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When Chantale Riddle is on her game, the UNM volleyball team is on its game.
And Riddle has been on her game a lot this season. The Lobos are 10-1 through their first three weeks of the season, the team’s best start since 1989. UNM has competed in two home tournaments and the Tiger Invitational at Savannah State University in Georgia.
Riddle, a sophomore outside hitter, has been a huge factor in that early success. This season, Riddle has amassed 156 kills, averaging 4.22 per set, and 40 blocks.
She leads the MWC in total kills and kills-per-set average; Boise State’s Alyssa Gammel is second in the conference with 140 kills with a 3.89 per-set average.
Riddle’s block total ranks ninth in the conference, a rarity for an outside blocker. Usually only middle blockers can hold such high marks.
“We’re playing really well,” said Riddle, a Roswell native. “We’re getting on teams really early, and we’re being aggressive. We don’t care that we’re young and some teams are bigger than us. We just go after them a lot of the time.”
At last weekend’s Sheraton Airport/Comcast Lobo Invitational, Riddle had 51 kills and 18 digs in three victories against Georgia Southern, Portland and UC Santa Barbara. Her highest kill total came against Georgia Southern, posting 20. She was named the tournament’s MVP.
Riddle also had a strong performance at the Tiger Invitational, hosted by Savannah State in Georgia Aug. 31-Sept. 1. She had a double-double against UNC Asheville with 14 kills and 10 digs. She also had 20 kills, six digs and four blocks against Maryland-Eastern Shore.
The Lobos finished the Savannah State event undefeated in four matches, dropping just one set to Eastern Shore.
Riddle averaged 4.45 kills, 2.55 digs and 0.91 blocks per set that week, and the MWC gave her its player of the week award, her first such honor.
“It was great, but definitely my teammates have helped a lot,” Riddle said, referring to her conference honor. “They get onto me when I’m not doing well. They help me get a lot better. They help me at practice every single day.”
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Riddle has the capacity to take over a match. When that happens, her attitude is infectious and her teammates benefit from her enthusiasm. Junior libero Miquella Lovato said that when Riddle gets fired up, it’s exciting to see Riddle pumping her fists, jumping around and cheering.
“She brings so much energy to the team,” Lovato said. “She’s done well throughout the start of the season. It brings some motivation and momentum to our team, and I think that’s what keeps us going.”
Head coach Jeff Nelson said he’s seen his team’s momentum change when Riddle gets going. The coach used Riddle’s performance against Maryland-Eastern Shore as an example.
UNM dropped the first set to Eastern Shore; Nelson said Riddle stepped her game up after the loss and finished the match with 20 kills, spurring the Lobos to a four-set victory.
“There’s no doubt that everybody jumps on her back and takes off with her,” Nelson said.
But Riddle says she feeds off her teammates’ energy as much as they feed off hers.
“Elsa (Krieg, a middle blocker) got a big block against that girl today (Saturday against Portland), and it helps a lot,” Riddle said. “It helps you be just like her.”
Riddle is also building on a strong performance from last year.
As a redshirt freshman in 2011, Riddle had 199 kills and 239 points, finishing third on the team in both categories. She also had eight double-kill efforts, playing in all 109 sets and 29 matches.
“For the last two years, with her redshirt year and her freshman year, we’ve seen it just go up,” Nelson said, “and now it’s at the point where she’s just taking over and is the best player on the court in most of our matches. It’s exciting to see that, especially that she’s only a sophomore.”
