Lobos to Face Boise State, Utah State on the Road

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Still in sole possession of second place in the Mountain West Standings, New Mexico Volleyball (16-7, 8-4 MW) heads into one of its toughest road trips of the season this week with dates at Boise State (Nov. 2) and Utah State (Nov. 4).

After a 1-1 week in which the Lobos defeated San Diego State in four (19-25, 25-21, 28-26, 25-16) and before falling to UNLV (25-23, 22-25, 13-25, 16-25), they retain singular grip on the second-place spot behind Utah State (18-5, 11-1 MW) but are trailed by three teams tied for third at 7-5 – all of which the Lobos have yet to face a second time.

One of those three third-place teams is the Broncos (11-11, 7-5 MW), who UNM will square off with Thursday. Saturday’s matchup in Logan will be UNM’s second matchup with an RPI Top-25 team this season.

After moving up in the RPI rankings through the first four weeks, UNM clocked in at No. 108 in the nation in Monday’s rankings, the fourth-best RPI in the Mountain West. The Lobos tout the best road winning percentages in the Mountain West and Rank No. 15 in the NCAA at 7-1 in true road matchups (.875). Utah State moved up to No. 17 in the latest RPI, with Boise State at No. 132. UNM is 11-4 against Top-150 RPI opponents so far this season.

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 (16-7, 8-4 MW) at BOISE STATE (11-11, 7-5 MW)
Thurs, Nov. 2 | 7 p.m. MT | Boise, Idaho
Live Stats | Stream (MW Network)

NEW MEXICO (16-7, 8-4 MW) at Utah State (18-5, 11-1 MW)
Sat, Nov. 4 | 1 p.m. MT | Logan, Utah
Live Stats | Stream (MW Network)

ALL-TIME SERIES
UNM is 11-13 against Boise State all-time, but up until Sep. 30 the Lobos hadn’t defeated them since 2021, when they won in four sets at the Johnson Center on Oct. 9. Both of the matchups between the two teams in 2022 went to five sets.
The Lobos are 23-15 against the Aggies all-time (23-9 since 1908) and swept the regular season series againt them in 2022 before falling in straight sets in the opening round of the MWC Tournament. UNM and USU have split their last four meetings, with the Lobos having won three of the last five.

LOBOS STAYING HOT
Sitting at 8-4 in MW play with six games to go, UNM is currently off to its best 12-game start in conference play under Coach Newman-Gonchar and best since 2013. The Lobos’ win percentage so far this season of .696 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. Including the 2023 season, Newman-Gonchar has posted a 64.6% win percentage over the last three seasons, with 20 wins in 2021 marking the most for the program since 2013. The Lobos are one win from matching their win total from the entire 2022 season (17-12).

THE FIRST TIME AROUND
UNM went 1-1 against the Aggies and Broncos in their first meetings this season, falling in four to the Aggies (25-16, 20-25, 22-25, 13-25) and bouncing back with a four-set win over the Broncos (25-20, 16-25, 25-20, 25-20) two days later.
Against Utah State, the Lobos took the first set in blistering fashion, hitting a match-high .364 in the first while holding the Aggies to a match-low .077. But USU mounted its attack and built momentum over the final three sets to close things out despite double-digit kills from Kaitlynn Biassou (14) and Athina Dimitriadis (13).
Uxue Guereca (19 kills, 17 digs) and Melissa Walden (36 assists, 13 digs) both finished with double-doubles and the Lobos posted a season-high 16 team blocks — 10 combined between Elizabeth Woods and Athina Dimitriadis — while holding Boise State star Paige Bartsch to .081 hitting with 17 attack errors. UNM held the team that had served up the most aces in the Mountain West at that point to just three aces, matching that number with three of their own from Guereca, Dimitriadis and Giselle Groe.

LAST TIME OUT
The Lobos split last week’s games against SDSU and UNLV, coming two sets short of their first full season sweep of both teams since 2008 after the Rebels knocked off the Lobos at home in four on Saturday but rallying to hold off the Aztecs in four on Thursday.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING…
The Lobos rank No. 17 in the nation in opponent hitting average (.157), No. 28 in digs per set (16.37) and No. 29 in blocks per set (2.56) – they lead the Mountain West in the former two and rank No. 2 in blocks.
Elizabeth Woods is No. 57 in the nation in blocks per set (1.21) and Uxue Guereca is No. 106 in kills per set (3.51) and No. 93 in points per set (4.11).
UNM’s 7-1 record in true road games ranks among the Top 15 in the nation.

RPI UPDATE
After moving up in the RPI rankings through the first four weeks, UNM clocked in at No. 108 in the nation in Monday’s rankings, the fourth-best RPI in the Mountain West. The Lobos tout the best road winning percentages in the Mountain West and Rank No. 15 in the NCAA at 7-1 in true road matchups (.875). Utah State moved up to No. 17 in the latest RPI, with Boise State at No. 132. UNM is 11-4 against Top-150 RPI opponents 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 909 fans in attendance per game, including five games with over 1,000 in attendance.

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 3.25 digs per set over her last eight matches, adding 30 assists and six service aces in that span. She’s finished with multiple assists in eight of her last nine games.

ATHINA AND LIZ ON THE BLOCK
6-5 Athina Dimitriadis and 6-2 Elizabeth Woods give the Lobos a formidable force at the net – the duo have combined for double-digit blocks eight times this season and twice in their last three matches.
Woods ranks No. 3 in blocks per set (1.21) in the MW, with Dimitriadis at No. 10 (1.03). They are one of two MW teams with two players in the conference’s Top 10 in blocks alongside Wyoming.

EXPERIENCED ON THE OUTSIDES
Kaitlynn Biassou (3.16 kills/set, 2.48 digs/set) and Uxue Guereca (3.51 kills/set, 3.00 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. 4 in points per set (4.11). Biassou ranks No. 8 in kills per set and No. 9 in points per set (3.75).
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 1,573 after 23 last week, she’s 6 away from No. 2 and 51 away from moving ahead of Chantale Riddle for the top spot with 6 matches left to play in the regular season. Biassou joined the top-10 career points list against Nevada last season, and currently sits at No. 2 all-time with 1,839.5 after surpassing Tania Gooley (1,818) last week. She’s 70.5 from the top spot — also held by Riddle — and has scored at least 450 points in each of the last two seasons.