Match Notes | Pacific Live Scores | Pacific Live Stream (Court 1)
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Friday | Stockton, Calif. Friday | Sacramento, Calif. Saturday | Sacramento, Calif. |
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For this first time in program history, the Lobos are taking a plane to reach their matches. It’s a just another new high for a program on the rise.
The No. 15 University of New Mexico beach volleyball team is back in the sand this weekend at it heads to Northern California to take on Pacific and Sacramento State on Friday and Washington and San José State on Saturday.
Currently winners of nine of their last 10, the Lobos (12-4) return to action after a bye week as they face the Tigers (3-5) in Stockton, Calif., before heading to Sacramento to play the Hornets (11-1), Huskies (0-0) and the Spartans (6-8).
“We didn’t play this [past] week and it was nice to have a week off,” head coach Jeff Nelson said. “This week, we have some really tough competition … We’re looking forward to get back at it this weekend.”
Behind strong play across the board, New Mexico been on a hot streak and has soared into the rankings. The Lobos are ranked 15th in the most recent DiG Magazine poll and are receiving votes in the 10-team AVCA poll, unofficially sitting 14th.
Their only loss in the last three weeks was to No. 6 Arizona in Tucson, but the Lobos have picked up wins against a number of strong teams during their recent run.
This 9-of-10 streak started on March 13 against San José State, where New Mexico won 4-1. Since then, UNM has also beaten Arizona State, CSUN and CSU Bakersfield, among others.
“I think we’re about where we should be,” Nelson said. “I think the opportunity with the rest of our schedule allows us the opportunity to move up a little more if we play well and do what we’re supposed to.”
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| Maddie Mayfield |
This week, the Lobos will look to their balance and depth to continue their streak.
Out of the No. 4 spot, Eastyn Baleto & Marisa Doran have been the most consistent, going 15-1 this season to pace New Mexico’s attack. Although they had their 14-game winning streak snapped against Arizona, the pair have only lost four sets all season.
Hannah Johnson & Julia Warren have also been stellar this season in the threes position, going 11-4 overall, while the No. 5 duo of Maddie Mayfield & Carson Heilborn have posted a 10-5 record.
UNM’s No. 2 pair of Lise Rugland & Devanne Sours have been strong as of late, rolling to an 8-2 record since pairing up in week two.
Similarly, the Lobos’ top pair of Cassie House & Ashley Kelsey have also been productive, going 6-5 against some of the best teams in the NCAA.
In fact, every pair that’s expected to play this weekend has a record above .500, something that has helped the Lobos to their record.
“I think there are a number of players that appear to be more confident every week,” Nelson said. “We’re really encouraging them to be more aggressive in their play and I think it shows.”
On the other side of the net, New Mexico is taking on a group of teams that are looking for wins.
Pacific heads into this weekend at 3-5, having played just once since March 15. Although the Tigers opened the year ranked 16th in the DiG Magazine poll, they’ve since fallen out and are currently on a three-match losing streak.
Sacramento State is just 1-11 on the year, but like many programs, a number of their matches have been against ranked opponents. Still, the Hornets’ only win was against Feather River College, and they’ve won just two points against NCAA competition since March 12.
Heading into this week’s slate, Washington has played zero matches, and it won’t open its 2016 campaign until April 9. They haven’t played a match since April 12, 2015, and have played a total of 10 matches in their three years as a program.
Prior to this season, San José State had never won a match, going 0-26 to open their program. But the Spartans have turned the tide in its third year, going 6-8 in 2016, with a win over No. 16 California on April 2.
Fans can follow @UNMBeachVB on Twitter and Instagram to keep track of New Mexico and check GoLobos.com each evening for a full recap.