Colorado Mesa State has one more shot at getting a point against New Mexico.
On the first day of New Mexico’s only home tournament of the season, the Lobos cruised past the Mavericks in a 5-0 sweep on Friday afternoon. It is the second time UNM has swept CMU (0-8).
Colorado Mesa has one just one court all season in its inaugural year, coming on a 4-1 loss to ASU earlier in the day.
UNM head coach Jeff Nelson said he was worried jitters would play a role in the introduction of New Mexico’s courts at Lucky 66 Bowl and Volleyball.
“You're always concerned your first home match that they'll be a little nervous,” Nelson said. “I thought they were really loose and the played really good. I couldn't have asked for more."
In front of the Lobo faithful, the Lobos dominated, as neither of the five main courts or the two extra ones dropped a single set. Each of the seven UNM pairs took the two of three sets without needing the third set.
“I thought we played them better this time than we did the first time,” Nelson said. “I really feel like we’re getting better with each week and each match.”
UNM has now won its last four matches, a major leap from last season when the Lobos only managed three wins all year.
One of the backbones of New Mexico has come from the play of sophomore Eastyn Boleto and junior Marisa Doran. The pair have continued their absolute tear in the sand as the duo have combined to a perfect 10-0 on the year.
UNM (7-3) has benefited greatly from having such reliable performances on court four, where the Lobos remain unblemished.
Aside from a perfecto 10-0 start to the year, Nelson said senior Hannah Johnson and junior Julia Warren stood out in Friday afternoon’s contest. The coach also said Devanne Sours and Lise Rugland had one of their best matches of the year.
Overall, the coach said it was a team effort that allowed UNM to improve to garner a victory in the home opener.
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The Mavericks and the Lobos will square off just one more time Saturday at 10 a.m. Following the 10 a.m. match, UNM will proceed to play Arizona State at 2 p.m. followed by a contest with in-state rival NMSU to finish the tournament.
“I like what we’re doing on the court and I’m excited for tomorrow where we have three matches in one day,” Nelson said. “and see how we hold up emotionally and see if we can really stay tough all day and focused.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
