LAS CRUCES – The dominance over their I-10 rival continued as the Aggies swept UTEP 25-15, 25-23, 25-13 at the Pan American Center, Sept. 3. NM State is now 4-1 on the season while UTEP fell to 4-2.

The Aggies continued a streak of twelve straight victories on Friday night after beating the Miners. The Aggies swept right through the Miners, which has been a common theme. Nine of those 12-straight wins have been sweeps. Twice the Aggies have won by 3-1 scores and last year UTEP pushed NMSU to five sets.

“We love that,” NM State head coach Mike Jordan said. “We love it for our fans, we love it for the university and the city of Las Cruces. It is a big deal. We don’t take it for granted. At the same time, we’re going out and we have one intention and that’s to win.”

And win they do, particularly against the Miners. NM State has now been victorious in 16 of its last 17 matches against UTEP in one of the rivalry’s sports series that remains one-sided.

The Aggies received a strong performance from the senior outstide hitter Kayliegh Giddens, who hammered home 17 kills on the evening and was a physical presence around the net throughout. She also had eight digs, a number that brought a smile to Jordan’s face.

“The great thing about Kayleigh is she’s in really good shape where as last year she wasn’t,” Jordan said. “She can play hard defensively as well as offensively. She’s just our go-to player, not just in the front row but in the back row”

Setter Jennah DeVries had 38 assists and nine digs while freshman Rocio Gutierrez had 10 digs as well.  Junior middle hitter Kelsey Brennan added eight kills while senior Whitney Woods had seven of her own.

“They always play hard against us,” NMSU middle hitter Kelsey Brennan said. “We always come out and bring it right back at them. I think consistently we’re more of a physical team which in the end gives us an advantage.”

Friday’s match saw UTEP battle – here and there. Set No. 2 wasn’t easy for the Aggies, with the Miners taking a 9-7 lead early and tying the score, 23-23, late. Consecutive kills by Aggie freshman Desiree Scott – she had seven on the evening – put an end to any Aggie concerns.

NM State came out in the third frame and quickly put things away, going up 9-4, 14-6 and coasting from there.

“We put sophomore outside hitter Stephanie Ziegler in the lineup; she came in, blocked a couple balls for us, took a big swing, gave us a lift,” Jordan said of his team’s third-set push. “I thought that was great. And we served it a little bit better.”

The two teams will meet again Tuesday night, Sept. 14 with first serve at 7p.m. in El Paso, Texas.

“It’s a rivalry, so it matters,” Brennan said. “You don’t want to be that team that loses that streak. It’s an expectation. We always know they’re going to put up a fight and we always have to bring our A-game.”

Lobo Volleyball Loses To No. 10 USC, 3-0
Meeter leads UNM with 12 kills

HONOLULU, Hawaii — The University of New Mexico volleyball team lost to No. 10 USC, 3-0 in the second round of the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Senior Lisa Meeter led the Lobos in kills, for the second night in a row, with 12.  New Mexico drops to 2-3 on the season, while the Trojans improve to 4-0.

The Lobos started the first set with a 6-2 lead behind kills from Kelly Williamson and Ashley Rhoades along with a few USC errors.  The Trojans went on a 6-0 run to take the lead 8-6 and never relinquished the lead, winning the set 25-19.

In the second set, UNM took its biggest lead at 9-6 until USC tied the set at 9-9.  The teams swapped points before USC took the lead for good at 13-12.  The Lobos stayed within one through 17-16, then a 4-0 USC run put the lead at 21-16.  At set point, 24-17, Taylor Hadfield and Meeter put down kills to hold off the Trojans.  But a Lobo service error gave USC the win, 25-19.

USC took the lead at 2-1 in the third set and held off the Lobos by building five-point leads at 8-3 and 10-5.  UNM closed to within one at 13-12 but could not get over the hump.  The Trojans won the set, 25-20.

In addition to Meeter’s 12 kills, Rhoades reached double digits with 10 kills.  Meeter recorded a double-double with 12 digs in the match.

