UNM set to unveil drastically new lineup
Squad to open belated season Friday at Nevada
After 14 months of waiting and six days of frantic preparation, the University of New Mexico volleyball team returns to action Friday.
To call them the new-look Lobos would be an understatement.
UNM will open a two-match series at Nevada with a roster that includes more freshmen (nine) than returning players (four). Coach Jon Newman-Gonchar’s second season will begin with no seniors, three juniors (all transfers) and a dozen underclassmen.
“It’s probably fair to call us untested,” Newman-Gonchar said with a laugh. “I don’t think anyone really knows what to expect from us.”
That includes Mountain West coaches, who picked UNM to finish 10th of 11 teams in a preseason poll. To a degree it even includes UNM’s coaching staff, which had less than two weeks of full practices to prepare for Friday’s opener.
But Newman-Gonchar likes the athleticism and talent on his roster and he hopes enthusiasm can make up for the Lobos’ overall lack of experience.
“This team will obviously have to evolve as the season goes on,” he said, “but in reality, our staff did a fantastic job bringing in adaptable athletes. We’ve got some players who can go six rotations and do a lot of different things.”
Whether the Lobos will be able to play at home during this rescheduled fall season remains to be seen. But fans who tune in to UNM via live streaming will see a trio of players who were part of the team’s most recent match — a 3-0 win at Air Force on Nov. 21, 2019.
Outside hitter Kaitlynn Biassou, who excelled as a freshman with 293 kills, returns. Libero Alena Moldan, who led the team with 423 digs as a freshman, will be back to anchor the Lobos’ back line along with sophomore defensive specialist Chloe Clark.
High-flying outside hitter Uxue Guereca from Guadalajara, Mexico, will make her debut after taking a medical redshirt season as a freshman because of a shoulder injury.
That’s it for UNM’s returning players. Three seniors (Lauren Twitty, Tai Bierria and Maddie Friewald) exhausted their eligibility in 2019, and several other players either opted to transfer or simply not return.
Four who departed played significant rotations for the Lobos. Outside hitter Yasmine Tan transferred to Boise State to play beach volleyball, a sport dropped by UNM in 2018-19. Middle blocker Rachel Murphy left to be closer to her Wisconsin home, outside hitter Danica Rowan opted not to return after getting married, and setter Jaclyn Inclan entered the NCAA’s transfer portal.
“They found other life opportunities that were better for them,” Newman-Gonchar said.
The departures create openings for a slew of new Lobos, including three intriguing junior transfers. Middle blockers Avital Jaloba and Milica Djukic bring both international and collegiate experience to UNM’s lineup. The 6-foot2 Jaloba, a native of Israel, played two seasons at Arizona State, while Djukic, a 6-foot Serbian native, transferred from Colby Community College.
The Lobos’ other incoming transfer is ex-Los Lunas High standout Hayley Torres, a 5-9 outside hitter who played two seasons at California’s MiraCosta College.
Freshmen will also play major roles at several positions, including setter. Kara Erfurth, from Round Rock, Texas, will start for UNM and anchor a 5-1 offense that Newman-Gonchar feels will offer more diverse hitting options than the two-setter alignment the Lobos employed in 2019.
Freshmen Kali Wolf (outside hitter), Emma Smith (middle blocker) and Jazlynn Soriano (libero) are also expected to play early.
New Mexico’s collegiate teams were only recently allowed to begin full practices at home, while other Mountain West teams have been together longer.
As a result, the youthful Lobos may have to learn a few things the hard way in the season’s early going.
“This team was going to do whatever it took to play this season and it’s time to go.,” Newman-Gonchar said.