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By Lise Rugland
Senior-to-be, beach volleyball
It’s day 2 in Melbourne and the New Mexicans are still adjusting to the ‘cold’ winter temperatures. Even I have to admit, that it is quite chilly here at the moment.
We started the day with a good breakfast at our new hotel, where the conversations were mainly about our impressions from the game we watched the night before, and another debate about whether we should try the famous and feared vegemite on our toast or not. After breakfast we got to walk around a local mall for a while, where some of us got to buy some tim tams (Australian cookies) to take home, while others were out shopping for new clothes and souvenirs. As wifi connection seems to be quite inaccessible where we’re currently at, many of us spent time getting connected and talking to friends and family while we were there. We got back to the hotel to rest before lunch, and spent time getting ready for our game against New Zealand.
New Zealand had a good team, and challenged us particularly with tough serves and a fast-paced offense. We started out playing steady volleyball on our side, while getting adjusted to their offense. The game got very exciting at times, and we had several Aussie lobo alumni with their families and friends in the stands cheering us on.
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In game one, we were down 24-21, but managed to turn the game around and win it 26-24. We ended up winning 3-0, and we’re very excited to have challenged our first national team opponent. Serving really picked up as the game went on, which will be important in our upcoming matches. Overall, the match was a great learning experience which will help us prepare to face Australia and Croatia.
After the match was over, we got to mingle and talk with the alumni who were able to make it to the game. We were very excited that so many of them came to support us, and I think it put some pressure on the group to represent UNM well and make the former players proud. We got back to the hotel for a good dinner around 8 p.m., ready to get some good rest in before returning to the court tomorrow.
In their first action against a national team during their trip to Australia, the Lobos took on the New Zealand national team in Melbourne. New Mexico earned the sweep, 26-24, 25-20, 25-22 and will take on Australia on Monday and Croatia on Tuesday.
“It was a fun match that was a bit streaky for us but saw some good play out of our middles again,” UNM head coach Jeff Nelson said. “Dev, Cassie and Julia all hit well on the pins. Passing was a bit off, however we made up for it with really good serving again. Carson also had a stronger match leading the team from the setter spot tonight.”
Fans can follow the team’s Facebook page (University of New Mexico Volleyball) and Twitter (@UNMVolley) to keep track of the Lobos during their trip.