New Mexico VB Looks to Continue Hot Streak vs. UTEP This Week

New Mexico VB Looks to Continue Hot Streak vs. UTEP This WeekNew Mexico VB Looks to Continue Hot Streak vs. UTEP This Week

New Mexico Volleyball splits this week’s Mountain West action between the road and home when the Lobos (6-10, 4-2 MW) square off with UTEP (11-7, 3-3 MW) Thursday in El Paso and Saturday in Albuquerque.
After a stunning turnaround in the last two weeks that has seen them win four in a row, the Lobos now sit tied for second in the Mountain West standings at 4-2 in conference play. They’ll look to keep things rolling when they take on UTEP for the first time as Mountain West opponent this week.

Both matchups with the Miners will be available to stream via MW+, with live stats for both matches available via GoLobos.com/VBStats. Follow @UNMLoboVB on IG, X and Facebook for match updates and coverage, promotional information, behind-the-scenes content and more.

New Mexico (6-10, 4-2 MW)
UTEP (11-7, 3-3 MW)

Brian Hosfeld Media Availability (10/12)

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Mountain West VB Standings (10/13)
School Conf CPct. Overall Pct. Streak
Hawai‘i 6-0 1.000 14-3 .824 W6
UC Davis 4-2 .667 8-9 .471 L2
New Mexico 4-2 .667 6-10 .375 W4
UTEP 3-3 .500 11-7 .611 L2
Wyoming 3-3 .500 10-7 .588 W3
Nevada 3-3 .500 5-11 .312 W2
Grand Canyon 2-4 .333 8-9 .471 W1
Air Force 2-4 .333 6-11 .353 L4
UNLV 2-4 .333 6-11 .353 L1
San José State 1-5 .167 6-11 .353 L3

ALL-TIME SERIES
New Mexico holds a 36-8 advantage in its all-time series with UTEP as the programs prepare to meet for the first time as Mountain West opponents. After dropping six of the first seven meetings between 1975-1979, the Lobos have won 36 of the last 38 matchups, including 24 consecutive victories from 1980–97. Since 1980, UNM is unbeaten against the Miners at home (17-0) and at neutral sites (5-0), while posting a 13-2 record in El Paso.

The Lobos enter the matchup riding an eight-match winning streak in the series, with UTEP’s last victory coming Sept. 14, 2002, in El Paso. This will be the teams’ first meeting since Sept. 1, 2022, when UNM earned a five-set road win. Three of the Lobos’ last five victories over the Miners have come in straight sets, with the other two decided in five.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE TWO WEEKS MAKES
UNM has flipped a seven-match losing streak into four consecutive wins, sweeping two-match series against Nevada and UC Davis over the last two weeks. The Lobos have won 12 of 16 sets during the turnaround after taking just one of 22 sets during the skid, including a pair of road victories over a UC Davis team that entered last weekend unbeaten in Mountain West play.

UNM’s hitting percentage has climbed from .129 during the losing streak to .287 over the last four matches, with kills increasing from 9.95 to 13.50 per set and assists rising from 9.45 to 12.63. Defensively, UNM has held opponents to .163 hitting during the winning streak, down from .268, while reducing opponents’ kills from 14.86 to 11.38 per set. The Lobos have outdug opponents 15.13–11.94 per set during the four wins after being outdug 16.64–13.14 during the skid.

Mina Stanojevic has led the offensive surge, increasing her production from 2.36 to 3.38 kills per set while improving her hitting percentage from .121 to .239. Uliana Yastrub has emerged as another key option, averaging 2.44 kills per set on .292 hitting after recording 1.14 kills per set with a negative -.094 percentage during the losing streak. Addison France has raised her hitting percentage from .128 to .275 while increasing both her kills (2.38 to 2.69) and digs (1.95 to 2.69) per set. Reagan Miller’s efficiency has improved from .270 to .388, while Madeleine Miller’s assists have climbed from 7.82 to 10.44 per set.

CAMILA CANEDO NAMED MW DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Camila Canedo has been named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week after helping the Lobos sweep a two-match road series at UC Davis, the conference announced Monday.
It is the second MW Defensive Player of the Week honor of Canedo’s career and her first this season. She previously earned the award on Oct. 20, 2025.

Canedo totaled a conference-leading 45 digs across nine sets, tying for the league lead with 5.00 digs per set as UNM secured its second consecutive 2-0 weekend. The Aggies entered the series unbeaten in conference play at 4-0 before the Lobos handed them losses in five sets Thursday and four sets Saturday.

In Thursday’s victory, Canedo recorded 27 digs — the highest single-match total in the Mountain West during the week and most of any UNM player this season — while adding five assists and an ace. Her effort helped UNM rally from a 2-1 deficit to secure its first road win of the season.

She followed with 18 digs, four assists and two aces Saturday as the Lobos completed the sweep and extended their winning streak to four matches.
With Canedo anchoring the back row, New Mexico held UC Davis to a combined .170 hitting percentage, the second-lowest opponent hitting percentage among Mountain West teams during the week. The Lobos outdug the Aggies 145-126, limiting them to .177 hitting Thursday and .159 Saturday.

