Lobos Return Home to Host Nevada in MW Action

ALL-TIME SERIES
New Mexico has won 21 of its 24 meetings with Nevada since the series began in 2012. The Lobos won the first nine matchups and have taken 12 of 13 since Nevada’s two wins in 2017. UNM swept both meetings in 2025, winning 3–0 at home on Oct. 30 and on the road Nov. 13.

REAGAN HEATING UP
Reagan Miller has emerged as a focal point of the Lobos’ offense, averaging 2.86 kills per set with 100 kills in 35 sets across 10 matches beginning with her breakthrough against Northern Colorado on Sept. 4. Miller delivered a career-high 15 kills without an error on 22 swings (.682) in that win and has reached double figures five more times, matching her career high with 15 kills on .650 hitting against New Mexico State on Sept. 7.

Miller has 104 kills in 38 sets this season, averaging 2.74 per set — more than double her 1.36 mark from last season. Her .341 hitting percentage ranks sixth in the Mountain West, while she ranks 10th in kills per set and ninth in points per set (3.28). She set career highs with 31 attacks and five solo blocks against Fresno State on Sept. 18, finishing with 13 kills and six total blocks.

MADS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF HISTORY
Madeleine Miller ranks No. 10 in UNM history with 2,364 career assists, 270 away from passing Sarah Kwasigroch (2,634, 2005–08) for No. 9. Miller has 359 assists in 43 sets this season after producing a career-high 984 last year and 854 as a sophomore. She ranked among the Mountain West’s top 10 in assists per set in each of those seasons.
Miller leads active Mountain West players in career assists and ranks fourth in career assists per set (7.21). This season, she ranks fourth in the conference at 8.35 assists per set.

Should she take another step forward and finish the 2026 season with at least 995 assists, she’ll become one of just seven players in program history with 3,000 career assists.

MILA DIGGIN’ IT
After recording 485 digs in her first season — the seventh-most in a single season in UNM history — Brazilian fifth-year libero Camila Canedo continues to anchor the Lobos’ back row. An All-Mountain West honorable mention selection in 2025, she added 23 aces and 109 assists while leading the conference in total digs and digs per set (4.33).

Through 12 matches in 2026, Canedo leads the Lobos with 168 digs and ranks third in the Mountain West at 3.91 digs per set. She has reached double figures in digs nine times, including three matches with at least 20: a season-high 21 against Northern Colorado on Sept. 4 and 20 each against Baylor on Sept. 12 and at Hawai‘i on Sept. 25. Canedo shares the team lead with Madeleine Miller at 13 service aces, averaging 0.30 per set.

MOUNTAIN WEST STANDINGS UPDATE

 

RIVALRY MATCH POSTPONED
Monday's originally scheduled volleyball match between New Mexico and New Mexico State on Monday, Sept. 21 was postponed due to weather-related travel delays affecting the Aggies' program.

With the support of administration, the decision has been made to postpone the match to a later date. NM State Head Coach Mike Jordan and New Mexico Head Coach Brian Hosfeld will work in conjunction to determine a future date that will work with both programs’ schedules.

UNM won the first of two rivalry matches this season with the Aggies 3-1 at home on Sept. 7. The Lobos have won four of the last five meetings between the two teams.

LAST WEEKEND RECAP
New Mexico opened Mountain West play with two straight-set losses at Hawai‘i, falling 17-25, 13-25, 21-25 on Sept. 25 and 20-25, 18-25, 18-25 on Sept. 26. The Lobos went 0-2 in the series and 0-2 in conference play.

Across the six sets, UNM hit .116 with 56 kills, compared with Hawai‘i’s .237 and 89 kills. Hawai‘i also led in aces (16-6), digs (112-100) and blocks (17-10). New Mexico improved its kill total from 27 in the opener to 29 in the second match and nearly matched Hawai‘i in digs Saturday, 53-54.

Mina Stanojevic led UNM with 19 kills and three aces over the series. She had a team-high 12 kills on .276 hitting Saturday, along with 10 digs for a double-double. Reagan Miller recorded 13 kills on .257 hitting across the two matches, including 10 kills and three blocks Friday. Camila Canedo totaled a team-high 34 digs, with 20 in the opener and 14 in the rematch, while Madeleine Miller supplied 44 assists.

ENERGY BUILDING AT THE PIT - POWERED BY NUSENDA
The 2026 season marks the first time the Lobos play at The Pit full-time since 1999. This fall, The Pit celebrates its 60th anniversary, with its first game played on Dec. 1, 1966.

2,544 fans were in attendance for UNM's last home match vs. NMSU -- their highest-attended home match since 2016, when 4,473 fans were there for a matchup with Nebraska. Through the first two exhibitions and two matches at home,  the Lobos are averaging 1,507 fans per match – on pace for one of the Top 10 highest single-season averages in program history and highest since 2011.

AN ICONIC RETURN
In 1996-1999, UNM averaged 1,026 attendance at home volleyball matches at The Pit. All four of the most-attended UNM Volleyball matches in program history took place at The Pit:

Opponent	Attendance	Date
1. Colorado State	7,008	10/31/92
2. Utah	6,152	10/20/90
3. TCU	5,114	10/5/96
4. Nebraska	4,473	9/10/16

The building ushered in a new era on February 26, 2026, when The University of New Mexico, UNM Sports Properties, and Nusenda Credit Union announced an historic 10-year partnership that provides an average annual value of $1.74 million in support of UNM Athletics. As part of the agreement, University Arena – The Pit officially was renamed The Pit - Powered by Nusenda, preserving the iconic identity of one of college basketball’s most storied venues while recognizing Nusenda’s longstanding investment in the University and the state. 

