The crowd seemed to cheer a little louder for UNM’s freshman libero Mercedes Pacheco during UNM’s home opener against Santa Clara. Looking into the crowd, an enormous group was on its feet cheering and stomping for New Mexico’s newest starter.
Pacheco, born and raised in Albuquerque, chose to stay home and play volleyball at the collegiate level instead of trying her luck playing elsewhere.
“I feel like I’m at home when I walk into this gym,” she said. “As a player, that means the world. If you’re uncomfortable, you’re not going to play well.”
Pacheco said she can always count on her support system to be looking on with admiration, even when she’s not at her best. She expressed how exhilarating it is to hear her fan base erupt when recording a solid play.
Pacheco grew up in a family with two older brothers, each of whom played a sport at Saint Pius X high school. Nathanael Pacheco and Patrick Pacheco held the spotlight before she grew into a major athlete at Pius, Mercedes said.
The true freshman said she felt mixed emotions when she first began attending the same high school as her older brothers.
“It was good and bad at the same time. People would walk up to me and say, ‘Oh, you’re Pat’s little sister’ or ‘you’re Natty’s little sister,’ and I kind of wanted to be out of their shadow,” she said. “Once I started playing volleyball, then people knew who I was, so it was like my little escape.”
Pacheco comes from a sound line of sports genetics, having two family members who have competed in college athletics. Xavier Madrid, her cousin, was a backup tailback for New Mexico while Nathanael Pacheco attended Gonzaga to pursue his collegiate career in soccer.
“When we were growing up, we were always playing some kind of game,” Nathanael Pacheco said. “We were all pretty competitive, which I think helps out and gives us that extra drive that we need.”
Having a young daughter amidst two athletic, male adolescents may worry some parents. However, Jennifer Pacheco said she was never worried about her daughter’s ability to hold her own.
“When we had family get-togethers for Thanksgiving or whatever, there was a wrestling match going on,” Jennifer Pacheco said. “It was kind of a rite of passage.”
Richard Pacheco, the siblings’ father, said he would often see his two youngest playing soccer in the backyard. He said his daughter had no fear of lacing up her shoes and sliding on her goalie gloves to await her brother’s attempts to rip the ball at her in an attempt to score.
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“She’s a girly girl, but she’s definitely not afraid to go up and wrestle you down,” Jennifer Pacheco said. “She’s just got that fight in her.”
While being away at college for the majority of his sister’s high school years, Nathanael Pacheco said he relishes the opportunity to see his sister play. He said his jitters are more prominent in the stands watching his sister than when he was playing at Gonzaga.
“I get more excited for her games than I do for my games,” he said. “It’s a lot more nerve-racking, for sure.”
Richard Pacheco said he looks on with a great deal of pride as his daughter takes the court for game day. He said it means a lot that his daughter chose to stay close to home, which allows him to help out whenever he can.
“It’s great to know that we can come to all of the games,” he said. “If she ever needs anything, we can go and lend her a helping hand and be that support system for her.”
Richard Pacheco said his youngest child was cramming and studying before UNM’s first road trip to Indiana, but needed some assistance with laundry. Without hesitation, he jumped in the car to help his daughter.
“She’s my baby girl,” Richard Pacheco said. “I’m glad I get to cheer for her and I’m glad that she’s home.”
Nathanael Pacheco said his sister is the true definition of a student-athlete. He said his sister is constantly immersed in her schoolwork, and said he knows for a fact Mercedes doesn’t go out to parties because it would interrupt her busy lifestyle.
“Being able to have my family on the sidelines is so reassuring,” Mercedes Pacheco said. “Even if I’m doing bad, I know I have them and I know they are going to support me no matter what.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at assistantsports@dailylobo.com or on twitter @Liam_CE.
