggies (10-5, 1-0 WAC), but also some momentum heading into the rest of their conference slate.
New Mexico has shown flashes of dominance during the season — including a superb all-around performance last Saturday against Nevada — a trend head coach Jeff Nelson would like to see extend vs. NM State.
Junior outside hitters Devanne Sours (17 kills) and Julia Warren (15 kills, 12 digs) both had standout performances against the Wolf Pack, while senior middle blockers Simone Henderson (10 kills, four blocks) and Skye Gullatt (six kills, seven blocks) also contributed.
That type of production offensively is critical for the Lobos, especially as they continue to search for consistency at the libero position.
But New Mexico still has senior setter Hannah Johnson leading the team (she’s only 256 career assists from second in program history), which will be key for the Lobos as they face the Aggies.
UNM has won two in a row against its in-state rival, which is just the second such time that’s happened since 1999.
After dropping 11 straight to NM State from 2003 to 2008, the Lobos have taken four of the last six, including a 3-2 win in the teams’ last matchup in Las Cruces in 2013.
New Mexico topped NM State last year in straight sets in Albuquerque.
The Aggies, led by its senior class, have posted a solid open to their season, winning two thirds of their games so far this season.
Senior Gwen Murphy has 197 kills to lead NM State, with freshman Tatyana Battle (154 kills), senior Nathalie Castellanos (127) and senior Bradley Nash (105) also chipping in.
Sasha-Lee Thomas has a team-leading 64 blocks, ahead of Murphy’s 42. Senior setter Taylor Livoti leads the team with 328 assists, while Jordan Abalos (176 digs) and senior Andrea Tauai (116) clean up more than 3 digs a set.
The Aggies, who don’t have a single junior listed on their roster, have played a challenging schedule. NM State has beaten Air Force and Wichita State, with losses to Arizona State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Arizona and Texas.
First serve between the Lobos and Aggies is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the match will be streamed on ESPN3. Follow the links at the top for the broadcast and live stats, and follow @unmvolley on Twitter for in-game updates.