The New Mexico Lobos volleyball team notched their second win of the season against longtime rival New Mexico State this week.
New Mexico returned home after going 1-1 during a two-game road trip in Colorado, and on Monday, Sept. 7, the Lobos took on the Aggies at The Pit.
The Lobos looked to improve on their 1-3 record, but it did not appear to be an easy task as the Aggies came in with momentum, having won three straight before the Labor Day visit to Albuquerque. Despite the challenge on paper, the Lobos emerged victorious against their rival, beating the Aggies 3 sets to 1.
Lobo outside hitter Uliana Yastub got things going in the first set, scoring the first point of the game on the first serve. The Lobos got their third point of the game on an error from the Aggies. As both teams traded points back and forth, Lobo Head Coach Brian Hosfield made the first challenge of the game, which proved to work out in favor for the Lobos as outside hitter Mina Stanojvenic earned her first kill of the match.
Right after the call was overturned, Stanojevic got another kill to make it 14-10 and mark a four-point run for the Lobos. After an Aggie timeout, Lobo middle blocker Regan Miller came in red-hot, giving the Lobos three consecutive points.
The Lobos scored 11 of the final 12 points off of many Aggie errors for the win in the first set.
The Lobos started off hot again in the second set, but a scoring drought meant that New Mexico played from behind for a while. The Lobos were able cut the deficit to 1, but that was as close as they got, as the Aggies would go on to win the set 25-21.
The Lobos started with momentum in the third set, as Miller and Stanojevic continued streaks of kills from earlier in the match.
Stanojevic had an amazing serve late in the set, helping the Lobos get the two consecutive points to make it 22-18 in favor of the Lobos.
The Lobos held on to the lead with a kill by Miller to win the third set 25-20.
The Lobos started off fired up once again in the fourth set, scoring 4 of the first 5 points. The Aggies got some momentum to swing in their favor eventually, tying it 6-6. The Lobos gained a lead for a little bit, but then the Aggies went on a run to tie it up once again at 12-12. Stanojevic helped the Lobos gain the lead back with a kill to make it 18-15. Despite the matchup being close, opposite hitter Addison France and setter Madeleine Miller came up clutch at the end for a 25-19 Lobo win in the final set.
The Pit saw 2,544 fans in attendance, making it the highest-attended volleyball match for the Lobos since 2016. Hosfeld said after the match that the team “could feel the atmosphere.”
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“That was so cool so many people came out and supported us,” Madeleine Miller said.
The Lobos will now hit the road again as they head to Lincoln, Nebraska to face off against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Thursday, Sept. 10.
Xavier Apodaca is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @XavierApodaca2
