Lobos Host SDSU, UNLV This Week in MW Action

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. –  Off to its best 10-game start to conference play since 2013, New Mexico Volleyball hosts San Diego State on Thursday and UNLV on Saturday at the Johnson Center, looking to complete a season sweep of both rivals and maintain its grip on second place in the Mountain West standings.

The Lobos (15-6, 7-3 MW) beat both teams on the road three weeks ago, sweeping UNLV for the first win over the Rebels in Coach Jon Newman-Gonchar’s tenure in Albuquerque and defeating SDSU in four – the first time the Lobos have beaten both teams on the road since 2008. They’re winners of six of their last seven – six of which being Top-150 RPI opponents – to move into a tie with Boise State (11-9, 7-3 MW) for second place in the league standings, with rematches against the Broncos and first-place Utah State (16-5, 9-1 MW) on the road next week. 

UNM also moved up in the RPI rankings for the fourth straight week, clocking in at No. 105 in Monday’s updated list. The Lobos tout one of the Top 15 road winning percentages in the NCAA at 7-1 in true road matchups (.875)

The Lobos defense ranks No. 7 in the nation in opponent hitting percentage (.146), No. 11 in digs per set (17.05) and No. 29 in blocks per set (.255), leading the Mountain West in all three categories.

Head Coach Jon Newman-Gonchar’s Lobos were picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West Coaches’ Poll – the highest they’ve been slated to finish in Newman-Gonchar’s five seasons at the helm in Albuquerque.

UNM is in the hunt for a third consecutive winning season and MWC Tournament berth, going 17-12 overall and 8-10 in conference in 2022 en route to a fifth-place finish. Newman-Gonchar has posted a 62.7% win percentage over the last two seasons, with 20 wins in 2021 marking the most for the program since 2013.

Both matches will be broadcast via the MW Network, with live stats available via golobos.com/vbstats — follow @UNMLoboVB on socials for scores, highlights, gameday content and more.

NEW MEXICO (15-6, 7-3 MW) vs. SAN DIEGO STATE (8-13, 3-7 MW)
Thurs, Oct. 26 | 6:30 p.m. MT | Johnson Center
Live Stats | Stream (MW Network)

NEW MEXICO (15-6, 7-3 MW) at UNLV (12-10, 4-6 MW)
Sat, Oct. 28 | 1 p.m. MT | Johnson Center
Live Stats | Stream (MW Network)

ALL-TIME SERIES
UNM is 19-30 against UNLV all-time, snapping a seven-match losing streak to the Rebels that dated back to 2019 with their sweep of the Rebels in Vegas on Oct. 5. Before that, they the Lobos had won three straight. UNM is 24-44 against San Diego State all-time, but has had better luck against the Aztecs recently — they have won four straight over SDSU, two of which at home. None of the last eight meetings between the two teams have gone to a fifth set.

LOBOS STAYING HOT
Fresh off its second 2-0 week of the season, UNM is currently off to its best 10-game start in conference play under Coach Newman-Gonchar and best since 2013 at 7-3. The Lobos’ win percentage so far this season of .714 is also the best under Newman-Gonchar, with a 7-1 record in true road games that ranks among the Top 15 in the nation. Newman-Gonchar has posted a 62.7% win percentage over the last two seasons, with 20 wins in 2021 marking the most for the program since 2013.
They’re winners of six of their last seven – six of which being Top-150 RPI opponents – to move into a tie with Boise State (11-9, 7-3) for second place in the league standings, with rematches against the Broncos and first-place Utah State (16-5, 9-1) on the road next week.
UNM also moved up in the RPI rankings for the fourth straight week, clocking in at No. 105 in Monday’s updated list. 

LOBOS’ FIRST MEETING WITH THE REBELS & AZTECS
UNM went 2-0 the week of Oct. 2-8 — one of four MW teams to go undefeated on the week and the only one to do it on the road – while defeating UNLV and SDSU in the same week on the road for the first time since 2008. The Lobos led the league in hitting that week (.288) and ranked Top Four in the league in a variety of defensive averages, including opponent hitting (.145, No. 2), aces allowed (0.57/s, No. 2), kills allowed (11.86, No. 4), assists allowed (9.86, No. 3) and blocks allowed (1.43/s, No. 2).

