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Saturday • 2 p.m. MTThrough four weeks of their 2016 campaign, the Lobos have shown flashes of immense talent, earning as many wins vs. Power Five teams as the rest of the Mountain West.
But, now that the conference season has arrived, it’s time to show that their talent is constant.
The University of New Mexico volleyball team opens up Mountain West play looking for wins as it hosts Air Force and Boise State this week for a pair of home matches at Johnson Center in Albuquerque.
After closing out the tournament portion of their schedule with a 9-4 record, the Lobos are aiming for a strong start to their conference season. New Mexico plays the Falcons (9-4) Thursday at 7 p.m. and the Broncos (9-4) Saturday at 2 p.m.
“I want to see some consistency in our play throughout the matches,” 10th-year New Mexico head coach Jeff Nelson said. “We’ve been playing a little bit high and low. I’d like to see us really be more stable throughout the match.”
This week’s slate provides the Lobos ample opportunity to both find a rhythm and see where they stack up in a wide-open Mountain West.
Although New Mexico is searching for some consistency, the Lobos aren’t alone. Not many other conference teams asserted themselves during non-conference play, as evidenced by the league standings heading into this week.
Two of the top four teams in the Preseason Mountain West Coaches’ Poll, preseason No. 1 Colorado State and preseason No. 3 Wyoming, are currently sitting ninth and 10th, respectively, in the 11-team league.
UNLV, which was tied for fifth in the preseason poll with San Diego State, currently leads the conference with an 11-1 record, while the Aztecs are seventh.
Preseason No. 2 Boise State and preseason No. 4 New Mexico are tied for fourth with Air Force, the No. 11 pick in the preseason poll.
The six teams picked atop the preseason poll are still the frontrunners, but overall, there isn’t much separation among the league.
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| Devanne Sours |
“I feel like that top-six group is really tight,” Nelson said, “But Air Force, Nevada and Fresno State have all had great preseasons. I think there are some new faces and I think it’s going to be interesting. You’ve got to be ready to go every night.”
In order to keep pace in the Mountain West, the Lobos will need continued consistent play from its offense.
Senior outside hitters Cassie House and Devanne Sours were some of the more productive players last weekend as the Lobos went 3-1 at the UT Arlington Invitational. House posted 62 kills on a .299 hitting percentage, while Sours registered 58 kills.
On the season, they rank 1-2 for New Mexico in kills, with House (156 kills) leading and Sours (127) close behind.
Along with fellow senior outside hitter Julia Warren (123 kills, 18 aces, 144 digs), the Lobos have a formidable arsenal of firepower at the pins.
Sophomore middle blockers Victoria Spragg (73 kills, 55 total blocks) and Mariessa Carrasco (56 kills, 34 blocks) are also key as UNM begins to contend with a league filled with talented front rows.
Defensively, New Mexico has found stability with Ashley Kelsey (214 digs), but further improvement will pay dividends in league play.
On the other side of the net, Boise State features Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year Sierra Nobley and fellow preseason all-conference pick Maddy O’Donnell.
Nobley has racked up 202 kills, with O’Donnell (119 kills), Kaitlyn Oliver (120) and Sabryn Roberts (111) also contributing offensively. O’Donnell (52 total blocks), Oliver (43) and Nobley (33) are also active defending at the net.
Boise State’s final preseason all-conference selection Maddi Osburn is a two-time MW Defensive Player of the Week, and anchors the Broncos’ defense with 252 digs.
Air Force also features some talented offensive players under first-year head coach Marc Swindle, a former New Mexico men’s volleyball player and volunteer assistant with the Lobo women’s team.
A vast majority of Air Force’s offense comes from outside hitter Elizabeth Pennington (225 kills) and middle blocker Abigail Miksch (201 kills). Setter Sarah Hellman has compiled 567 total assists, while Natalie Seitz digs just under 4 balls a set (3.96).
Fans can follow @UNMVolley on Twitter and Instagram for information and updates on the team!