Lobos Host N.M. Highlands in Exhibition Matchup Aug. 23

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico Volleyball fans will get their first look at this year’s squad when the Lobos kick off the 2024 season with an exhibition match against D-II New Mexico Highlands on Friday evening at the Johnson Center.

Admission is free for Friday’s matchup with the Cowgirls – set for a 6:30 p.m. start – with free promotional schedule posters and an opportunity to get autographs and meet the team after the match. Friday’s action will not be streamed, with live stats available via GoLobos.com/VBStats.

vs. New Mexico Highlands (Exh.)
August 23 | 6:30 p.m. MT | Albuquerque, N.M. | Johnson Center

ALL-TIME SERIES
This will be the fourth-straight season in which the Lobos open their season with an exhibition against New Mexico Highlands and the first time they face in the Johnson Center in that span, with the previous three meetings all down the street at The Pit. UNM is 4-0 against Highlands all-time and is yet to drop a set to the Cowgirls through their last three exhibition meetings (1-0 before 1980).

JOHNSON CENTER IS BOOMING
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. Saturday’s Senior Day brought in 1,589 fans to the Johnson Center – the highest-attended Lobo Volleyball game of the season. In 2023 overall (including three games at The Pit), the Lobos’ average of 956 fans per game is the highest since 2016 – including seven games with over 1,000 in attendance.

Head Coach Jon Newman-Gonchar’s Lobos are coming off their third-straight winning season and Mountain West Tournament appearance, most recently breaking through with a run to the conference semis after finishing the season tied for fourth in the standings – their best finish since 2015. UNM’s five-set win over host UNLV in the First Round of last year’s conference tournament was the Lobos’ first semifinals appearance under the current format as well as their first win in the conference tournament since 2006.

UNM has elevated to another level of consistency in the past three seasons under Newman-Gonchar, winning 62.2% of its matches overall and 53.7% in conference matchups, with a 25-13 (.658) record at home in that span. Finishing 2023 at 19-12 overall and 10-8 in MW play, Newman-Gonchar moved up to No. 3 among UNM coaches (tenured five or more seasons) in winning percentage (.530) and No. 2 in conference win percentage (.453) since the Lobos joined the Mountain West.

In 2023, the Lobos led the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.180) and digs (1,823 total; 15.58 per set) while ranking second in blocks (286 total; 2.44 per set), making it back-to-back years in which they pace the MW in opponent hitting and digs. They swept the season series with Boise State for the first time since 2014 and went 3-1 against UNLV and San Diego State, beating them both on the road in the same week for the first time since 2008.

Senior outside hitters Uxue Guereca and Kaitlynn Biassou were both named MW All-Conference at the conclusion of the regular season, with Guereca earning All-MW Tournament honors as well. The Lobos earned six nonconference all-tournament team selections with three MW Players of the Week.

This time around, the Lobos will be looking to repeat their success without five of last year’s starters, bringing in a variety of experienced transfers to bolster a group of returners with expanded roles.

UNM’s new-look roster features 11 newcomers and six returners – Woods (107 sets played in 2023) and sophomore Libero Giselle Groe (75 sets played) both return after becoming pivotal rotation pieces in 2023.

Among six transfers joining the Lobos for the 2024 season, four already have three or more seasons of D-I experience under their belts:

• Senior outside hitters Jada Bouyer (Toledo) and Kialah Jefferson (VCU) bring 576 combined set appearances to Albuquerque, coming off a 2023 season in which Bouyer racked up 286 kills to go with 71 total blocks and Jefferson finished with 280 kills and 294 digs. 
• Senior setter Sohila Wafeek (UIC) finished her four-year UIC career ranked ninth in program history in assists (3,047) and averaged 8.28 assists per set in 368 set appearances there.
• An 2020 AAC Libero of the Year during her time at Temple, Falanika Danielson joins the Lobos as a fifth-year transfer with 408 set appearances across 108 matches under her belt – she averaged 3.71 digs per set (1,471 total) across four seasons of play at Temple.
• They’ll be joined by junior transfer Naomi Chankoumi – who accumulated 250 kills across 121 sets in two seasons at CSU Bakersfield – as well as redshirt sophomore middle and Norwegian national Liepa Levickyte (Oregon State).