Canedo also handled a team-high 81 serve receptions with a .951 reception percentage, finishing the weekend with nine assists and a team-leading three aces.

LAST WEEKEND RECAP
The Lobos picked up their first two road wins of the season at UC Davis last week, rallying for a five-set victory Thursday (22–25, 25–21, 20–25, 25–22, 16–14) before taking Saturday’s rematch in four (20–25, 25–15, 25–13, 25–16). UNM extended its winning streak to four matches after snapping a seven-match skid, handing an Aggies squad that entered the weekend unbeaten in Mountain West play its first two conference losses.

UNM erased a 2–1 deficit Thursday to secure its first road victory, led by Stanojevic’s 19 kills and 18 digs. France added a double-double with 13 kills and 22 digs, while Yastrub contributed 16 kills. Madeleine Miller distributed 50 assists, and Canedo anchored the defense with 27 digs as the Lobos finished with an 86–74 advantage in digs.

After dropping Saturday’s opening set, the Lobos controlled the next three, holding UC Davis to 15, 13 and 16 points. UNM hit .293 with just 12 attack errors, closing the match with 14 kills on .481 hitting in the fourth. Stanojevic again led the offense with 14 kills, while Reagan Miller added nine on .375 hitting, Leonard supplied eight on .353 hitting and Yastrub finished with seven on a .400 clip. Canedo collected 18 digs, Madeleine Miller posted 35 assists and France led the blocking effort with five total blocks.

Stanojevic totaled 33 kills (3.67 per set), 26 digs and 36.5 points across the two wins. Canedo averaged 5.00 digs per set with 45 total and added a team-high three aces, while Madeleine Miller finished with 85 assists (9.44 per set). Yastrub contributed 23 kills on .296 hitting, and France totaled 18 kills, 32 digs and seven blocks, matching Reagan Miller for the team lead in blocks. The Lobos outhit the Aggies .238–.170 for the weekend and held a 145–126 advantage in digs.

2026 NOTES

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

2,544 fans were in attendance for UNM’s 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 four regular-season matches at home,  the Lobos are averaging 1,498 fans per match – on pace for one of the Top 10 highest single-season averages in program history and highest since 2011. UNM’s total attendance through those six matches (8,990) has already surpassed the entire 2025 season at the Johnson Center (8,711).

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 35-42 at University Arena / The Pit all-time, with a 9-3 record there since 2020. The Lobos improved to 3-1 at home this season with a pair of wins last weekend.

REAGAN HEATING UP
Reagan Miller has emerged as a focal point of the Lobos’ offense, averaging 2.63 kills per set with 134 kills in 51 sets across 14 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 six more times, matching her career high with 15 kills on .650 hitting against New Mexico State on Sept. 7.

Miller contributed 14 kills and seven blocks across the Lobos’ two road wins over UC Davis, including nine kills on .375 hitting with three blocks in Saturday’s four-set victory. That followed a .563 hitting performance across two wins over Nevada, when she totaled 20 kills with just two errors on 32 swings.

Miller has 138 kills in 54 sets this season, surpassing her 122 kills from last season. Her 2.56 kills per set is up from 1.36 a year ago, and she ranks fourth in the Mountain West in hitting percentage (.352). She also leads UNM with 40 total blocks, including 15 solo stops, and averages 3.06 points per set. 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 2,532 career assists, needing 103 more to pass Sarah Kwasigroch (2,634, 2005–08) for No. 9. Miller has 527 assists in 59 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 totaled 85 assists across the Lobos’ two road wins over UC Davis, averaging 9.44 per set. She distributed a season-high 50 assists in Thursday’s five-set victory — her sixth match with at least 40 this season — before adding 35 in Saturday’s four-set win. She also contributed 15 digs and eight kills on .333 hitting across the two matches.

Miller leads active Mountain West players in career assists and ranks fourth in career assists per set (7.36). This season, she ranks third in the conference at 8.93 assists per set and leads UNM with 17 service aces, averaging 0.29 per set. She has also recorded two double-doubles and totaled 102 digs.

With 468 more assists, Miller would become the eighth player in program history to reach 3,000. Reaching that milestone this season would require 995 assists, 11 more than her career-best season total.

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 16 matches in 2026, Canedo leads the Lobos with 232 digs and ranks third in the Mountain West at 3.93 digs per set. She has reached double figures in digs 12 times, including four matches with at least 20: a season-high 27 at UC Davis on Oct. 8, 21 against Northern Colorado on Sept. 4 and 20 each against Baylor on Sept. 12 and at Hawai‘i on Sept. 25.

Canedo totaled 45 digs across the two wins over UC Davis, averaging 5.00 per set while helping hold the Aggies to .170 hitting for the weekend. She followed Thursday’s 27-dig performance with 18 in Saturday’s victory and added nine assists and a team-high three service aces across the two matches.

Canedo has 51 assists this season and ranks second on the team with 16 service aces, averaging 0.27 per set. She has accumulated 717 digs in her two seasons at UNM.

A LOOK AT THE REMAINING SCHEDULE
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.