Lobos Host Air Force, NMSU on Saturday

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Two weeks left. Three matches left … two huge Mountain West matches and a rivalry match.  It all starts on Saturday with a day/night doubleheader in which UNM hosts Air Force at noon trying to stay in the race for a fourth conference title in the last five years.  After that match, UNM will host New Mexico State at 6 p.m. in the penultimate regular season match of the season, and the final non-conference match.

The Mountain West race was complicated by UNM’s loss to San Diego State, a 4-3 loss in San Diego on Monday.  It also was complicated as UNM and UNLV were rained out, which never happens in Las Vegas.  UNLV is just 1-0 on the season, having defeated Air Force.  For UNM to win a piece of the regular season title, the Lobos need to win the last two (Air Force on Saturday and Boise State next Saturday), have UNLV lose at least one match, and have Utah State either lose to either Nevada, UNLV or at San Diego State or amazingly get rained out once.

All UNM can do is take care of what is in front of it, and Saturday that is Air Force, which enters at 6-11 overall but 0-5 away from home.  The Falcons are 1-3 in the Mountain West, their lone win a 4-3 win over Nevada.

For New Mexico State, the Aggies are 8-11.  Last year the Lobos played and defeated NMSU twice, winning 6-1 in Tempe at the Arizona State Invitational, and then a 4-0 win in Las Cruces.  The meeting is NMSU’s first trip to play UNM in Albuquerque since a 4-0 Lobo win on March 17, 2019, although UNM did host the ITA Mountain Region Tournament in 2022 and the Aggies competed in that event.

The Lobos are checking in at No. 68 in the ITA Rankings, UNM’s fourth week in the rankings.  UNM is 11-8 overall and 2-1 in the Mountain West.  Arda Azkara, a four-time MW Player of the Week, is 23-0 at home at No. 1 in his career to lead the way.