The Lobos face their hosts, the No. 4-ranked Rainbow Wahine of Hawaii, on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 11 p.m. (MT). The match is available on the internet through pay-per-view on uhstreaming.oceanic.com.

I missed the pool play of the Sweet 16 tournament this morning, but caught up with the teams as the brackets began. I caught El Paso defeat Roswell, Mayfield beat Ruidoso, Artesia over Carlsbad in four sets, and Gadsden beat Las Cruces in four sets. All in all, a great day for volleyball!

Sorry the “Daily Dig” hasn’t been so daily lately. The trip to Albuquerque for the MCM Eleganté Lobo Classic last week has put me behind. Hopefully, this won’t happen again!

Speaking of which…

I blogged about the tournament and included a bunch of photos. It’s an incredible environment up at UNM, and it was an amazing experience to attend. Thanks Lobos!

Aspen Narvaez - MVCS

Sweet Sixteen starts today

Another great tournament happening this weekend with the LCPS Sweet Sixteen. With the improving teams, I think this could be anyone’s tournament. 3-5A is in full force, and all the teams look good, including Alamogordo and Oñate. Keep an eye on Artesia as well.

Read about Sweet 16 in the Sun-News

Lady Wildcats win opener

A little late, but good coverage of the Tularosa squad’s win over Hot Springs. Thanks for the heads-up Doyle!

Aggies host UTEP tonight!

The Battle of I-10 commences tonight with the 3-1 Ags hosting the 4-1 Miners–should be an incredible game. Check out the story and quotes at the LC Sun-News site. For a UTEP perspective, check out the story in the El Paso Times

Montwood tops Bel Air

Story on Montwood’s win against Bel Air on Tuesday. Nice interviews with our friends Monica Corrujedo and Amber Massey. Nice win.

Read about Corrujedo leading the way on the El Paso Times website

Top 10 EP Teams

El Paso Times releases top ten volleyball teams for the week of September 1, 2010

1. Eastwood
2. Franklin
3. Riverside
4. Chapin
5. Americas
6. El Paso High
7. Montwood
8. Coronado
9. El Dorado
10. Andress

Daily Dig Player of the Day

“What’s with the pictures of random players on these articles?” you ask? I pick a NM or El Paso player to feature on the Daily Dig articles to recognize their hard work and commitment to the game; they deserve it.

Have a story you’d like to share? Send it my way, and I’ll include it in the Daily Dig.

Things are picking up in the volleyball world, with a couple of games tonight, and the hammer falling tomorrow with numerous tournaments opening up all over the place. These include the Margaret Hussmann Tournament of Champions, Rehoboth Tourney, Logan Tourney, Clovis Invitational, Belen Invitational, and the Springer Invite to name a few. What a great time of the year!

Franklin libero Clarrisa Gutierrez

Jammin’ the Johnson

Looks like there are already over 2,000 advance tickets sold for the big UNM/Stanford match on Sunday. If you’re still on the fence about going, you NEED to go. It will be an incredible event and a ton of fun. Support NM volleyball and the Lobos!

Journal features Lobo OH Williamson

If you subscribe to the Journal, make sure to check out the story they did on Kelly Williamson.

NMSU head coach pens a letter to the Aggie faithful

Mike Jordan wrote an open letter to the Aggie fans thanking them for their support and gives a state of the team update. Classy.

Read Coach Jordan’s letter in the Sun-News

Elkettes ready to defend title

The Pojoaque News runs down Ainsworth’s squad and assesses the talent.

Read about the Elkettes

Daily Dig Player of the Day

“What’s with the pictures of random players on these articles?” you ask? I pick a NM or El Paso player to feature on the Daily Dig articles to recognize their hard work and commitment to the game; they deserve it.

Have a story you’d like to share? Send it my way, and I’ll include it in the Daily Dig.

Alamogordo drops match; shows improvement

Coach Warren Thomas has had his work cut out for him–but the hard work is paying off after taking El Paso Irvin five sets (25-13, 21-25, 25-15, 20-25, 15-9) on Tuesday night.

