UNM to take on UNC Asheville, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Kennesaw State and Savannah State
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Lobo Volleyball (3-1, 0-0 MW) - Tiger Invitational (hosted by Savannah State - Savannah, Ga.
Friday, Aug. 31: Lobos vs. UNC Asheville (0-4), 9 a.m. MT; Lobos vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore (3-0), 5 p.m. MT
Saturday, Sept. 31: Lobos vs. Kennesaw State (3-0),11 a.m. MT.; Lobos at Savannah State (0-3), 5 p.m. MT.
GoLobos.com: Box Scores and match recaps
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - The University of New Mexico volleyball team travels to Savannah State to take part in the Tiger Invitational, Aug. 31-Sept. 1.
The Lobos (3-1) will face tough competition while on the east coast, particularly Maryland-Eastern Shore, a 2011 NCAA tournament participant who returns five of its top scorers, including three all-conference players from last season and the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year in Saitaua Iosia. Iosia was picked as the MEAC 2012 Preseason Player of the Year and was named Sports Imports Division I National Player of the Week by American Volleyball Coaches Association on Aug. 28 for her play last weekend in the St. Francis Terrier Invite.
"We'll play four matches while out on the east coast," head coach Jeff Nelson said. "Maryland-Eastern Shore will be a bit of a test of where we're at and what we've got. We'll be tested in terms of a high-quality player (in Iosia) that we'll have to handle, and in terms of a team that is experienced and competitive."
Nelson saw some great things from his Lobos last weekend in the Sheraton Airport/LA Boxing Lobo Classic.
"Alijah Gunsaulus played really well for us," he said. "She was steady and consistent. Another new face, Hannah Johnson, a redshirt freshman, had a really good weekend setting for us. Lena Skipper (junior transfer) also started last weekend and what we saw from her in the back row was exactly what we needed. She was really tough and was our best passer all weekend.
"Overall, the newcomers did a great job and the players that needed to step up, particularly Chantale Riddle, did, and then the rest of the group followed that lead."
Last time out
The Lobos won their season-opening tournament, the Sheraton Airport/LA Boxing Lobo Classic, finishing the weekend with a 3-1 record -With it's 3-0 win over Southern University on Aug. 24, UNM improved to 6-0 in season-opening matches since the arrival of Jeff Nelson in 2007, and 20-12 since 1980 -The Lobos lost to Duquesne, 2-3, on Aug. 24 -On Aug. 25, UNM defeated Southern, 3-0, and beat Duquesne, 3-1.
On UNC Asheville, 0-4 (Ashveville, N.C. - Big South Conference) - First Meeting
-The Bulldogs finished 15-14 (7-7, fourth in Big South) in 2011 -UNC Asheville returns eight letterwinners players from last year's squad, including five starters -The Bulldogs were picked to finish fourth in the Big South and are 0-4 after opening with the Gamecock Invitational hosted by South Carolina, dropping matches to East Tennessee State (2-3), Akron (1-3), Temple (0-3) and South Carolina (0-3) -Senior MB Holly Shelton leads the Bulldogs at the net, averaging 2.93 kills/set and connecting with .229 accuracy -Freshman MB Christine Lakatos adds 2.13 kills/set and RS junior Anna Moore is averaging 1 block/set -Freshman Katie Davis handles setting duties, averaging 7.53/game
On Maryland-Eastern Shore, 3-0 (Princess Anne, Md. - Mid-Eastern Atheltic Conference) - First Meeting
-The Hawks are coming off their most successful season in career history, finishing 24-7 overall and 12-0 in the MEAC to earn a trip to the 2011 NCAA Tournament -UMES returns its five top scorers, including three all-conference players from last season -The Hawks won the St. Francis (NY) Terrier Invite last weekend with victories over NJIT (3-1), St. Francis (3-1) and Radford (3-1) -The team is led by 2011 MEAC Rookie of the Year/2012 MEAC Preseason Player of the Year OH/RS Saitaua Iosia who is averaging 5.33 kills/set -The sophomore outside hitter was named National Player of the Week by AVCA for her play last weekend, earning a double double in all three matches, leading off with 21 kills and 14 digs on Friday against NJIT -The next day, she followed up with 19 kills and 16 digs against St. Francis, and ended Saturday hitting .408 against Radford, tallying 24 kills and 17 digs -In total, Iosia hit .359 over the weekend with 64 kills and 47 digs and seven blocks
On Kennesaw State, 3-0 (Kennesaw, Ga. - Atlantic Sun Conference) - First Meeting
