TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of New Mexico beach volleyball team opened up its 2018 season on Friday at the Arizona Invitational, falling in a pair of closely contested matches against the host Wildcats and Loyola Marymount.
Behind both their veterans and newcomers, the youthful Lobos (0-2) managed to score against their nationally ranked opponents in their first day in the sand, dropping 4-1 matches to both No. 10/10 Arizona (5-0) and to the No. 17/20 Lions (3-1) at Bear Down Beach in Tucson.
Breaking in a new roster that featured seven total newcomers, the Lobos fared well as they took on some of the top teams in collegiate beach volleyball for their season openers.
Veterans Eastyn Baleto & Lauren Twitty led the charge to start the day against Arizona, with newcomers Erin Martin & Maddie Irwin contributing later in the day vs. LMU.
And while UNM couldn’t pull out the victories, Friday’s action provided the team with considerable experience with playing strong teams on the road.
This weekend is the first of four to open the season where the Lobos will face off against at least one team ranked in the preseason editions of either the AVCA Poll or the DiG Magazine Poll.
The Lobos return to action on Saturday as they close out the Arizona Invitational with a 10 a.m. MT match vs. No. 20/19 Washington.
Match 1: No. 10/10 Arizona 4, New Mexico 1
Facing an Arizona squad that had already kicked off its season the previous week, the Lobos were in for a challenge in their season opener.
But two of their returning players answered that challenge, as Baleto & Twitty captured a two-set win on the No. 3 court.
The tandem, playing together in a match for the first time ever, managed to hold off the Arizona duo of Mia Mason & Brooke Burling, winning 21-16, 23-21.
For Baleto, the program record-holder in career individual wins with 51, it was her first-ever victory against the Wildcats in six tries. Twitty earned her second straight win over UA.
However, the Lobos would be unable to convert on any of the other courts.
UNM’s No. 2 pairing of Maddie Irwin & Erin Martin came close in their first-ever collegiate beach action, pushing Arizona’s Natalie Anselmo & Olivia Macdonald to three sets before falling 13-21, 21-19, 15-13.
Elsewhere, Yasmin Tan & Chloe Crappell lost 21-11, 21-12 to Kacey Nady & Olivia Hallaran on the No. 1 court, while Carly Beddingfield & Emily Nenninger fell 21-15, 21-9 to Hailey Devlin & Makenna Martin on the No. 4 court.
On the No. 5 court, Abbey Willison & Kayla Long fell 21-6, 21-9 to Jonny Baham & Caroline Cordes.
Nonetheless, the Lobos managed to stave off the sweep, extending a streak of 31 matches where UNM has managed to win a least one point.
Match 2: No. 17/20 Loyola Marymount 4, New Mexico 1
Later in the evening, the Lobos returned to the sand to square off against another ranked foe, battling Loyola Marymount at Bear Down Beach.
Like the afternoon contest vs. Arizona, New Mexico managed to earn a point, this time on the shoulders of Martin & Irwin.
That duo, again playing on the 2’s court, scored for UNM in relatively convincing fashion, dispatching the LMU tandem of Savannah Slattery & McKayla Ferris 21-15, 21-13.
It was the first win for the pairing that featured a true freshman in Martin and a fifth-year season and former Lobo soccer player in Irwin.
Baleto & Twitty came close to adding a second win on the day, but couldn’t force a third set on the No. 3 court in a 21-16, 22-20 setback Sara Kovac & Jessie Prichard.
Nenninger & Beddingfield also put up a battle, falling 21-16, 21-16 to Kekai Whitford/Chloe Reinig on the No. 4 court.
On the 1’s court, Tan & Crappell fell 21-12, 21-13 to Veronica Nederend/Maddie Leiphardt, while Long & Willison fell 21-13, 21-12 to Bozena Culo/Emma Doud on the 5’s court.
Arizona 4, New Mexico 1
1. Kacey Nady & Olivia Hallaran (UA) def. Yasmin Tan & Chloe Crappell (UNM) 21-11, 21-12
2. Natalie Anselmo & Olivia Macdonald (UA) def. Maddie Irwin & Erin Martin (UNM) 13-21, 21-19, 15-13
3. Eastyn Baleto and Lauren Twitty (UNM) def. Mia Mason & Brooke Burling (UA) 21-16, 23-21
4. Hailey Devlin & Makenna Martin (UA) def. Carly Beddingfield & Emily Nenninger (UNM) 21-15, 21-9
5. Jonny Baham & Caroline Cordes (UA) def. Abbey Willison & Kayla Long (UNM) 21-6, 21-9
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 1*, 3, 2
*Clinched dual win
Loyola Marymount 4, New Mexico 1
1. Veronica Nederend & Maddie Leiphardt (LMU) def. Yasmin Tan & Chloe Crappell (UNM) 21-12, 21-13
2. Maddie Irwin & Erin Martin (UNM) def. Savannah Slattery & McKayla Ferris (LMU) 21-15, 21-13
3. Sara Kovac & Jessie Prichard (LMU) def. Eastyn Baleto & Lauren Twitty (UNM) 21-16, 22-20
4. Kekai Whitford & Chloe Reinig (LMU) def. Emily Nenninger & Carly Beddingfield (UNM) 21-16, 21-16
5. Bozena Culo & Emma Doud (LMU) def. Kayla Long & Abbey Wilson (UNM) 21-13, 21-12
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 1*, 2, 3
*Cinched dual win
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