Read about the Lady Tiger’s match in the Alamogordo Daily News.

Loretto Academy over Canutillo

New Loretto coach Justine Farmer-Ennis is pleased with her team’s performance over Canutillo.

Read about Loretto’s win in the El Paso Times

Bulldawgs drop to Chapin in four

The Bulldawgs fell to the seasoned Chapin Huskies in four (25-17, 25-17, 20-25, 25-20) on Tuesday night.

Read about the Las Cruces loss in the Sun-News

Americas pulls out win despite injuries

Americas beats Burges in spite of some injuries benching/partially benching some of its starters.

Read in the El Paso Times

UTEP’s student paper interviews senior Jarmoc

Apparently with the wrong picture. A good read anyway.

Read Jarmoc’s interview in the UTEP Prospector

Former local players transfer to University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES)

Former Las Cruces High setter Desirae Ceniceros and Americas setter Stephanie Sierra have transferred to UMES for the 2010 season. Ceniceros is a transplant from NM Military Institute and Sierra is a transfer from UTEP, after playing a season for the Miners.

Check out the press release from UMES

2010 Lobos Beat UNM Volleyball Alumni, 3-1
Regular season begins Friday, Aug. 27 vs. Pepperdine in the MCM Elegante Lobo Classic

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico volleyball team got a warm-up match in Saturday night against the Alumni team, beating the former Lobos, 3-1. Senior outside hitter Lisa Meeter led the 2010 Lobos with 16 kills, while former Lobo All-American Jeanne Fairchild led the alumni with 15.

New Mexico needed to see the power hitting of Fairchild, a professional player in Europe currently home between seasons, as they prepare to face three AVCA Coaches Poll Top 10 teams in the first six matches of the season.

The 2010 team took a 6-0 lead in the first set before Fairchild put down a kill for the Alums first point of the night.  Five current Lobos recorded 12 kills and three came up with four aces to win the first set, 25-12.

The Lobos hit .455 in the second set and Meeter remained errorless with five more kills to win, 25-15.  Head coach Jeff Nelson started working in some newcomers in the third set to see what this year’s crop could do on the court. The group struggled a bit, winning 25-21, but out-hit the Alums, .179 to .081.

The Alumni team redeemed themselves in the fourth set with a 25-22 win.

The 2010 regular season begins on Friday, Aug. 27 with the first round of the MCM Elegante Lobo Classic.  No. 4 Stanford will face Tulane at 4 p.m., followed by the Lobos against Pepperdine at 7:30 p.m.  After three matches on Saturday, the tournament will wrap up on Sunday with New Mexico vs. No. 4 Stanford at 2 p.m. at the Johnson Center. For ticket information, click the tickets button on GoLobos.com or call the Lobo Ticket Office at (505) 925-LOBO (5626).

Senior OH Schalicia Degase

Written by WNMU Media Relations

The University of Nebraska at Kearney is predicted to win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference East Division and regular season titles again this year according to the Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll. Western New Mexico is picked to finish second in the West Division but predicted to finish seventh overall.

The Lopers, who are the six-time defending RMAC regular season champions, are led by Preseason Setter of the Year Cola Svec (Elkhorn, NE) and Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Katlyn Heiserman (Manchester, IA).

Metro State is expected to finish second in the RMAC East Division and second overall. Roadrunners Junior Bri Morley (Parker, CO) is the Preseason Player of the Year. Colorado Mines fills the third spot in the East followed by UC-Colorado Springs, Regis, Chadron State, and Colorado Christian.

In the West, Mesa State takes the top spot with Adams State and Western State following Western New Mexico. Fort Lewis, CSU-Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands round out the division.

The Mustangs did not place anyone on the Preseason All-Conference Team.

The RMAC Volleyball Championships will be November 11-13. Three weeks prior to the championships, the top team in the league at that time with an acceptable bid will host the tournament. The top eight schools at the end of the regular season qualify for the RMAC Tournament.

