Lobos Close Out Home Slate vs. Air Force, Boise State this Week

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico Volleyball plays its final two home matches of the season at Johnson Center this week, hosting Air Force (3-22, 2-12 MW) tomorrow night as part of this week’s Mountain West Tuesday Night Block Party event before taking on Boise State (16-9, 8-7 MW) on Thursday’s Senior Day.

The Lobos (11-13, 4-10 MW) got back on the winning track with a four-set win over Nevada that snapped a nine-match losing streak and followed with a five-set comeback win over Utah State on Saturday that snapped a five-match win streak for the Aggies. They’ll be looking to keep rolling Tuesday against an Air Force team that they narrowly held off in five sets on the road in their first meeting in Colorado Springs on Oct. 1 (25-23,24-26,25-23,23-25,15-13).

Thursday’s Senior Day will see five Lobo seniors honored pregame for their contributions to the program — Elizabeth Woods, Sohila Wafeek, Kialah Jefferson, Jada Bouyer and Falanika Danielson.

The Lobos leaned on a dominant blocking effort last week to take control down the stretch in both matches, leading the league in team blocks per set (3.44) and opponent hitting percentage (.147) last week — they’ve notched double-digit team blocks and outblocked opponents in three consecutive matches for the first time this season. All year, UNM has ranked among the best in the Mountain West at keeping rallies going — the Lobos have held opponents to .197 hitting on the season so far and enter the week ranked in the Top 100 in the nation in digs per set (85th, 15.55), blocks per set (57th, 2.46) and attacks per set (71st, 36.26). They’re leading the Mountain West in digs for a third consecutive season with 15.55 per set, nearly a dig per set more than No. 2 Boise State (14.66) — and now lead the league in blocks per set in conference matches (2.36).

The Lobos went 3-0 against both the Falcons and Broncos last season, dispatching Air Force in three sets at home in their lone meeting before sweeping the season series with the Broncos in Albuquerque and Boise. UNM defeated the Falcons in five but fell to the Broncos in straight sets in their meetings on the road earlier in the season.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Both matches will be streamed via the MW Network at GoLobos.com/Watch, with live stats and all other matchday essentials available at GoLobos.com/FollowVB. Follow @UNMLoboVB on IG, X and Facebook for match coverage, promotional information, updates, behind-the-scenes content and more.

vs. Air Force (3-22, 2-12 MW)
Nov. 12 | 6:30 p.m. MT | Albuquerque, N.M. | Johnson Center

vs. Boise State (16-9, 8-7 MW)
Nov. 14 | 1 p.m. MT | Albuquerque, N.M. | Johnson Center

ALL-TIME SERIES
• The Lobos have dominated the all-time series against Air Force 45-7, But the Falcons have picked up four of those wins since 2017. UNM has won 7 of the last 10 against the Falcons and are 20-2 at home against them. UNM hasn’t lost to AFA at home since 2019 and the Lobos are 6-3 against the Falcons under Coach Newman-Gonchar and 3-1 at home.
• UNM trails the all-time series with Boise State 12-14, with a 5-9 record in true road matches against Boise State. Coach Jon Newman-Gonchar is 3-6 in his tenure against the Broncos but has won three of the two teams’ last six meetings.
• After losing eight of their last 10 matches to the Broncos heading into the 2023 season, the Lobos beat them both at home (9/30/23) and away (11/2/23) in four sets to sweep the season series for the first time since 2014. UNM is 6-4 at home and 1-0 in neutral-site matchups with Boise.

LIEPA LAVICKYTE NAMED MW DEFENSIVE POTW
After leading the Lobos in blocks and recording the most block assists in a Mountain West game this season over a 2-0 week for New Mexico Volleyball, Liepa Lavickyte has been named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday.

It’s the second MW Defensive Player of the Week award of the season for the Lobos and the first weekly honor of Lavickyte’s career.

Lavickyte led the league in blocks over UNM’s 2-0 weekend with 21 block assists for a total of 2.33 blocks per set — nearly two-thirds of a block per set more than No. 2, UNM’s Jada Bouyer (1.67) and .89 more than No. 3, Utah State’s Tierney Barlow. As a team, the Lobos led the league in team blocks per set (3.44/s) and opponent hitting percentage (.147) over the weekend.

