Lobos Close Out 2025 Season on the Road This Weekend

Winners of three in a row for the first time since September, New Mexico Volleyball closes out the 2025 season on the road this week with rematches at Wyoming (15-12, 11-5 MW) on Thursday and at Colorado State (18-8, 12-4 MW) on Saturday.

After starting the conference portion of their schedule 1-9, the Lobos have won four of their last six, including their first two conference road wins of the season over Nevada and Air Force last week. They're looking to avenge losses at home earlier this season to both the Rams and Cowgirls.

Both matches 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 matchday updates, highlights, promotional information, behind-the-scenes content and more.

At Wyoming (15-12, 11-5 MW)
Nov. 20 | 6:30 p.m. MT | Laramie, Wyo.

at Colorado State (18-8, 12-4 MW)
Nov. 22 | 1 p.m. MT | Fort Collins, Colo.

ALL-TIME SERIES
• The Lobos are 26-65 against Colorado State all-time and 37-55 against Wyoming all-time -- they’re 3-7 against the Cowgirls in Coach Newman-Gonchar’s tenure and 2-8 against the Rams in the same span. 
• UNM is 14-26 at home against CSU and 14-28 on the road against Wyoming. 
• The Lobos are looking to snap a five-match losing streak to the Rams and three of the last five against the Cowgirls. UNM’s last win over CSU -- a 3-0 sweep in Fort Collins in 2022 -- was Coach Newman-Gonchar’s 50th career win. 

CANEDO HOLDING IT DOWN
With four matches left to play in the regular season, Camila Canedo leads the Mountain West by a healthy margin in both total digs (445) and digs per set (4.32) – the closest MW player in digs per set is Boise’s Breanna Mitchell (3.92/set).
Canedo has finished with 20 or more digs 10 times, including a season-high 30 vs Grand Canyon on Oct. 18. She’s cracked double-digit digs 22 times and has led UNM in digs in 23 matches.

REAGAN MILLER AND ZOE LEONARD DOMINATING AT THE NET
In the last six matches, Reagan Miller has put away 31 kills while hitting .375 – the highest of any Lobo in that span by far – while Zoe Leonard has connected on 24 at a .227 clip.
Leonard is averaging 1.43 blocks per set in that span while Miller is averaging 1.24 -- the duo have combined for 10 block solos and 46 block assists. Leonard notched her first career double-double with 12 blocks and 11 kills on Saturday vs. Air Force.

Reagan SHUTTING IT DOWN ⬇️

'Bos on a 6-0 run as they look to close this out!

S4 | Lobos 21, SDSU 15 pic.twitter.com/X9ZBUdcRQj

— New Mexico Volleyball (@UNMLoboVB) November 8, 2025

LOBOS PICKING UP SPEED
After going 1-9 to start Mountain West play, the Lobos have won four of their last six – they went 2-0 last week to earn their first conference road wins of the season over Nevada and Air Force. In the first 10 matches, UNM hit .173 as a team while opponents hit .236 against them – in the last four, UNM has hit .208 as a team while holding opponents to a .187 hitting percentage despite getting swept twice. All five of UNM’s wins in conference play have come in the last five weeks.

LAST WEEK
New Mexico delivered one of its most complete weekends of the season, sweeping Nevada on Thursday before grinding out a five-set road win at Air Force on Saturday. Across the two victories, the Lobos hit .208 as a team, averaged 11.5 kills per set, and dominated the net with a massive 4.25 blocks per set, out-blocking their opponents 34–13.

Lauryn Payne continued her strong conference form, finishing the weekend with 25 kills (3.13/set) on .250 hitting. She posted 10 kills in the sweep of Nevada, then delivered a match-high 17 kills at Air Force—including 18.5 points, her top scoring output of league play.

On the outside, Gioia Riccato added consistent production with 20 kills (2.50/set) while also serving a team-high six aces. Her weekend included an 8-kill showing against Nevada and a 12-kill, 3-ace performance at Air Force. Addison France chipped in 17 kills and 11 blocks across seven sets, averaging 2.43 kills and 1.57 blocks per set.

Middle blocker Zoe Leonard put together one of the best blocking weekends in the Mountain West this season. Leonard tallied 18 total blocks (2.25/set), highlighted by 12 block assists at Air Force—the highest single-match total by any Lobo this year. Reagan Miller added another 12 blocks at the net, including a 9-block performance in the win over the Falcons.

Defensively, libero Camila Canedo anchored the back row with 36 digs (4.50/set), recording 14 in the sweep of Nevada before following with 22 digs on Saturday. Madison Blanco added 24 digs (3.00/set) and strong serve-receive numbers, while Riccato contributed 21 digs of her own.

Setter Madeleine Miller steered the offense at a high level all weekend, distributing 70 assists (8.75/set) while adding 18 digs and 10 blocks. She handed out 24 assists in the 3–0 win at Nevada and a season-high 46 assists in the five-set win at Air Force.

COACH JNG NEARING 100 WINS
Coach Jon Newman-Gonchar is just three wins away from his 100th career victory as UNM’s head coach. Currently in his seventh season at the helm, Newman-Gonchar holds a 97-92 record at UNM (.508) with a 50-70 (.411) mark in Mountain West matches.

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.