The University of New Mexico women’s volleyball team closed out the Ameritas Challenge in Lincoln, Neb., with a 3-0 loss to No. 20 Baylor on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Baylor defeated the Lobos 25-20, 25-17 and 25-22, dropping New Mexico to 2-6 overall, while the Bears improved to 6-2 on the season.
The Baylor match capped a challenging three-day stretch for New Mexico against Nebraska, Georgia Tech and Baylor at the Ameritas Challenge. UNM entered the trip at 2-3 before losing in straight sets to No. 1 Nebraska on Thursday and Georgia Tech on Friday, leaving the Lobos 2-5 going into Saturday’s finale. The three losses moved New Mexico from 2-3 to 2-6 overall, but they did not affect the team’s Mountain West standing, as they have not yet begun conference play.
Before the trip to Lincoln, the Lobos appeared to be building momentum after beginning the season with two consecutive losses. New Mexico won two of its next three matches, defeating Northern Colorado and rival New Mexico State while pushing then-No. 23 Colorado to five sets. Over those three matches, UNM improved its hitting percentage from .095 through its first two matches to .262 and increased its kills per set from 11 to 12.85.
The win over the Aggies improved New Mexico to 2-3 before the Lobos traveled to what UNM Athletics described as their toughest stretch of the season, with Nebraska ranked No. 1, Baylor ranked No. 20, and Georgia Tech also receiving votes in the national rankings. UNM was swept by Nebraska 25-12, 25-13 and 25-15 on Thursday before Georgia Tech defeated the Lobos 25-13, 25-16 and 25-17 on Friday.
Those results left New Mexico 2-5 entering Saturday’s tournament finale against Baylor. Baylor entered the match carrying a 5-2 record after falling to No. 1 Nebraska in straight sets Friday night.
Sophomore opposite hitter Addison France led New Mexico against the Bears with 10 kills and seven digs. Reagan Miller added eight kills on a .238 hitting percentage and four total blocks, while Camila Canedo recorded a match-high 20 digs. Madeleine Miller finished with 27 assists, six digs and one service ace. As a team, the Lobos finished with 33 kills on a .109 hitting percentage, while Baylor recorded 46 kills and hit .254.
Baylor outside hitter Ksenia Rakhmanchik led the Bears with 17 kills on .300 hitting. Isabela Haggard recorded 32 assists and four kills, while Nadiya Johnson added eight kills and Victoria Davis finished with seven.
Baylor took control early in the first set, eventually building a 20-13 advantage. New Mexico fought back and survived multiple set points before cutting the deficit to 24-20, but Baylor won the following rally to close the set 25-20. The Lobos responded with their strongest opening stretch of the match in the second set. A France service ace helped New Mexico take a 6-2 lead and forced Baylor to call an early timeout.
Baylor responded with an 11-1 scoring run to turn New Mexico’s four-point lead into a 13-7 deficit. The Bears went on to win the second set 25-17 while hitting .342 with 17 kills. New Mexico again started competitively in the third set and led 7-5 before Baylor responded. The Bears eventually opened a 22-15 advantage and moved within three points of completing the sweep. The Lobos made one final run, scoring 7 of the next 9 points and fighting off 4 consecutive match points to pull within 24-22. Baylor ended the rally on the following point to take the third set 25-22 and complete the sweep.
The Baylor matchup also carried a connection for first-year UNM Head Coach Brian Hosfeld, who previously coached Baylor and recorded 129 victories with the program, leading the Bears to their first two NCAA Tournament appearances.
UNM entered the 2026 season looking to return to the Mountain West Tournament for the first time since 2023, with nine players returning from last year’s roster. The Lobos still have three non-conference matches remaining before Mountain West play begins, giving them an opportunity to improve on their 2-6 overall record before conference results begin affecting their position in the league standings.
New Mexico’s next match will be away from home on Thursday, Sept. 17, against Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif. The Lobos will remain in Moraga to face Fresno State at a neutral site on Sept. 18 before traveling to Las Cruces for an away match against New Mexico State on Sept. 21. UNM begins Mountain West competition with two road matches against Hawai‘i on Sept. 25 and 26. The Lobos’ first home conference matches are scheduled for Oct. 2 and 4 against Nevada at The Pit.
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George Slad is a freelance photographer for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @SladGeorge