The sophomore by way of Norway set a new career-high 12 block assists in UNM’s victory over the Wolfpack on Thursday — the third-most in a single match in program history and the most since 2018.
They were also the most in a single match by a MW player in a conference match this season. Two days later against the Aggies, Lavickyte came up with nine more to help UNM complete its first 2-0 week in conference play this season. She added 10 kills on .250 hitting (10-3-28) on the week, putting away an even five in both matches to finish with 20.5 points in total (2.28/s).

LAST WEEK
The Lobos mounted a dramatic turnaround with a pair of much-needed victories last week, leading the league in team blocks per set (3.44/s) and opponent hitting percentage (.147) over the weekend while defeating Nevada on Thursday in four sets (25-27, 25-20, 25-12, 25-22) before rallying to knock off Utah State in five (18-25, 25-20, 18-25, 26-24, 15-11) two days later. It’s their first undefeated week in conference play this season, improving them to 4-10 in conference play with four matches to go. The Lobos trailed 22-17 in the fourth set against Utah State before surging ahead late to force a fifth set that they won 15-11. They’re now 4-1 in five-set matches and 3-0 in five sets in MW play.

• UNM hit .205 on the week while holding the Wolfpack and Aggies to .147 hitting combined despite connecting on fewer kills than their opponent in both matches — they held Nevada to .079 hitting on Thursday while hitting .211.
• Liepa Lavickyte (21 BA, 2.33 blocks per set) was named MW Defensive Player of the Week after leading the Lobos in blocks over the last week — her 12 block assists against Nevada on Thursday were the third-most in a single match in program history and the most since 2018. She also added 10 kills on
• Lauryn Payne and Kialah Jefferson led the Lobos in kills with 25 each (2.78/s) — Jefferson posted two double-doubles last week to reach a team-leading 12 double-doubles on the season while serving four aces. The trio of Payne, Jefferson and Jada Bouyer (22 kills last week) all notched double-digit kills in both matches.
• Naomi Chankoumi continued her resurgent play with 10 kills last week — in her last seven matches, she’s produced 45 kills after only putting away just one in the prior five matches.
• The Lobos averaged 12.11 kills per set and hit .205 as a team last week, with their best performance coming against Nevada, where they hit .211 on the match.
• Madeleine Miller and Sohila Wafeek combined for 76 of UNM’s 96 assists across the nine sets while combining for 32 digs. Miller served up a team-high five aces to go with six kills — all on Saturday — without a single error on nine attempts, also notching her 10th and 11th double-doubles of the season.
• Falanika Danielson led the Lobos’ defense in the back row with 33 total digs (3.67 per set), dishing out seven assists and serving up one ace.

SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (W, 3-2 vs. Utah State)

🏐 Highlights from New Mexico’s 3-2 thrilling win over Utah State!#MakingHerMark | #MWVB | #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/9EbprKze7z

— Mountain West (@MountainWest) November 9, 2024

LAST TIME VS. AIR FORCE (Oct. 1)
New Mexico Volleyball put together yet another resilient effort to dispatch Air Force (2-12, 1-2 MW) in five sets (25-23, 24-26, 25-23, 23-25,15-13) in a back-and-forth midweek match at Cadet East Gym on Saturday, winning their second five-set battle in a row after rallying to knock off San Diego State the Saturday prior.

Lauryn Payne matched her previous career-high she set on Saturday against San Diego State with 23 kills to lead the Lobos for the sixth straight match while hitting at a team-high .302. Kialah Jefferson poured in 22 more while picking up 14 digs for her sixth double-double of the season, as did Madeleine Miller, who surpassed the 50-assist mark for the first time in her career with 54 in total while recording her eighth double-double of the season with 12 digs.

“Thrilled to have gone on the road and come back with a win,” said UNM Head Coach Jon Newman-Gonchar post-match. “A MWC win on the road is a great way to start the week. Hats off to a great AFA team — they fought to the very end.

“Excited for the team to pull out such a gritty exciting win and now onto a powerful Boise State squad on Saturday!”