Alongside them, returning letterwinners Lauryn Payne, Madison Blanco and Angela Crosetti all look to play bigger roles this fall, with five true freshmen giving the Lobos depth all over the court.

POSITION BREAKDOWN
OUTSIDES/OPPOSITES
Last fall, the Lobos leaned on the All-Conference outside duo of Kaitlynn Biassou (382 kills, 267 digs, 31 aces) and Uxue Guereca (393 kills, 342 digs, 30 aces) to keep the offense humming – Biassou and Guereca combined for 54% of UNM’s kills in their final season before graduating.

The Lobos’ only returning outside from last season, Junior Lauryn Payne will look to see her role grow in 2024 after appearing in 119 sets in her first two seasons in Albuquerque. Payne heated up down the stretch in 2023, finishing with multiple kills in seven of the final 11 games after only doing it four times in her first 15 appearances.

Three D-I transfers give UNM new attacking options with real experience – grad transfers Jada Bouyer (Toledo) and Kialah Jefferson (VCU) bring 576 combined set appearances to Albuquerque, coming off a 2023 season in which Bouyer racked up 286 kills to go with 71 total blocks and Jefferson finished with 280 kills and 294 digs. They’ll be joined by junior transfer Naomi Chankoumi, who accumulated 250 kills across 121 sets in two seasons at CSU Bakersfield. Chankoumi notched a career-high 12 kills against the Lobos last season at The Pit on August 31, going on to finish the season with the third-most kills on the team (117) while averaging 2.06 kills per set.

A pair of true freshmen – Amanda Tremeroli (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Seenane Brewer (Lawrence, Kan.) – round things out, with both in the mix to compete for spots in the rotation.

LIBEROS
The Lobos have no shortage of options to fill out the back row, either – they return both their Liberos from last season in Giselle Groe (25 matches played, 181 digs, 55 assists) and Angela Crosetti (19 matches played, 246 digs, 42 assists) while bringing in an all-conference grad transfer in Falanika Danielson (Temple) and getting junior Madison Blanco (32 sets played in 2022) back after an injury redshirt last season.

Groe made her first appearance as a Libero in UNM’s 3-0 sweep on UNLV on Oct. 5 and was the first Libero off the bench for the rest of the season, averaging 2.68 digs per set in conference matches and finishing with double-digit digs in nine of UNM’s final 16 matches. Crosetti appeared in 60 sets on the season, earning MW Defensive Player of the Week honors and finishing the season with a team-high 4.10 digs per set.

A 2020 AAC Libero of the Year during her time at Temple, Danielson joins the Lobos as a fifth-year transfer with 408 set appearances across 108 matches under her belt – she averaged 3.71 digs per set (1,471 total) across four seasons of play at Temple.

SETTERS
It’s shaping up to be quite the battle for the starting setter spot this fall, with rising sophomore Madeleine Miller and incoming grad transfer Sohila Wafeek (UIC).

Miller saw her role grow throughout the season as a true freshman off the bench in 2023, appearing in 61 sets over 23 matches — she surpassed double-digit assists six times in the Lobos’ final 11 games, averaging 3.19 assists per set in matches in which she saw action in three or more sets.

Meanwhile, Wafeek brings a bevy of experience at the position to Albuquerque for her final collegiate season — the Egyptian national finished her four-year UIC career ninth in program history in assists (3,047) and averaged 8.28 assists per set in 368 set appearances there.

The Lobos’ third setter is a local product — true freshman Marian Hatch of Rio Rancho. The five-year letterwinner for Cleveland HS and four-time All-Metro selection gives UNM a different look at setter after she graduated early to practice with the Lobos in the spring.

MIDDLES
Replacing the contributions of 6-5 senior Athina Dimitriadis, who ranked among the best in program history in blocks and hitting efficiency in her one season as a Lobo in 2023, will be a tall order (no pun intended). But after a breakout year in which she ranked No. 4 in the MW and No. 82 in the nation in blocks per set (1.14), Elizabeth Woods looks poised to lead the Lobos at the net alongside Norwegian transfer sophomore Liepa Lavickyte (Oregon State) and a pair of highly-touted true freshmen in Reagan Miller (Birmingham, Ala.) and Zoe Leonard (Phoenix, Ariz.).