NATIONALLY SPEAKING…
The Lobos rank No. 18 in the nation in opponent hitting average (.157), No. 24 in digs per set (16.54) and No. 28 in blocks per set (2.54) – they lead the Mountain West in all three.
Elizabeth Woods is No. 43 in the nation in blocks per set (1.29) and Uxue Guereca is No. 69 in kills per set (3.70) and No. 65 in points per set (4.27).
UNM’s 7-1 record in true road games ranks among the Top 15 best in the nation.

RPI UPDATE
In this week’s RPI rankings, UNM clocked in at No. 105 – the fourth-straight week they’ve improved in the rankings – with the third-best RPI in a Mountain West that ranks No. 7 nationally in terms of conference RPI. The Lobos are 1-1 against teams ranked in the RPI Top 50. After facing CSU on Saturday, the Lobos have played five consecutive teams in conference play that rank among the Top 150 in the nation by RPI. Air Force will be the sixth, clocking in at No. 124 this week.
In terms of the Mountain West, UNM touts the best road record (7-1) and third-toughest schedule in the conference so far this season.

BIG SHOWING IN JOHNSON
With 1,047 in attendance at the Johnson Center, UNM’s matchup with Northern Arizona at home was the highest-attended Johnson Center Home Opener since 2015. The Lobos have seen an increase in attendance in each season since 2019 — not counting the 2020-21 season that limited attendance due to the COVID pandemic — and UNM’s average attendance of 841 per home game last season was its highest since 2016 (1,248) and highest of Newman-Gonchar’s tenure. So far this season (including three games at The Pit for the Lobo Invitational), the Lobos have averaged 898 fans in attendance per game, including four games with over 1,000 in attendance.
The Lobos are 3-1 this season in home games with over 1,000 fans in attendance.

GUERECA NAMED OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After a pair of efficient outings that helped lead New Mexico Volleyball to a huge 2-0 week with victories over UNLV and SDSU, Uxue Guereca has been named the Mountain West’s Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 2-8. This is Guereca’s second Offensive Player of the Week honor so far this season and the fifth weekly conference honor of her career.
Guereca served up the third-most aces in the league over the last week (5, 0.71/set), including four against UNLV. She averaged 3.00 kills and 3.00 digs per set in those two matches to go with 4.28 points per set, ranking fourth in the conference over the last week. Her 19.5 points in UNM’s big win over UNLV were the most by an individual in a three-set match last week.
The honor is the third weekly award for a Lobo player this season after Angela Crosetti was named Defensive Player of the Week following Week One and Guereca was named OPOTW for the first time following Week Four. It’s also the fifth weekly award of Guereca’s career. She was named Defensive Player of the Week last season as well as Offensive Player of the Week in 2021-22 after becoming the first UNM freshman to win Defensive Player of the Week (2020-21) since the award was created in 2015.

GISELLE GROWS INTO STARTING ROLE
After starting the final three sets against Boise State, true freshman Giselle Groe has proven up to the task at Libero, starting every match since for UNM and leading the Lobos in digs in all but one. She’s averaging 3.17 digs per set over her last five matches, adding 18 assists and four service aces in that span. She’s increased her assist output in each of her last four appearances.

ATHINA AND LIZ ON THE BLOCK
She’s known as “Aqueena” by her teammates, and Athina Dimitriadis was the blocks queen of the Mountain West last week, leading the league in total blocks (12 TB, 1.71/set) and ranking No. 10 in the league in total points (3.79/set). She’s finished with at least five blocks in four of her last five outings while hitting above .300 in four of her last five as well, serving up five aces in that span.
Elizabeth Woods ranks No. 3 in the MW in blocks per set (1.26) in conference play and No. 3 overall (1.26) and the Lobos rank No. 1 in the league in opponent hitting percentage (.157) and No. 1 in team blocks per set (2.54).

EXPERIENCED ON THE OUTSIDES
Kaitlynn Biassou (3.19 kills/set, 2.60 digs/set) and Uxue Guereca (3.58 kills/set, 3.08 digs/set) have been instrumental to UNM’s performance so far this year.
So far this season, Guereca ranks No. 4 in the conference in kills per set, No. 10 in digs per set and No. 3 in points per set (4.16). Biassou ranks No. 8 in kills per set and No. 8 in points per set (3.78).
Biassou and Guereca rank third and fourth in their careers among active MW players in points per set, with 3.89 and 3.75 respectively. They’re also third and fifth in kills per set (3.33, 3.22).