For more information, including the preseason all-conference team and awards, go to:

http://www.rmacsports.org/sports/vball/2010/news/2010_rmac_vb_preseason_poll.pdf

Rocio Ramirez - Mayfield

Mayfield falls to Americas in three

The Trojans let their nerves get to them in this one, losing in three straight sets, 22-25, 17-25, 19-25. Callie Chamber lead Mayfield with 11 kills, and Allyson Lucht, improving each game, racked up nine kills.

Rocio Ramirez looked pretty solid at libero.

Up next for the Trojans: Franklin!

Coverage of the Mayfield-Americas game in the Las Cruces Sun-News

Coronado downs Chapin

Coronado’s Rose Diaz had a good night against Chapin with nine kills and 24 digs.

Read El Paso Times’ coverage about Coronado’s victory.

Chapin’s Dominguez commits

Speaking of Chapin, Felix Chavez of the El Paso Times has reported that Megan Dominguez has committed to Texas Tech. Congrats Megan!

Goddard volleyball looking to re-invent themselves

The Chaves County Sports Report posted an article on the Goddard squad and their push for a new identity. After a successful season in 2009, they’ve got a lot of work to do.

Visit CCSR.com for the full story.

Journal reports Lobos unhappy about ranking

The Journal is running a story about the UNM’s reaction to being picked fourth in the conference, and the fact Taylor Hadfield, an honorable mention All-American last year, was overlooked for the All-MWC team.

View the story on the Journal (subscription is required)

Scores from last night

Franklin over Las Cruces: 25-20, 25-22, 26-16
El Paso Hanks beats Oñate: 27-25, 25-22, 25-17

Daily Dig Player of the Day

“What’s with the pictures of random players on these articles?” you ask? I pick a NM or El Paso player to feature on the Daily Dig articles to recognize their hard work and commitment to the game; they deserve it.

Have a story you’d like to share? Send it my way, and I’ll include it in the Daily Dig.

Lobo Volleyball Picked 4th In MWC Preseason Poll; Receive Votes in AVCA National Poll
Senior captain Jade Michaelsen named to MWC Preseason Team

Jade Michaelsen

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico volleyball team has been picked fourth in the 2010 Mountain West Conference Preseason Volleyball Poll.  Senior team captain Jade Michaelsen was named to the MWC Preseason Team for the second season in a row.  Colorado State and MWC Preseason Player of the Year Danielle Minch were picked to win the league title in 2010.  The Rams earned 134 points and 15 of the 16 first-place votes.

UNM also received votes in the 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association National Preseason Poll released this afternoon.  The Lobos picked up 15 points.

UNM earned 96 points from the voting panel of coaches, SIDs and selected media, just eight points from second place.  Utah, in their final season in the MWC, was picked second with 104 points, followed by TCU in third with 99 points.  BYU was picked fifth with 85 points and one first-place vote while San Diego State was selected sixth.  Wyoming, UNLV and Air Force round out the poll in seventh, eighth and ninth.

Michaelsen, a two-time All-MWC setter, joins six others on the preseason team.  Michaelsen is closing in on the UNM all-time career assists record.  In three seasons as the Lobos’ starting setter, Michaelsen has accumulated 3,087 assists and needs 708 assists to pass up Janelle Torres (3,794; 1996-99).

The Lobos will host an Alumni match on Saturday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Johnson Center.  Lobo head coach Jeff Nelson will host a courtside season preview chat following the match between the alumni and the 2010 Lobos.  Regular season action begins on Friday, Aug. 27 against Pepperdine at 7:30 p.m. in the first round of the MCM Elegante Lobo Classic.  UNM will host Tulane on Aug. 28 at 2 p.m. in the second round and No. 4-ranked Stanford on Aug. 29 at 2 p.m. in the final match of the tournament.

2010 MWC Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll

2010 MWC Preseason Team

Preseason Player of the Year: Danielle Minch, Colorado State