This fall, The Pit celebrates its 60th anniversary, with its first game played on Dec. 1, 1966. UNM is 30-42 at University Arena / The Pit all-time, with a 7-3 record there since 2020.

Two weeks until we begin 𝘼 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙀𝙧𝙖 for Lobo Volleyball 🤩#GoLobos pic.twitter.com/O6xDNOCXsj

— New Mexico Volleyball (@UNMLoboVB) August 7, 2026

A LOOK AT THE REMAINING SCHEDULE
With a new-look league and a new format for conference matchups, this year’s schedule promises to be a significant departure from previous slates.

All in all, UNM is set to play four power-conference opponents in the nonconference leading into Mountain West play, where the Lobos will face the same league opponent twice each week for the first time since 2020.

UNM opens its conference home schedule against Nevada on Oct. 2 and 4, followed by road matches at UC Davis on Oct. 8 and 10. The Lobos then split a week with travel partner UTEP, playing in El Paso on Oct. 15 before hosting the Miners on Oct. 17.

New Mexico will host four straight matches from Oct. 23-31, welcoming San Jose State for Alumni Weekend on Oct. 23 and 25 before hosting Grand Canyon on Oct. 29 and 31. The Lobos then head on the road for back-to-back series at Air Force on Nov. 5 and 7 and UNLV on Nov. 12 and 14.

The regular season closes at home against Wyoming on Nov. 18 and 19, with the finale serving as Senior Day.

HOSFELD AT THE HELM
In his first head coaching job since he transformed Baylor into an NCAA Tournament team from 1996-2004, Brian Hosfeld brings more than three decades of success across the collegiate, international and club levels to the Land of Enchantment. Most recently, he helped Wichita State compile an 81-46 record over four seasons as the Shockers’ associate head coach, highlighted by an AAC Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024. Hosfeld previously became Baylor’s winningest head coach with 129 victories, leading the Bears to their first two NCAA Tournament appearances in program history. His championship pedigree also includes a 1993 national title as an assistant at Long Beach State and three consecutive Big 12 championships as an assistant at Texas (2004-10). The Longhorns reached three straight NCAA Final Fours with Hosfeld on staff, including the 2009 national championship match, while posting a 186-33 record in that span. He also touts extensive USA Volleyball experience, including a silver medal at the World University Games.

MEET THE STAFF
Hosfeld has no shortage of experience on his first staff at UNM, with over 80 years of coaching and playing experience between Associate Head Coaches Jeremiah “Jeri” Estes and Patrick Sullivan and Assistant Coach Katie Keiper.

ESTES: Jeremiah Estes brings an extensive international background to Albuquerque after coaching championship programs across Europe, Asia and the United States. His career includes national titles in Switzerland, European Champions League success in Russia and an NCAA championship at Long Beach State, along with experience working with both the U.S. and Russian national teams. Estes has coached more than 40 Olympians and most recently helped Southern reach its first conference championship match in more than 25 years. 

SULLIVAN: Patrick Sullivan brings experience from coaching stops at Bradley, Northern Iowa, Long Beach State and Golden West College, contributing in recruiting, scouting, player development and program operations. At Bradley, he helped the Braves’ middle blockers make notable gains in offensive efficiency and blocking production within the Missouri Valley Conference, while his time at Golden West included a state championship as co-head coach. Sullivan also founded and directed Stealth Volleyball, where he developed and placed athletes across multiple NCAA levels, and has worked as a recruiting coordinator and private trainer. 

KEIPER: Katie Keiper joins the Lobos after building more than 15 years of experience as a player and coach across the high school, club, collegiate and international levels. Most recently, she coached U17 and U18 teams with Great Plains Volleyball Club and led Eisenhower High School, earning Oklahoma Coaches Association Region 4 Coach of the Year honors in 2024. Her previous coaching stops include T3 VBC, 208 VBC, Gonzaga Preparatory School and College Prep Academy Volleyball Club. Keiper also brings an international edge after competing with the Lakenheath U.S. Air Force Women’s Team in England, coaching the All-Air Force European Women’s Team to gold and playing professionally on the UK Pro Beach Tour and with VLA Team Sakura. 

INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION
UNM’s 16-player roster features seven different nationalities, with players hailing from the United States, Brazil, China, Finland, Norway, Serbia and Ukraine. Four of the Lobos’ seven newcomers hail from outside the U.S.

Additionally, first-year outside Aylin Ravell (Bedford, Texas) was born in Mexico and competes for Mexico internationally.

NEW FACES IN THE MW
After Grand Canyon joined the Mountain West for volleyball last season, three new teams join the league in 2026 – UTEP, Hawai’i and UC Davis. 

UNM is 35-8 against UTEP all-time but haven’t faced the Miners since 2022, when they won in five sets. The Lobos have won eight in a row over UTEP, which will be their travel partner this season.

The Lobos are 1-0 against UC Davis, with a three-set neutral-site sweep of the Aggies in 2005 as the lone meeting between the two teams.

They’re 0-11 against Hawai’i in a series that dates back to 1982, last meeting over a decade ago in 2014 when they fell 3-1 in Honolulu. The two schools were both members of the WAC (now known as the UAC) at the same time from 1979-1999.