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Friday | Fort Worth, Texas Saturday | Fort Worth, Texas |
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It might not be as hot as Texas in the summer, but this weekend’s trip to the Lone Star State is shaping up to be a sizzling affair.
The 12th-ranked University of New Mexico beach volleyball team looks to keep its momentum going this weekend as it travels to the Cowtown Classic to take on No. 1 USC, ULM and host TCU.
Currently winners of 13 of the their last 14 matches, the streaking Lobos (16-4) have a tough challenge in their penultimate weekend of competition, including strong teams in TCU (14-5) and ULM (9-13) and the hottest team in the nation in USC (19-2).
“I’m expecting another really good weekend,” head coach Jeff Nelson said. “With the direction we’re going, we’ve got to stay on track because it’s really good and every week good things are happening. We’ve just got to keep moving forward.”
Over the last month, New Mexico has been on an immensely productive run that has placed the team among the best in the nation.
Outside of a loss to No. 6 Arizona in Tucson three weeks ago, the Lobos have been trending upward, with winning streaks of eight games and five games since March 13.
Last week, New Mexico tore through its four-match road swing in Northern California, with marquee wins over Pacific and Washington.
Consequently, the Lobos have been rewarded in the polls, climbing to 12th in the most recent DiG Magazine poll and unofficially 13th in the 10-team AVCA poll, where they’re receiving votes.
“We’re still improving, which is exciting, but I really though Washington was as solid of a match as we’ve played top to bottom all year,” Nelson said. “We just looked really confident. We’re just getting really confident and really controlling matches better.”
The key to the Lobos’ success has been its exceptional parity between its five pairings. Every position is over .500 during the team’s 13-1 run, with a couple of pairs sporting just one loss during that stretch.
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UNM’s twos, threes and fours pairs have posted the best records in the last month, with Devanne Sours/Lise Rugland in the No. 2 spot (12-1), Hannah Johnson/Julia Warren in the No. 3 spot (12-1) and Eastyn Baleto & Marisa Doran in the No. 4 spot (13-1).
Along with top-seeded Cassie House & Ashley Kelsey (9-6 since March 13) and the Lobos’ No. 5 duo of Maddie Mayfield & Carson Heilborn (10-8), New Mexico has dropped just seven points in their last 13 wins.
Overall, Baleto & Doran still lead the pairings with a sterling 19-1 record, and they can top 20 wins on the season by Friday afternoon.
Sours & Rugland have also been nearly untouchable, with an injury forfeit as their only loss in the last month.
“I think our program has a new measuring stick and part of that is matching up against top-10 schools,” Nelson said. “We’re right on the border of that and we’ve got to see where we’re at.”
New Mexico will get that chance this weekend as they face off against another talented slate of opponents.
TCU has posted a strong turnaround in its second season, currently sitting 14-5 under head coach Erik Peterson. The Horned Frogs have been on a hot streak since late March, winning seven of their last eight matches. Consequently, TCU is currently receiving votes in the DiG Magazine poll.
The University of Louisiana at Monroe heads into the Cowtown Classic on a bit of a downward trend, losers of four straight. A streaky team, the Warhawks are 9-13 on the year, with a 8-2 stretch sandwiched between a six-game losing streak and their current four-game slide.
But USC is the headliner for the weekend, and the Trojans are quite possibly the hottest team in the nation. Winners of 15 straight duals — including a 3-2 victory over then-No. 1 Pepperdine last Saturday — USC has reclaim the top spot in the national polls.
On the season, USC has won 17 matches vs. teams ranked in the national polls, falling to only Pepperdine and then-No. 4 Florida State. USC and Pepperdine will face off again on Thursday in Los Angeles.
“I’d like to get out of there with three wins, but Southern California is ranked No. 1 for a reason,” Nelson said. “I’d like to see us play good ball. I’d like to see us really work hard and challenge them. Keep ourselves in the matches, keep us in it and give ourselves a chance to win.”.
Fans can follow @UNMBeachVB on Twitter and Instagram to keep track of New Mexico and check GoLobos.com each evening for a full recap.