The volleyball team’s off-season seems more on than off.
The Lobos kicked off their spring schedule last Thursday with a 3-1 win in the annual alumni game.
UNM outlasted its alumni counterparts — who donned uniforms with the phrase “has-beens” on them — for a 25-16, 25-23, 25-20, and a 17-25 win.
“The difference in the match was our passing,” head coach Jeff Nelson said. “Ashley Newman had a great match, and Chatale Riddle was flying all over the place with big blocks and big kills. I was pleased with the way our young kids stepped up and stayed tough.”
The alumni team included former All-Americans Jeanne Fairchild, Allison Buck, Taylor Hadfield and Pauline Manser — who is the program’s only two-time All-American and a former Olympian.
Nelson said given the amount of talent across the net, he was especially excited for his team to come out with the win.
“They had a really good squad, and I thought we might take one on the chin,” he said. “They were big and physical and really a great group to compete against.”
UNM followed it up by hosting an eight-team tournament on Saturday, competing against teams from Adams State, New Mexico Military Institute, New Mexico Highlands, New Mexico State, UTEP and Texas Tech.
“Overall, this weekend was a great learning experience for our team,” Nelson said. “Other than a few missteps, I thought we played some pretty good volleyball.”
Nelson said his Lobos are picking up where they left off last season. The Lobos finished their 2011 campaign 14-15, but are showing signs of improvement.
The Lobos capped off their weekend with a 2-0 win over in-state rival NMSU.
“The Aggies are a great program, and they have some great athletes,” Nelson said. “They beat us in the fall. To be able to beat them here, I think, will give us some confidence heading into the rest of our spring schedule.”
The Lobos will travel twice to spring tournaments hosted by other schools; on April 7 to New Mexico State and April 14 to Colorado State.
Red-shirt freshman setter Hannah Johnson said spring practice is the time when the team can bond.
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“It’s a chance for our team to come together and get the feel for playing with each other,” she said. “We’re losing three amazing senior leaders to graduation, and it’s time for other people to step up and fill their big shoes.”
The Lobos’ spring schedule culminates in the fifth annual Grass Bash, hosted on April 21 and 22 on Johnson Field, which is a chance for the community to compete against Lobo players. All proceeds benefit the UNM Children’s Hospital and the Jeanne Fairchild Endowed Scholarship.
Johnson said she’s heard great things about the event and can’t wait to partake in her first Grass Bash.
“It’s all for charity — I think that’s the best part,” Johnson said. “To be able to play volleyball all day and raise money for a good cause at the same time, that seems like a great combination.”