Elizabeth Woods added nine more kills to go with a solo block and a block assist, with Jada Bouyer teaming up on a team-high four block assists while connecting on seven kills. Liepa Lavickyte supplied four more to go with another solo block and two block assists.

Falanika Danielson helped the Lobos outdig the Falcons 94-80 with a season-high 27 digs — her fifth time surpassing 20 digs this season — with Madison Blanco (13 digs) and Giselle Groe (12) also both cracking double-digits. Blanco served up UNM’s lone service ace of the match, with both her and Groe producing an assist each.

LAST TIME VS. BOISE STATE (Oct. 5)
New Mexico Volleyball couldn’t overcome an onslaught at the net and the service line from Boise State in Saturday’s Mountain West road matchup as they fell in straight sets.

The Lobos (9-5, 2-2 MW) held the Broncos (10-5, 2-2 MW) to .208 hitting on the match and kept them below .220 in all three sets but were held to .027 over the final two sets to stifle their hopes of turning the tide. In total, Boise outblocked New Mexico 11-5 and served up 12 aces to the Lobos’ one to stay in control even after a 10-2 UNM run made it 11-6 in the second.

Lauryn Payne (10 kills) notched double-digit kills for the fourth match in a row and 11th time this season to lead UNM on the attack, with the Lobos also getting an efficient nine-kill outing from Elizabeth Woods (.294) to go with six from Jada Bouyer and four from Kialah Jefferson. Bouyer and Jefferson put away all 10 of their combined kills in the first two frames, with Woods and Payne combining for six in the third.

Madeleine Miller collected 24 of the Lobos’ 27 assists and came up with a team-high three block assists – Woods and Liepa Lavickyte both finished with two each.

Falanika Danielson picked up 10 of UNM’s 45 digs in total, with Giselle Groe adding nine more and Madison Blanco finishing with six to go with five each from Miller and Jefferson.

LOBOS ON THE BLOCK

• UNM currently leads the Mountain West in blocks per set in conference matches (2.36) and have notched double-digit team blocks while outblocking opponents in three consecutive matches for the first time this season.
• Elizabeth Woods, the team’s senior middle blocker and lone returning starter from 2023, continues to anchor the Lobos at the net with a team-high 102 total blocks (16 BS, 86 BA) in 96 sets. Woods has posted five or more blocks in 11 matches this season and has hit above .300 in 10. She’s also added 18 service aces to her repertoire after never attempting a serve in a collegiate match prior to this season.
• Liepa Lavickyte has been an important contributor since rejoining the starting lineup, tallying 100 total blocks (10 BS, 90 BA) on the season and earning MW Defensive Player of the Week honors after pacing the conference in blocks per set last week (2.36 per set). She’s finished with multiple blocks in all but two matches so far this year and currently ranks No. 2 among Mountain West active leaders with 1.20 blocks per set on the season.

DANIELSON DIGGIN’ IT
Grad transfer Falanika Danielson has been a standout in the back row for the Lobos. After transferring from Temple, Danielson has anchored the defense, accumulating 396 digs at a rate of 4.13 digs per set. She’s led the team in digs in 19 of UNM’s 24 matches and has reached double-digit digs in 21 matches this season, including eight 20+ dig performances. Her efforts have earned her MW Defensive Player of the Week honors, and she currently ranks No. 1 among Mountain West individual active leaders in digs per set heading into the Lobos’ upcoming matches.

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.

Through 11 home matches so far this season, UNM’s averaged 808 fans a match, including a season-high 1,387 in attendance on Sept. 17 against New Mexico State — the second-most attended Lobo Volleyball match in the last eight seasons and sixth-most in the last decade.

NCAA/CONFERENCE STATS UDPATE
As of Nov. 11, UNM ranks among the Top 100 in NCAA Division I in three statistical categories:
• Blocks per Set: 57th nationally (2.46)
• Digs per Set: 85th nationally (15.55)
• Team Attacks per Set: 71st nationally (36.26)

Within the Mountain West Conference, the Lobos rank in the Top Five in four categories:
• Digs per Set: 1st (15.55)
• Blocks per Set: 4th (2.46)
• Opponent Hitting: 4th (.197)
• Team Attacks per Set: 1st (36.26)

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.