2024 SCHEDULE

This year’s slate includes 13 home games at the Johnson Center, including this year’s Lobo Invitational, a multi-team event that will feature games between and against Tulane, North Dakota and UC Irvine Aug. 30-31. Last season, UNM had the highest average attendance at home volleyball games over a single season at the Johnson Center since 2016 (956), with the Lobos’ Senior Day matchup with Nevada last season becoming the highest-attended UNM VB home game since 2016. The Lobos have won at a .622 clip over the past three seasons and is 25-13 at home in that span.

It’ll also be the first season since 2019 that the Lobos square off with in-state rivals New Mexico State – they’ll play twice in the span of a week, with one match in Albuquerque (Sept. 17) and one in Las Cruces (Sept. 19). UNM is 17-12 against the Aggies at home.

“The 2024 Schedule is going to test us each and every match in unique ways – we’re thrilled it came together the way it did,” said Newman-Gonchar. “We know this schedule will prepare us for the incredibly challenging 2024 Mountain West Conference slate. We can’t wait to see our Lobo nation out in full force this fall!”

NONCONFERENCE
After UNM welcomes Tulane, North Dakota and UC Irvine to open up the season at home as hosts the Lobo Invitational (Aug. 30-31), UNM heads to Houston for more tournament action hosted by Houston Christian, facing UMKC (Sept. 5) and Howard (Sept. 6) in neutral-site matchups before taking on the Huskies on Sept. 7.

They’ll be in Flagstaff the following week for a true road match with Northern Arizona (Sept. 12) and their final neutral site game of the regular season against Tarleton (Sept. 13) before closing out the nonconference slate with a pair of matchups with New Mexico State.

MOUNTAIN WEST PLAY
Conference play will include an 18-match format with each MW team playing nine home contests and making nine road trips during league action. League play begins on Tuesday, Sept. 24, and concludes Saturday, Nov. 23.

Last year, Head Coach Jon Newman-Gonchar led UNM to its best finish since 2015 in MW play in 2023, finishing tied for fourth with a 10-8 mark in conference matchups.

The Lobos — who advanced to the Semifinals of the MW Tournament last season for the first time under Coach Newman-Gonchar — will being conference play at home with matchups against UNLV (Sep. 26) and San Diego State (Sep. 28) in the Johnson Center. UNM went 3-1 against the two teams last season, the Lobos’ best record against the two foes since 2008.

Next up, the Lobos are on the road for back-to-back weekends, heading to Air Force (Oct. 1) and Boise State (Oct. 5) before facing Utah State (Oct. 10) and Nevada (Oct. 12) the following week. UNM swept the season series with Boise State last season for the first time since 2014.

UNM returns home for three matchups, starting with San Jose State on Oct. 17 and Fresno State on Oct. 19, followed by UNM’s lone meeting this season with Colorado State on Oct. 24. Next up, the Lobos complete the week with their lone matchup with Wyoming (Oct. 26) before heading to Fresno State on Oct. 31 and rematching with San Jose on Nov. 2.

The Lobos’ longest home stretch of the season takes place from Nov. 7-14, with UNM hosting Nevada, Utah State, Air Force and Boise State in that span, with the matchup with the Broncos bring the final home game of the season at Johnson. The Lobos close out the season with the same two teams they started against — San Diego State and UNLV — on Nov. 21 and 23rd, respectively.

If they manage the qualify for the MW Tournament for a fourth consecutive year, they’ll be staying in Vegas again the following week. League play will determine the seeding for the 2024 MW Volleyball Championship, which will start Wednesday, Nov. 27, and conclude Saturday, Nov. 30, in Las Vegas at the Cox Pavilion on the UNLV Campus.

UP NEXT
Following Friday’s exhibition, UNM welcomes Tulane, UC Irvine and North Dakota to the Johnson Center next weekend (Aug. 30-31) to open the regular season as hosts of the Lobo Invitational – the first multi-team event held at the Johnson Center since 2017. Fans can snag tickets to all three UNM home matches next weekend for the price of two with the Lobo Invitational Tournament Pass, available via the single-game tickets link at GoLobos.com/VBTickets.

Follow @UNMLoboVB on socials for match coverage, promotional information, updates, behind-the-scenes content and more.