More and more people are beginning to notice — the UNM volleyball team is pretty good.
In 2010, for the second straight season, the Lobos finished with a 20-10 record and earned a bid into the NCAA tournament.
Both times UNM did not make it past the first round, but head coach Jeff Nelson said he hopes the third time is the charm.
“We’ve got to start moving forward,” he said. “We’ve got some great leadership back and great kids. I feel like we can push it one further.”
Senior Ashley Rhoades, who started for Team USA Blue in the 2011 USA Volleyball Open National Championships, said she and fellow seniors Kelly Williason and Allison Buck will lead the way.
“Allison, Kelly and I of course want to take the team even farther this year,” Rhoades said.
After losing to eventual semifinalists Hawaii in 2009 and USC in 2010, getting a good seed in the NCAA is key to going far in the tournament. Coach Nelson said it starts with winning the Mountain West Conference championship, Something UNM has yet to do.
“I like our senior leadership, I like what they’re doing,” Nelson said. “I’m hoping that can get us over the top to the conference championship.”
She said Mariah Agre and redshirt freshman Chantale Riddle are major contributors to the team’s success.
The Lobos will have home-court advantage when the MWC tournament rolls around, which might give them the extra boost to win the elusive conference title.
“We’re real excited to have it and showcase that event for our fans,” Nelson said.
For the past three seasons, the team with the best overall conference record was the conference champion. This will be the first and only year a tournament will instead determine the conference champion, since many schools are leaving and others are joining the MWC.
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UNM will host the tournament. An average of 2,232 fans attended each home game last season, which set an all-time attendance record for the program. UNM had the highest attendance in the conference and was 12th in the nation.
The Lobos will kick off the 2011 season this Saturday in the UNM vs. Alumni game. Buck said it’s just an exhibition, but it’ll be a good way to introduce themselves to the community.
“It’s great for fans to see us at first before our first tournament to see how we are as a team,” Buck said.
