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by Connor Gilbert

Lobos Square Off with Fresno State, San Jose State on the Road This Week

Lobos Square Off with Fresno State, San Jose State on the Road This WeekLobos Square Off with Fresno State, San Jose State on the Road This Week

Fresh off a win at home over Grand Canyon that snapped an eight-match skid, New Mexico Volleyball hits the road again this week, with the Lobos (9-10, 1-7 MW) facing Fresno State (5-14, 1-7 MW) on Thursday and San Jose State (9-10, 4-4 MW) on Saturday.

Last week, the Lobos went 1-1 against conference opponents, falling in a five-set heartbreaker to UNLV last Thursday  (32–30, 19–25, 27–25, 17–25, 16–18) before responding with a four-set win over Grand Canyon on Saturday at home (21-25, 25-13, 25-17, 30-28). This week, they'll be facing the Bulldogs and Spartans for the first and only time this season.

All of this weekend’s action on the road will be free to stream via the MW Network at GoLobos.com/Watch, with live stats at GoLobos.com/VBStats. Follow @UNMLoboVB on IG, X and Facebook for match updates and coverage, promotional information, behind-the-scenes content and more.

at Fresno State (5-14, 1-7 MW)
Oct. 23 | 7 p.m. MT | Fresno, Calif.

at San Jose State (9-10, 4-4 MW)
Oct. 25 | 1 p.m. MT | San Jose, Calif.

Canedo Earns DPOTW Honors

Canedo Earns DPOTW Honors

After leading the league in digs last week with a career-high 30-dig performance in New Mexico’s four-set win over Grand Canyon last Saturday, junior libero Camila Canedo has been named Old Trapper Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday.

It’s the fourth weekly conference honor for a UNM player this season and the first for Canedo. UNM went 1-1 last week, falling in a hard-fought five-set battle on the road with UNLV last Thursday  (32–30, 19–25, 27–25, 17–25, 16–18) before a four-set win over Grand Canyon on Saturday at home (21-25, 25-13, 25-17, 30-28).

Canedo led the MW in total digs (46) and digs per set (5.11) over the past week, including a career-high 30 in UNM’s four-set win over GCU. That 30-dig performance is the most in a four-set match by any MW player this season and the most of any match in conference play. The Brazilian junior also served up two aces and only committed two service errors on 41 attempts over the past week while producing 15 assists.

COACH JNG NEARING 100 WINS
Coach Jon Newman-Gonchar is just seven wins away from his 100th career victory as UNM’s head coach. Currently in his seventh season at the helm, Newman-Gonchar holds a 93-88 record at UNM (.514) with a 46-66 (.411) mark in Mountain West matches.

Lobo Stat Rankings

Heading into this week, the Lobos rank among the Top 150 teams in NCAA Division I in six categories and sit among the Top 3 in the Mountain West in two.

Digs per Set – 2nd MW | 68th NCAA (15.09)
Team Assists – 6th MW | 116th NCAA (861)
Team Total Attacks - 4th MW | 89th NCAA (2,651)
Team Digs – 1st MW | 68th NCAA (1,132)
Team Kills - 6th MW | 127th NCAA (922)
Team Attacks per Set – 5th MW | 94th NCAA (35.35)

 

INDIVIDUAL STAT RANKINGS
Madeleine Miller
Assists per Set – 4th MW | 109th NCAA (8.69)
Total Assists – 4th MW | 67th NCAA (652)

Camila Canedo
Digs per Set – 1st MW | 69th NCAA (4.27)
Total Digs – 1st MW | 54th NCAA (320)

Last Week

New Mexico split its two matches last week, falling in five sets at UNLV before bouncing back with a four-set win over Grand Canyon behind some of its best individual performances of the season.

Seenane Brewer delivered a career-high 27 kills and added 11 digs in the five-set battle at UNLV, marking her first career double-double and the most kills by any Lobo this year. Brewer hit .328 for the weekend (35 kills on 84 swings) while averaging 3.89 kills per set.

Outside hitter Lauryn Payne continued her consistent attacking stretch with 35 total kills over the two matches — including 18 at UNLV and 17 against Grand Canyon — while adding eight blocks and averaging 4.56 points per set to lead the Lobo front line.

Setter Madeleine Miller guided the offense efficiently, posting 49 assists at UNLV and 43 against GCU for a weekend average of 10.2 assists per set. She added 20 digs, two blocks and hit .533 on limited attempts.

In the back row, libero Camila Canedo anchored the Lobo defense, averaging more than five digs per set (46 total) highlighted by a career-best 30 digs in the win over Grand Canyon — the most by any MW player in a four-set match this season. Canedo earned her first MW Defensive Player of the Week honors on Monday for her big week.

Senior Zoe Leonard chipped in on both ends with 14 kills, a team-high five service aces – all five of which came against GCU – and 10 total blocks, while Gioia Riccato contributed 14 more kills and five blocks to round out a balanced effort.

As a team, the Lobos hit .250 across the two matches with 125 kills and 17 service aces, while averaging 14.4 digs per set and out-acing their opponents 17–10.

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EARLY RETURNS FROM MOUNTAIN WEST PRESEASON
New Mexico was voted to finish ninth in the Mountain West Preseason Poll by the league’s coaches ahead of the 2025 season, the league announced last Wednesday.
Utah State is favored to win the 2025 MW regular-season title, having earned 114 points and seven first-place votes. Under the direction of head coach Rob Neilson, the Aggies finished the 2024 season 15-14 overall and 12-6 in Conference action and appeared in the Mountain West tournament for the fourth consecutive year since the event was brought back in 2021.

For the 2025 season, the Mountain West will expand to 12 members thanks to the late addition of Grand Canyon to the conference.

