It was a week of highs and lows across the New Mexico athletic department, as multiple programs took the court and field with statement performances, early-season growing pains, and historic results. From a signature football victory in the Rose Bowl to volleyball’s bounce-back win in California, Lobo fans had plenty to follow.
Volleyball Bounces Back After First Setback
After storming through the first six matches of the year unbeaten, New Mexico volleyball hit its first snag Thursday night in Riverside, falling to Portland State in four sets at CBU’s Van Dyne Gym. Despite double-digit kills from Uliana Yastrub (11) and Addison France (10), the Lobos couldn’t close the gap late in the final three sets, dropping to 6-1.
Madeleine Miller led the offense with 34 assists while also posting 17 digs, marking her third double-double of the year. Defensively, Camila Canedo anchored the back row with 12 digs, while several others chipped in multiple kills to keep the Lobos competitive in every frame.
New Mexico responded quickly the following day, shaking off the loss with a hard-fought four-set win over Cal State Fullerton (27-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23) to improve to 7-1. France tied her career-high with 17 kills on .389 hitting, and Yastrub posted a career-best 13 kills, her second straight double-digit effort. Miller once again fueled the attack with 36 assists and 16 digs, while Canedo tallied 22 digs, matching her season high.
The Lobos’ blocking game made the difference, as France and Solia Angilau combined for five apiece and Zoe Leonard added four more. With a .410 hitting clip in the second set and strong sideout conversion across three wins, UNM ensured the match didn’t extend to a decisive fifth.
The Lobos close their weekend tournament against host Cal Baptist on Saturday afternoon.
Soccer Suffers First Defeat
On the pitch, the New Mexico women’s soccer team endured its first loss of the season in a 2-0 setback at UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos capitalized on a defensive turnover in the 65th minute before doubling their advantage 11 minutes later on a header inside the box.
UNM had its chances, especially in the second half, firing 12 of its 16 total shots after the break. A flurry in the 55th minute saw four shots blocked or saved in a span of 39 seconds, but the Lobos couldn’t break through. Nicole Anderson, Alysa Whelchel, and Savanah Sanchez were among those denied.
Goalkeeper Alyson Campbell kept the Lobos in it with a season-high seven saves, but UCSB’s efficiency on set pieces and corner kicks proved decisive. The Lobos, now 4-1-2, remained in California to face Cal State Fullerton on Sunday.
California Trip Ends in Back-to-Back Defeats
The women’s soccer program experienced its first setbacks of the year, dropping consecutive matches on the road. On Thursday, UC Santa Barbara broke a scoreless deadlock with two second-half goals to hand UNM its first loss of the season, 2-0. Despite 16 total shots — 12 in the second half — the Lobos couldn’t capitalize, with goalkeeper Alyson Campbell posting a season-high seven saves to keep the game close.
Sunday’s non-conference finale at Cal State Fullerton proved even tougher. The Titans overwhelmed the Lobos in a 3-0 shutout, limiting New Mexico to just seven shots while unleashing 24 of their own. Despite flashes of promise — including a dangerous 19th-minute sequence and late chances from Celina Frenz and Macie Harris — UNM couldn’t find the net.
The Lobos close non-conference play with a 4-2-2 record and will look to reset before Mountain West play begins Sept. 25 at home against Colorado College.
Football Stuns UCLA with Historic Rose Bowl Victory
Perhaps the most eye-opening performance of the week came from Lobo football, which went into the Rose Bowl and dominated UCLA 35-10 for its first-ever win against a Big Ten opponent. In just his third game at the helm, Head Coach Jason Eck earned a signature victory that also marked the largest margin of victory by a Mountain West team over a Big Ten program in more than two decades.
The Lobos relied on a bruising rushing attack and suffocating defense to control the game. Running backs Damon Bankston and D.J. McKinney combined for big gains, with Bankston finishing the night with multiple explosive plays, including a 54-yard run that set up the game’s final touchdown. Quarterback Jack Layne efficiently managed the offense, throwing a touchdown to Simon Mapa and later connecting with Bankston on a screen pass that went the distance.
Defensively, UNM limited UCLA to just 326 total yards, forced multiple turnovers, and stifled any momentum the Bruins tried to generate. Tavian Combs sealed the game with a late interception, while Abraham Williams broke up key passes in critical moments.
What began as a close contest at halftime (14-7 UNM) turned into a second-half statement as the Lobos outscored UCLA 21-3 in the final quarter. The victory pushed New Mexico to 2-1 on the season and gave the program a major confidence boost heading into conference play.
Eck Earns Weekly Honor as Defense Shines in Rose Bowl Upset
Fresh off New Mexico’s stunning 35-10 dismantling of UCLA in the Rose Bowl — the Lobos’ first-ever victory over a Big Ten opponent — the Mountain West named Jaxton Eck its Old Trapper Defensive Player of the Week.
Eck was a force in Pasadena, racking up 11 tackles and delivering the critical fourth-quarter pass breakup that led to Tavian Combs’ interception, effectively sealing the win. Six of his tackles came in the final quarter, when the Lobos outscored the Bruins 21-0.
Behind Eck’s leadership, the Lobo defense held UCLA to just 10 points and 326 total yards, the fewest UNM has allowed against a Power Conference opponent since 2002. The performance highlighted the defensive toughness Head Coach Jason Eck is instilling in his first year, turning heads across the Mountain West and beyond.
Men’s Basketball Lays Out Conference Path
While fall sports are in full swing, New Mexico men’s basketball offered a look at what lies ahead, releasing its tentative 2025-26 Mountain West schedule. The 20-game slate features nine home-and-home opponents, including traditional league powers San Diego State, Boise State, and Utah State, while Wyoming will only visit Albuquerque and UNM will make a lone trip to UNLV.
Conference play opens Dec. 20 at The Pit against San Jose State, with other marquee home dates including Grand Canyon (Jan. 13), Nevada (Jan. 24), San Diego State (Feb. 28), and Colorado State (Mar. 3). The Mountain West Tournament is set for March 11-14 in Las Vegas.
Fans will also have plenty of opportunities to catch the Lobos at home in non-conference action, with seven regular-season matchups at The Pit in addition to an exhibition against Northern Arizona. Season tickets, starting at $199, are already on sale.
Waddock Bursts onto the Scene in Tucson
Lobo men’s tennis opened its fall slate with an impressive showing at the Wildcat Invitational in Tucson, led by freshman Tyler Waddock’s flawless debut. Waddock went 6-0 on the weekend, claiming both a doubles title with teammate Jakub Prachar and a singles crown in the Charlie Draw.
In singles, Waddock didn’t drop a set, defeating opponents from New Mexico State and San Diego State before dispatching Roko Stipetic of NMSU in the final. In doubles, he and Prachar rolled past pairs from NMSU, UNLV, and host Arizona.
Other Lobos contributed solid results, with Alberto Perez finishing 2-1 in singles and Philip Bosin notching a win in his return. The team now heads to Tulsa for the ITA All-American Championships.
From the volleyball court to the Rose Bowl, it’s been a whirlwind week for Lobo athletics — one marked by resilience, historic achievements, and the promise of more to come as fall sports hit their stride.