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Thursday • 3 p.m. MT
Saturday • 9 a.m. MT
Saturday • 11 a.m. MTThe Lobos, entering their third year in the sand, have experience and talent. How they performed in 2016 — posting a 17-9 record, winning against established programs — is evidence of that.
But, now that the calendar has shifted to 2017, the expectations surrounding the team have grown.
Since they’ve proven they can hang with some of the best teams in the burgeoning world of NCAA beach volleyball, it’s now time to see how far they can go.
And that mission starts this week.
The University of New Mexico beach volleyball team opens its 2017 campaign with five matches over three days as the team looks to translate its experience and talent into a fast start with the ultimate goal of postseason play.
The Lobos, ranked 18th in the preseason DiG Magazine Poll, take on Benedictine University at Mesa in Mesa, Arizona, on Thursday before heading to Phoenix to play No. 20 Loyola Marymount, No. 11 Grand Canyon, Colorado Mesa and No. 15 TCU.
“I feel like they’re all matches that are going to be tight,” New Mexico head coach Jeff Nelson said. “But with our experience, I’m hoping we can come out on top. But three really good teams, good programs.”
Those three programs Nelson mentioned — LMU, GCU and TCU — are the benchmark and the litmus test for the Lobos on their quest for a postseason bid.
If they can pick up some wins against these ranked foes, then Nelson and his squad will have passed the first test of the season.
“We have our top-10 matches,” Nelson said of the Lobos’ 2017 schedule, “but we’ve got lot of matches [against teams ranked] between 8 and 15 that will really gauge us in terms of the season and how we’re progressing.”
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| Marisa Doran |
All three of the those teams are formidable opponents, with their own redoubtable experience and talent. Add in a Benedictine team that’s already played this season and a Colorado Mesa team that’s familiar with the Lobos, and this weekend is shaping up to be a solid early-season challenge for the Lobos.
But New Mexico, anchored by seven returning starters and a strong class of newcomers, has the know-how to navigate a weekend like this.
For this first weekend, the Lobos will look to their depth, relying on veterans in the top three slots of their projected starting lineup.
“I think our depth and experience together as a group is going to help us,” Nelson said.
In the top spot, the duo of Cassie House & Ashley Kelsey will face off against some tremendous opposition, but they’ve had experience together playing some of the top pairs in the nation en route to an 11-10 in the No. 1 position.
“For the first tournament, being able to play with her after playing with her last season and a whole indoor season, it’s just has done a lot for our chemistry,” House said. “We’ve gotten a lot closer on and off the court. It makes us much more comfortable and stronger as a pair.”
Devanne Sours & Lise Rugland are slated to compete in the No. 2 spot after compiling a 14-6 record last season, while Marisa Doran & Eastyn Baleto move up a notch, competing in the No. 3 position after logging a 23-3 record in the No. 4 slot last season.
Taking on the No. 4 spot is Julia Warren & Lauren Twitty, while the No. 5 position will be helmed Jackie Baro & Carly Beddingfield.
You know it’s beach season when @DiGmagazine puts out their preseason poll! We check in at No. 18! #GoLobos https://t.co/u8KzeyoFlE? pic.twitter.com/yIe1hWXVNV
— UNM Beach Volleyball (@UNMBeachVB) February 24, 2017
“I think it’s a going to be a really good season,” Sours said. “I think everyone is working really hard and we’re ready to go get them. I think we’re starting at an even higher place than we ended last year.”
And the Lobos will need that extra experience this weekend when they head to Arizona.
“They all have some really premier players too,” Nelson said, “which is always fun to see and see how you’re doing against those. So we’re going to see some really good players.”
Loyola Marymount enters its sixth season of competition with a youthful roster, but the Lions return 2016 All-WCC Freshman Team members Kekai Whitford and Sascha Dominique and Sarah Sponcil, who was an All-American in 2015.
LMU finished 2016 at 6-17, but reached the semifinals of the inaugural WCC Championships and ended the year ranked in the Top-20 of the DiG Magazine poll.
No. 11 Grand Canyon has relatively more experience, but they will have to find a new No. 1 pair after the graduation of All-Americans Mackenzie Phelps and Shannon Dugan.
GCU does return four starters from its 2016 squad that finished 18-8 and No. 11 in the DiG Magazine Poll, and adds in a considerable amount of talent. The Lopes have never lost to New Mexico, winning the first matchups in the series.
TCU, like New Mexico, posted a tremendous 2016 season after starting their programs in 2015. The Horned Frogs posted an 18-7 record in 2016, picking up wins against the Lobos and then-No. 10 LSU in Baton Rouge.
Now under the guide of first-year head coach Hector Gutierrez, the Horned Frogs have considerable depth and experience, returning nine of their 11 top players from 2016.
Benedictine University at Mesa is in its first year of competition of beach volleyball. But the Redhawks have already played six matches, compiling a 1-4-1 record. BenU at Mesa’s lone victory came against Pierce College, while it fell to a handful of other SoCal junior colleges.
Entering year two in the sand, Colorado Mesa, a Division II school from Grand Junction, Colorado, looks to build on its inaugural season after finishing with a 1-12 record. The Mavericks only win was in an exhibition vs. New Mexico State in Albuquerque.
Fans can follow @UNMBeachVB on Twitter and Instagram to keep track of the Lobos!