Staff report
UNM's volleyball team entered last weekend as no-names, but enters this weekend having earned the name Cardiac Kids.
In matches against Southern Methodist University and New Mexico State University and Temple University, the cagey Lobos came from behind to win in dramatic fashion.
The Lobos are currently on a four-game winning streak after sweeping through three wins in the Lobo Invitational and defeating in-state rival NMSU 3-2 Tuesday.
Against the Aggies, UNM came back from a 10-1 deficit in the fifth game to win 16-14 and take the match.
The Lobos, down two games to one, forced the fifth game by winning the fourth game 30-28.
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Junior outside hitter Anna Reines followed up her Lobo Invitational MVP performance by hitting a team-high 16 kills in the match. Senior outside hitter Vanessa Shields matched Reines with 16 kills.
UNM opens Mountain West Conference play Saturday against the Air Force Academy at 7 p.m. in Johnson Center. The Falcons (6-8) are on a streak of their own, having swept three matches over Stetson University, the University of San Francisco and Hofstra University in the Falcon Invitation at Colorado Springs, Colo. this past weekend.
Air Force is led by junior outside hitter Delvanne Diaz. Diaz has 198 kills and a serving average of 60 percent for the season. The Falcons have also come to rely on junior setter Kristin Huitt, who leads the team in digs with 114, and freshman middle blocker Kristin Hamlett, who leads the team in blocks with 28.
Around the MWC: UNM next travels to Utah to take on 18th-ranked University of Utah on Oct. 4 and Brigham Young University. The Utes (10-3) are currently in second place in the MWC.
The Cougars (5-8) are in fifth, one place ahead of the Lobos. Both Utah and Brigham Young open MWC play this weekend with trips to the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (4-9, seventh in the MWC) and San Diego State University (9-6, third in the MWC).
League leader Colorado State University (7-5) and the University of Wyoming (11-2, eighth place in the MWC) are involved in tournaments this weekend. CSU defeated the Cowgirls 3-0 Sept. 7.
