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Update - The University of New Mexico volleyball team (6-8, 1-0 MWC) will travel to No. 20 Utah on Fri., Oct. 4 and BYU on Sat., Oct. 5. Both matches will be at 7 p.m (MT). This is the first conference road series for the Lobos.

Looking at the Competition - The Utah Utes, ranked No. 20 in the latest AVCA poll split their weekend series defeating UNLV 3-1 in Las Vegas. UU took the match 31-29, 26-30, 30-21 and 30-20. Utah then traveled to San Diego, losing to the Aztecs in a tough five game match, 21-30, 23-30, 30-23, 30-26 and 8-15. The Utes are 11-4 overall and are 1-1 in the Mountain West. Brigham Young is 6-9 overall and are also 1-1 in the MWC. The Cougars lost at SDSU in three games, 16-30, 17-30 and 15-30 and defeated the Rebels in five games, 29-31, 26-30, 30-24, 30-25 and 19-17, both matches on the road.

Series vs. Utah/Brigham Young - The series between New Mexico and Utah stands at 28-26 in favor of the Utes. The last time the two schools met was last season at the MWC Championships where UNM lost in three, 30-15, 30-16, and 30-19. BYU leads the series 50-7 heading into the 58th meeting. The last time the two schools met, BYU defeated the Lobos at home, 30-18, 30-18, and 30-21 last season.

Recap • NMSU - The Lobos came back from a 10-1 deficit in the fifth and deciding game to take the victory over instate rivals New Mexico State. The Lobos battled with the Aggies spliting the first four games, 23-30, 30-18, 25-30, 30-28, and taking the final game, 16-14 to remain undefeated at home this season. Senior outside hitter Vanessa Shields and junior Anna Reines tied for a team-high 16 kills a piece. Sophomore Cayse Kaveny had a great night hitting .286 on 13 kills, three errors in 35 attempts. For the match four Lobos scored double figure kills including Reines, Shields, Kaveny and senior Staci Masten with 10. Defensively, UNM outblocked NMSU 13.0 to 8.0, with the Lobos scoring 22 block assists including seven from Masten. The Lobos served up eight aces with sophomore setter Monica Meihack scoring three. New Mexico scored 65 digs as a team with senior Blaire Burns tying her career high with 19. Meihack scored her seventh double-double of the season with a career-high 54 assists and 13 digs. Masten scored her first career double-double of the season with her 10 kills and 12 digs. As a team UNM out hit NMSU .191 (68k-30e-199ta) to .174 (72k-38e-195ta). The 199 attempts are a team season high. vs. Air Force -- New Mexico defeated the Air Force Falcons in three games, 30-23, 31-29, and 30-25 in Johnson Arena. The Lobos are on a five-match winning streak since beginning the season at 1-8. This was also the first conference match of the season for both New Mexico and Air Force. Leading the Lobo attack was junior Anna Reines who scored 12 kills and hit .385 for the match (12k-2e-26ta). Senior Vanessa Shields had a great night totalling 10 kills and serving up a career-high four service aces. Freshman Chelsea Sondrup hit .385 against the Falcons on six kills, one error in 14 attempts. She added four block assists. Senior Blaire Burns led the Lobos in digs scoring 13 for the match. It is the ninth time Burns has scored double figure digs this season. As a team New Mexico out hit Air Force, .234 on 41 kills, 15 errors in 111 attempts to AFA’s .155 (50k-30e-129ta). The Falcons out dug the Lobos 46 to 39 but were outblocked by UNM 7.0 to 2.0.

Team Season Highs Kills - 68 vs. NMSU (9/24) Attacks - 199 vs. NMSU (9/24) Hitting % - .314 vs. Auburn (9/21)- (46k-14e-102ta) Assists - 62 vs. NMSU (9/24) Service Aces - 9 vs. UTEP (9/14); 9 vs. Auburn (9/21) Digs - 65 vs. NMSU (9/24) Block Solo - 3 (Twice) Block Assists - 33 vs. SMU (9/20) - New single match school record

Individual Season Highs Kills - 23, Anna Reines vs. Stephen F. Austin (8/30) Attacks - 49, Vanessa Shields vs. UTEP (9/14) Hitting % - .529, Chelsea Sondrup vs. Temple (10k-1e-17ta) & Auburn (11k-2e-17ta) Assists - 54, Monica Meihack vs. NMSU (9/24) Service Aces - 4, Vanessa Shields vs. Air Force (9/28) Digs - 19, Blaire Burns vs. Miami (8/30) & vs. NMSU (9/24) Block Solo - 1 several Block Assists - 13, Chelsea Sondrup vs. SMU (9/20) - New school single-match record

Head Coach Kelley Sliva - Sliva comes to UNM after spending the past nine years at Northern Arizona University. Her career record stands at 149-112 (.571). While at NAU, Sliva took the Lumberjacks to their first NCAA Volleyball Championship appearance (1999) and earned two Big Sky titles (1999 tournament and 2000 regular season). Sliva was named the 1999 Big Sky Coach of the Year. Sliva’s NAU teams scored five straight winning seasons, going 90-45 since the 1997 season.

Mountain West Conference - Two Lobos are listed in MWC stats (all matches) in kills - junior Anna Reines is fifth in kills averaging 3.62 per game. Senior Vanessa Shields is 13th averaging 3.04 kills per game. Sophomore Monica Meihack is listed sixth in assists averaging 10.33 per game and 10th in digs averaging 2.67. Senior Blaire Burns ranks fifth in digs with a 3.04 per game average. Senior Staci Masten is 12th in blocks averaging 1.10 per game. Freshman Chelsea Sondrup moved into the blocks list at No. 15 with a 1.04 per game average. In conference only matches, Shields tops the conference in service aces with a 1.33 per game average. Burns is listed second in digs with a 4.33 per game average.1

Lobos Women's Volleyball

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