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Although there’s just one more match left this season, the Lobos are still have a lot to play for.
Winners of two straight matches, the University of New Mexico volleyball team closes out its 2016 campaign Tuesday as it heads to Las Vegas to take on UNLV in its season finale.
The Lobos (16-15, 6-11 MW), who are playing with some momentum after sweeping their last two contests, are looking to wrap up their season with one more win as they face the Rebels (22-7, 11-6) in Cox Pavilion. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.
“We want to close this out, go to UNLV and get another win and finish on a really high note,” 10th-year head coach Jeff Nelson said.
Despite struggling through a seven-game losing streak during the opening weeks of conference play, New Mexico has been playing solid ball to finish the season.
In the last calendar month, the Lobos are 5-3, with two of those losses coming in five-set matches.
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| Ashley Kelsey |
They’ve recorded four sweeps in that span, including a pair of dominant 3-0 wins at Nevada last Wednesday and vs. San Diego State on Senior Day last Saturday.
With its victory against the Aztecs, New Mexico is guaranteed to finish with at least a .500 record this season. A win vs. UNLV would give the team its ninth winning season under Nelson.
The Lobos’ seniors have been instrumental during the team’s late-season turnaround, with Julia Warren, Devanne Sours and Cassie House all contributing in their own ways.
Warren, the consummate team leader, has been on fire since returning from a knee injury — one that coincided with UNM’s midseason slide. She’s led the team’s offense since returning full-rotation in the season’s first matchup vs. UNLV.
Sours has also been playing strongly down the stretch, and is on the cusp of claiming her 1,00th career kill. She needs just 17 kills to reach that level, which is not an insurmountable task for a player with two matches of 20-plus kills this season.
House, who eclipsed 1,000 career kills in October, has also added strong play, including a yeoman performance vs. SDSU in her final match in Johnson Center. She registered six kills, two aces, five digs and three blocks against the Aztecs, and now sits seventh in career kills.
New Mexico can also rely on some superb play from some additional upperclassmen in redshirt juniors Ashley Kelsey and Lise Rugland.
Kelsey posted her 1,000 career dig in the Lobos’ win over Nevada and currently sits with 501 digs the season, the third-best single-season total in program history. Rugland has been spot on after taking on the starting setter position on October 22, leading UNM with 7.90 assists/set in MW play.
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| Cassie House |
Strong finishing performances from the rest of the squad can also pay dividends for New Mexico as it takes on a talented UNLV team that won the first meeting in this year’s series.
However, the Rebels have been somewhat of an enigma this season. After opening up 2016 with a 19-2 record, UNLV has gone just 3-5 over the last calendar month, including losses in both of their matches last week — 3-0 at San Diego State and 3-1 at home to Nevada.
Preseason All-MW selection Bree Hammel leads the Rebels with 408 kills and 40 aces, and ranks third on the team with 85 total blocks. Sadie Stutzman’s 239 kills are second on the team, followed by Alyssa Wing (220 kills), Elsa Descamps (212) and Ashley Owens (187).
Alex Patterson, another preseason all-conference pick, keys the Rebels’ offense with 1146 assists (10.81/set). UNLV is second in the MW in kills/set and assists/set.
Carly Riehl leads UNLV with 317 digs, with Hammel (261 digs), Elisa Woinowsky (259) and Patterson (235) also contributing. Descamps (126 total blocks) and Owens (117) helm the team’s defense at the net. UNLV is second in the MW in digs/set and third in blocks/set.
UNLV leads the overall series vs. New Mexico 22-15, but since 2007 (Nelson’s first year at UNM), the Rebels own just a 12-11 lead in the series.
Fans can follow @UNMVolley on Twitter and Instagram for information and updates on the team!