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Saturday | Baton Rouge, La. Saturday | Baton Rouge, La. |
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After surging to a 13-1 record over the course of a month, the Lobos hit a speed bump two weeks ago at TCU, dropping three matches in two days.
But the Lobos will get a chance — five, in fact — to rebound in their final tournament of the year.
The 16th-ranked University of New Mexico beach volleyball team looks to end its second-ever season on a high note as it heads to the Battle on the Bayou, hosted by LSU this Saturday and Sunday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The Lobos (16-7) will play five matches at Mango’s Beach Volleyball Club, taking on No. 18 Tulane, No. 9 LSU and New Orleans on Saturday, before facing Houston Baptist and TCU on Sunday.
This weekend’s slate will provide New Mexico a chance to exact a measure of revenge after seeing their run of 13 wins in 14 matches snapped two weeks ago at TCU’s Cowtown Classic, which included a weekend-opening loss to the Horned Frogs.
“It is a great opportunity to have another shot and prove that we are better than we played in those matches,” assistant coach Pauline Manser said. “I’m sure that the girls will be very focused on these matches [this weekend], but what we have to keep in mind is that there’s five matches that we need to be focused for and be present for.”
Ending their breakout season positively is the Lobos’ goal for this weekend, especially after losing focus two weekends ago.
Although New Mexico was surging through the better parts of March and April — sweeping teams and rising as high as 12th in the DiG Magazine poll — its momentum dwindled as it fell to TCU, USC and ULM at the Cowtown Classic on April 15-16.
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| Julia Warren | |
“Coming back from TCU, we knew that we could be stopped,” senior Hannah Johnson said. “And we were.”
But the Lobos were undeterred, using their bye weekend last week to regroup and refocus for their final matches of a largely spectacular 2016 campaign.
“We knew that we had to set the bar a little higher and that our work ethic had be picked up and that we had to end on a strong note,” Johnson said.
The key as New Mexico heads to Louisiana is playing complete matches and a complete weekend.
Although every starting pair is still at or above .500, not many played consistently at TCU. Only one pair, the Lobos’ No. 4 duo of Eastyn Baleto & Marisa Doran, won two matches, while two pairs were swept.
“We really have to make sure that we have a consistent effort in everything that we do,” Manser said. “… I think the opposition that we faced a couple weekend ago did that better than us. It was a bit of a wakeup call, so we’ve invested a little bit more time and energy in working hard and chasing and being more disciplined.”
Doran & Baleto, who are a team-leading 21-2 on the year, will be looked up to provide their trademark consistency, while steady play from the tandems of Devanne Sours & Lise Rugland (13-4 on the twos court) and Johnson & Julia Warren (16-6 on the threes court) will also be key.
And while the Lobos have been often able to count on its middle three pairs for points, the Nos. 1 and 5 courts could be the difference this weekend.
Both the top-seeded pair of Cassie House & Ashley Kelsey (9-9) and the No. 5 duo of Carson Heilborn & Maddie Mayfield (13-9) struggled at TCU, but have provided clutch points during the season.
At LSU, the goal is that everyone can shine together, like they did during the team’s 13-1 streak.
“We’ll take the opportunity hopefully in a positive way and play better in previous matches,” Manser said, “but it’s about the whole weekend.”
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| Cassie House | |
On the other side of the net, the Lobos will have to contend with some strong teams, including a talented Tulane squad (17-15) and an LSU team (18-8) that is right on the verge of a bid to the inaugural NCAA Championships.
New Mexico will also take on New Orleans (3-15) and first-year Houston Baptist (6-9) before earning a rematch vs. TCU (16-6) in its final match of the season.
This weekend is also the final matches for Hannah Johnson, who is one of the most decorated players in the history of the New Mexico volleyball program. The Lobos’ starting setter indoors, she finished second all-time in assists, and has compiled a 19-17 record in the sand for UNM.
“It’s kind of a little bit of a rollercoaster of emotions to say the least,” Johnson said. “I’m happy that I get to end it with my teammates and coaches and get to go to a state I’ve never been to. But also, it’s kind of sad. It’s kind of an end of a little bit of a chapter of my life.”
Fans can follow @UNMBeachVB on Twitter and Instagram to keep track of New Mexico and check GoLobos.com each evening for a full recap.