-The Owls finished 13-16 (8-5, fourth in A-Sun) in 2011 -KSU returns nine letterwinners from last year's squad, including fours starters -The Owls are 3-0, having picked up wins against Louisiana-Monroe (3-1), Jackson State (3-1) and Miss. State (3-2) -Junior setter Sarah Metroka averages 10.54 assits/set while RS senior OH Turea Jones leads the Owls with 3.77 kills/set
On Savannah State, 0-3 (Savannah, Ga. - Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) - First Meeting
-The Tigers finished 0-27 (0-9, MEAC) in 2011 - Savannah State returns 10 letterwinners
LOBO QUICK HITS
-New Mexico won the Sheraton Airport/LA Boxing Lobo Classic in its opening weekend, defeating Southern ce by 3-0 marks and splitting with Duquesne, 2-3 on Friday night and topping the Dukes, 3-1, on Saturday night -RS sophomore RS Chantale Riddle leads the Lobos with 4.31 kills/set, hitting with a .320 clip -Senior S Jordan Russell and RS freshman S Hannah Johnson split setting duties and after four matches, Russell is averaging 4.33 assits/set while Johnson averages 6.20 -The Lobos are outhitting opponents, 13 kills/set to 8.6 kills/set and are hitting with better accuracy than opponents, .284 to .094
Double-Double time
-Senior setter Jordan Russell recorded her first career double-double -- 24 assists and 11 digs -- on Aug. 24 in the Lobos' 2-3 loss to Duquesne -Russell doubled her double-double total the following night in UNM's 3-1 victory over Duquesne, tallying 26 set assists and 12 digs -Chantale Riddle also recorded a double-double on the weekend with 20 kills and 13 digs in UNM's 2-3 loss to Duquesne on Aug. 24
Nelson Nears a Milestone
-With a 3-1 weekend in the Sheraton Airport/LA Boxing Lobo Classic (Aug. 24-25), head coach Jeff Nelson's record at New Mexico improves to 95-56, just five shy of his 100th Lobo victory -Nelson's all-time record is 338-201 -His 100th career win came on Sept. 12, 1999 when he was coach at Texas Tech when the Red Raiders defeated his alma mater Ball State, 3-1, in the Nanook Classic in Fairbanks Alaska -Career win No. 200 was recorded while he was with San Francisco, when the Dons defeated Portland, 3-0, on Nov. 6, 2004 -His 300th career win came on Nov. 27, 2009 when the Lobos topped New Orleans, 3-1
Feel that freshmen impact
-A few of New Mexico's freshmen are seeing plenty of court time and are making an impact for the Lobos -Redshirt freshman Hannah Johnson played in every set in the Lobos' opening weekend, recording 92 set assists for an average of 6.20 per game -Johnson also had two kills, two aces and seven total blocks -True freshman Alijah Gunsaulus saw action in every match last weekend and started three matches, posting double-digit kills in New Mexico's 3-1 win over Duquesne on Aug. 25, connecting on 11 of 25 attempts -Gunsaulus also had 12 digs in the Lobos' 2-3 loss to Duquesne on Aug. 24 -Skye Gullatt, another true freshman, played in both of the Lobos' matches against Southern and recorded 12 kills and hit with .647 accuracy (12k - 1e - 17ta) -Gullatt finished the weekend with 13 kills on 21 attempts (.476)
Career weekend for several Lobos
-All six of the Lobos' returners from last season recorded and/or tied personal bests in UNM's opening weekend -Riddle recorded a career-high 20 kills on Aug. 24 in the Lobos' 2-3 loss against Duquesne and then topped that performance for a new career high of 22 in the Lobos' 3-1 win over Duquesne on Aug. 25 -Riddle also topped her career-high for points in a match, recording 22 on Aug. 24 against Duquesne followed by a 26-point performance on Aug. 25 against Duquesne -Russell set new career highs for set assists and digs, tallying 26 assists and 12 digs against Duquesne on Aug. 25 -Lexi Ross had a career-high 13 kills in the Lobos' 2-3 loss against Duquesne on Aug. 24 and tied her career high for total blocks in UNM's 3-1 victory over Duquesne on Aug. 25, recording five -Elsa Krieg recorded seven block assists, which translated to seven total blocks and two new personal bests in the Lobos' 2-3 loss to Duquesne on Aug. 25 -Ashley Newman tied her career high for kills with 13 in New Mexico's 3-0 sweep of Southern on Aug. 25 -Junior Miquella Lovato recorded a new career high for digs, tallying 26 in New Mexico's 2-3 loss to Duquesne on Aug. 24 -Lovato also recorded a kill in New Mexico's 3-1 victory over Duquesne on Aug. 25
ProView Networks to Broadcast Lobo Home Matches
-ProView Networks will be streaming Lobo home matches live online and showing matches on tape delay on local channel 27 -Free live streaming can be viewed at www.ProViewNetworks.com -Monday and Tuesday evenings are tentatively reserved on Ch. 27 for tape delay matches
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO ATHLETIC RELATIONS
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