2026 PREVIEW
With nine returners from last season, the Lobos look to get back to the MW Tournament for the first time since 2023 in a new-look conference that welcomes UTEP, Hawai’i and UC Davis. They’ll also face a challenging nonconference slate that features four power-conference teams – their first time playing multiple power-conference foes since 2019.
Among those returners, eight started multiple matches last season:
- The Lobos are locked in at the libero spot with 2025 All-MW Honorable Mention selection Camila Canedo, who picked up the seventh-most digs in a single season in program history last year (485) while serving up 23 aces and dishing 109 assists.
- Setter Madeleine Miller also returns for her fourth season in ABQ – the Iowa native has dished out over 2,005 assists in her first three seasons (7.04/set), the last two as the primary six-rotation starting setter.
- Addison France, UNM’s team leader in kills (282) and points (319.5) and a two-time MW Freshman of the Week in 2025 returns and will move to playing as an opposite after spending some time at setter in her first collegiate season.
- Third-year middle blockers Reagan Miller (122 kills, 87 total blocks, .315 hitting) and Zoe Leonard (147 kills, 91 total blocks) both look to hold things down at the net after taking significant steps forward in their first seasons as everyday starters in 2025.
- Seenane Brewer (117 kills, 116 digs, 11 aces) and Uliana Yastrub (62 kills, 67 digs, 15 aces) are poised for bigger roles on the outside after getting more opportunities in their sophomore seasons.
- Norwegian middle Liepa Lavickyte (85 career kills, 125 career blocks) returns from an injury-shortened 2025 season after posting one of the most prolific blocking seasons in program history in 2024.
UNM also welcomes seven newcomers to round out the roster, with six of them playing their first collegiate seasons:
- Middle Blocker Campbell Hollister (Gilbert, Ariz.)
-DS/L Ella Joesting (Prior Lake, Minn.)
-Outside Aylin Ravell (Bedford, Texas)
-Outside Viena Moliis (Helsinki, Finland)
-Setter Angela Zhang (Beijing, China)
-Opposite Adriana Kostadinovic (Lajkovac, Serbia)
-Outside Mina Stanojevic (Mitrovica, Serbia)
A LOOK AT THE 2026 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.
After this weekend's matches, UNM returns home to face in-state rival New Mexico State on Monday (Sept. 7) before traveling to Lincoln, Neb., for one of the toughest stretches of its nonconference schedule. The Lobos will face Nebraska on Thursday, Sept. 10 before taking on Georgia Tech on Friday, Sept. 11 and Baylor on Saturday, Sept. 12 as part of the Nebraska Tournament.
New Mexico closes nonconference play in California, facing Saint Mary’s on Thursday, Sept. 17 before taking on Fresno State on Friday, Sept. 18 in Moraga.
The Lobos’ Mountain West slate begins the following week with back-to-back road matches at Hawaii on Sept. 25 and 26 — the first meetings between the programs as Mountain West opponents. Under the league’s new format, teams will play the same conference opponent twice in the same week throughout the season.
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 0-9 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.