Colorado State has been tabbed the runner-up with 106 points and three first-place votes followed by San Diego State in third with 96 points and the final two first-place votes. In fourth is Fresno State (86 points) and predicted to finish fifth is Boise State (73). UNLV and Wyoming are tied to finish sixth with 72 points each. In eighth is the league’s newest member, Grand Canyon (61), followed by New Mexico with 37. Behind the Lobos are Nevada (32), San José State (31) and Air Force (12).

Fresno State senior Addison Haluska was tabbed the MW Women’s Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year, joined by Boise State’s Bre Mitchell, San Diego State’s Taylor Underwood, UNLV’s Basia Latos, Utah State’s Tierney Barlow and Kayliee Kofe and Wyoming’s Paige Lauterwasser on this year’s Mountain West preseason team.

Coach JNG Weekly Press Conference (10/21)

The Lobos are looking to return to the Mountain West Tournament after missing out in 2024 to snap a streak of three consecutive tournament appearances. In 2024, UNM found its rhythm late in the season, winning four of its last six — with two wins over MW Tournament-qualifying teams — after weathering a nine-match skid. The Lobos led the conference in digs per set (15.77) for the third year in a row and ranked second in blocks per set (2.53) in 2024, finishing ninth in the conference standings at 13-15 overall and 6-12 in MW play.

At the conclusion of the 2024 season, UNM ranked among the Top 100 in NCAA D-I in six statistical categories:

  • Blocks Per Set (33rd)
  • Total Blocks (44th)
  • Digs Per Set (74th)
  • Attacks Per Set (81st)
  • Opp. Hitting % (82nd)
  • Team Digs (86th)

They ranked first in the conference in Digs Per Set (15.77) and Team Digs (1,766), ranked second in Blocks Per Set (2.53), Total Blocks (283.5) and Attacks Per Set (36.21) and ranked third in Opponent Hitting % (.190) and Total Attacks (4,055).

UNM got a breakout season from outside hitter Lauryn Payne, who earned All-MW honors at the conclusion after racking up 370 kills (3.36/set) in her first year as the Lobos’ go-to option at the pins.

In her first season in Albuquerque, middle blocker Liepa Lavickyte picked up steam down the stretch, earning two MW Defensive Player of the Week honors and ranked second in the conference in blocks per set (1.35) at the end of the year.

Madeleine Miller also proved up to the task as a six-rotation setter after moving into the starting role, averaging 7.63 assists per set (7th-most in the MW) and putting up 14 double-doubles on the season — Miller also served up 27 aces and connected on 56 kills while totaling 32 total blocks.

Under Head Coach Jon Newman-Gonchar, UNM has won at a .585 clip over the past four seasons and is 33-18 at home in that span. Last season, the Lobos averaged over 800 fans a game for the third season in a row, with a season-high 1,387 fans in attendance vs. New Mexico State on Sept. 16.

To compete for one of those top six spots, the Lobos need to replace a significant amount of contributors – four starters from last season graduated. The Lobos return eight players that saw real action in 2024 and bring in two freshmen and four transfers, two with D1 experience at previous institutions.

OUTSIDES/OPPOSITES
After a breakthrough season that saw her put away a team-high 370 kills and 393 total points to earn the first All-MW honors of her career, senior outside Lauryn Payne returns to lead the Lobos’ attack alongside fellow returners Naomi Chankoumi (70 SP, 96 kills) and Seenane Brewer (36 SP, 45 kills). Payne picked up momentum near the end of the 2024 season as the Lobos snapped a seven-match skid to win four of their last six, connecting on double-digit kills in each of her final six and setting a new career-high with 26 in total against UNLV in the season finale.
Grad transfer Gioia Riccato (University of Verona) brings a bevy of high-level experience despite this being her first D1 season – the 6-1 outside has played for three Italian clubs while attending University of Verona prior to heading to Albuquerque for one season of eligibility. Ukrainian transfer sophomore Uliana Yastrub (Rutgers) and redshirt freshman Amanda Tremeroli also will make their Lobo debuts this season to round things out.

LIBEROS
The Lobos got one of the most productive single-season efforts from a libero in program history from grad transfer Falanika Danielson in 2024, but have plenty of options to replace her contributions this season.

Junior Giselle Groe (168 career sets played) and redshirt junior Madison Blanco (119 career sets played) both have extensive experience in the back row at UNM, with Brazilian junior college transfer Camila Canedo and freshman Anna Johannson (Minneapolis, Minn.) making it a four-way competition for the starting libero role. Whoever doesn’t start at libero will likely still get plenty of defensive rotations and serving opportunities.

SETTERS
One of the most productive setters in the Mountain West in 2024, Madeleine Miller ranked seventh in the league in assists per set (7.63) and returns as the Lobos’ highest-volume option at the position. She’s backed up by a pair of newcomers in 6-3 true freshman Addison France and NMJC transfer junior Sude Omercikoglu, with left-handed France able to play at opposite as well. Omercikoglu was a part of an NMJC team that advanced to the NJCAA Tournament in 2023 and has led the Thunderbirds in assists per set in each of the last two seasons.

MIDDLES
Two-time MW Defensive Player of the Week Liepa Lavickyte is positioned to lead the Lobos at the net while they look to replace the contributions of 2024 captain and five-year senior Elizabeth Woods – the Norwegian junior racked up 123 blocks in total (1.35/s) to lrank second in the conference in blocks per set in 2024.

6-1 sophomore Reagan Miller (32 sets played in 2024) and 6-3 redshirt freshman Zoe Leonard will both likely get their share of reps alongside Lavickyte, with 6-1 CBU transfer sophomore Solia Angilau also in the mix.