RISING EXPECTATIONS
Jon Newman-Gonchar’s Lobos are picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West Coaches’ Poll – the highest they’ve been slated to finish in Newman-Gonchar’s four seasons at the helm in Albuquerque.
UNM is coming off its second consecutive winning season, going 17-12 overall and 8-10 in conference in 2022 en route to a fifth-place finish and the Lobos’ second straight MWC Tournament berth. Newman-Gonchar has posted a 62.7% win percentage over the last two seasons, with 20 wins in 2021 marking the most for the program since 2013.

A LOOK AT THE ROSTER
UNM’s nine returners combined for 70% of the Lobos’ total points last season, with 2022 All-MWC Outside Hitter Kaitlyn Biassou along with fellow 2022 starters Uxue Guereca (338 kills, 393.5 points) and Kali Wolf (228 kills, 276 points) highlighting the Lobos’ experience on the outside. The Lobos also added four freshmen and three impact grad transfers to offset the loss of middle blocker Avital Jaloba, libero Alena Moldan and setter Anilee Sher to graduation.

GOOD, BETTER, BEST, BIASSOU
In her fifth and final season at UNM, Kaitlynn Biassou has continued to get better each year. This year, she sees the Lobos making a similar jump.
“This is the most depth we’ve had since I’ve been here, and I’m super excited about our potential,” Biassou said. “We made it to the (MWC) tournament the last two years and lost in the first round both times. This year I want to get back and win the tournament. That’s what I’m focused on.”
Biassou put up career-high numbers for the third straight season in 2022, with 431 kills (3.68 per set) to go with 33 service aces and 504.5 points – all team-highs for UNM. The Reno, Nev. native ranked No. 4 in the Mountain West in kills and No. 3 in points per set (4.31) while also picking up 227 digs (1.94 per set) and tallying 75 total blocks.
On the season, she’s racked up 118 kills (2.88/set) as well as a team-high 17 aces, 104 digs and 25 block assists. Among active MWC players, Biassou ranks No. 3 in kills per set (3.30) and points per set (3.86).
In MWC play last season, Biassou cracked double-digit kills in 14 out of 18 conference matchups, matching a career-high twice with 26 kills vs. Wyoming (Sep. 29) and at Nevada (Oct. 15). Those two performances were the third-highest total by a MWC player in a conference game last season, with her 31 points in that Wyoming match ranking as the most in a single game in MWC action. Additionally, Biassou’s 21 kills against Utah State (Sep. 24) ranked as the second-most in a three-set match.
Biassou is also a threat at the service line, with four matches with three or more service aces — including five against Abilene Christian — and eight matches with multiple aces in a match. She’s served up 24 aces so far this season.

EXPERIENCE ALL OVER
A total of seven seniors (4 grad seniors, 1 redshirt, 2 true seniors) combined for 1,652 sets played entering the season — the most seniors Newman-Gonchar has ever had on a roster during his time at UNM.
Co-captains Kaitlynn Biassou, Kali Wolf and Uxue are the first trio to record at least 200 kills and 20 service aces each in the same season under Newman-Gonchar, and first since 2016.

STIFLING EFFORT
UNM’s loss to CSU was the first time all season that a team hit above .300 against the Lobos  — San Francisco (.248) was the only other team to crack .200, with 5 opponents hitting below .100.
The Lobos held 16 opponents below a .200 hitting percentage last season, with one opponent (Portland State) below .100 (.089). In 2022, UNM held opponents to a .187 hitting percentage, which ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West. In MW matches in 2022, UNM led the league in digs per set (16.14) and finished 2nd in opp. hitting % (.188). The Lobos lead the league in both categories so far in 2023.

RECORD WATCH
With her first service ace of the match against Northern Arizona, Biassou notched her 100th ace of her career. She entered the program’s all-time Top 10 in service aces two weeks ago and is now No. 5 on the all-time list (110) and 10 away from the No. 2 spot.
Earlier last season, Biassou became the 15th Lobo all-time to reach 1,000 career kills. Currently at No. 3 on the program’s all-time kills list at 1,550 after 33 last week, she’s 74 away from moving ahead of Chantale Riddle for the top spot with 8 matches left to play. Biassou joined the top-10 career points list against Nevada last season, and currently sits at No. 3 all-time with 1,812. She’s 98 from the top spot — also held by Riddle — and has scored at least 450 points in each of the last two seasons.