Open Announce

Lobo VB Releases 2022 Schedule

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The University of New Mexico volleyball team will host 12 matches including a home tournament, plus an exhibition in the 2022 season, with the regular season set to start at home on Aug. 26-27.

“We are thrilled with the way our 2022 schedule has come together,” said head volleyball coach Jon Newman-Gonchar. We host four non-conference matches starting with an exhibition match vs NMHU, then host our Lobo Invitational, which includes two rising programs in the Big West and WAC in Cal State Fullerton and Abilene Christian, respectively. Then we host a very strong Big Sky team, NAU, as we close out the non-conference slate.

“The goal of this pre-season schedule was to ramp up the number of challenges thrown our way each week. We are away for seven matches, playing four teams that played in postseason play. I want us to face the challenges that come along with battling the best of the best, so that when Mountain West Conference begins we are ready to battle with the best.”

UNM will hold an exhibition against New Mexico Highlands followed by a youth clinic one week prior to the start of the regular season on Aug. 20 before opening up with the Lobo Classic with Cal State Fullerton (Aug. 26) and Abilene Christian (Aug. 27). The Lobos faced both of the teams on the road last season, with UNM defeating both in three sets.

Following the home opener, the Lobos will be on the road for the next two weekends, traveling to UTEP to play UTEP, Portland State and South Dakota Sept. 1-3 and UC San Diego to play UCSD, Liberty and Pacific from Sept. 9-10. Like last season, the Lobos will have a home-and-home with Northern Arizona, with the Lumberjacks coming to Albuquerque on Sept. 14 before heading to Flagstaff Sept. 16 to close non-conference play.

The conference schedule begins with two road tests in MW Tournament champion Boise State (Sept. 22) and MW regular season co-champion Utah State (Sept. 24). From there, the Lobos will have four-straight home matches with Wyoming (Sept. 29), the other MW regular season co-champion Colorado State (Oct. 1), Air Force (Oct. 4) and UNLV (Oct. 6).

A week later, New Mexico returns to the road for a weekend trip to San José State (Oct. 13) and Nevada (Oct. 15).

UNM will face San Diego State and Fresno State just once this season, set for a home match against the Aztecs on Oct. 20 and a road match against the Bulldogs on Oct. 22.  The Lobos close out October with two more home matches against Nevada (Oct. 27) and San José State (Oct. 29) before a string of four consecutive road matches to start the final month of competition.

The Lobos start off November with a Nov. 1 match at Air Force and at UNLV (Nov. 5), with the road stint continuing the following week at Colorado State (Nov. 10) and Wyoming (Nov. 12).

Much like the schedule opened with Boise State and Utah State, the conference schedule closes with the Aggies (Nov. 17) and the Broncos (Nov. 19) for the final two home matches of the season.

“Excitement is beginning to mount as Aug. 20 soon approaches,” stated Newman-Gonchar. “Last year we finished fifth in the MW for total attendance, but it is our goal to be in the top three in attendance this year and make playing in Albuquerque the toughest we can, with our fans cheering us on every point of the way.”

Fans will be able to watch all of the matches using the Pride Pass, which will go on sale later this summer at golobos.com/tickets.

HOME SCHEDULE

Aug. 20                 New Mexico Highlands (Exh.)
Aug. 26                 Cal State Fullerton
Aug. 27                 Abilene Christian
Sept. 14                NAU
Sept. 29                Wyoming
Oct. 1                    Colorado State
Oct. 4                    Air Force
Oct. 6                    UNLV
Oct. 20                  San Diego State
Oct. 27                  Nevada
Oct. 29                  San José State
Nov. 17                 Utah State
Nov. 19                 Boise State