‘She’s got a cannon’
Seenane Brewer looking to have a greater impact on UNM volleyball team

GALLUP

By way of Lawrence, Kansas, the University of New Mexico volleyball team managed to sign highly regarded recruit Seenane Brewer in the fall of 2023.

UNM didn’t have to do much arm twisting as Brewer (Navajo/Oglala Lakota/Cherokee) had her sights of playing for the Lady Lobo volleyball program as her mother, Nana Allison-Brewer, once donned the cherry and silver uniform in the late 1990s.

“Playing here at UNM was heavily influenced by the Navajo Nation and just representing the people and the land,” Brewer said on Friday night during a spring scrimmage with Northern Arizona University at Miyamura High School.

“Obviously, my mom played here and so I wanted to carry out that legacy and just leave a great impact on this team,” she said. “You know, I want to take this team as far as we can in the NCAA (tournament).”

Brewer is a 2024 Lawrence High graduate as she earned several accolades, which includes being named the KSHSAA 5A First Team All-Sunflower League in 2023 during her senior season. As a junior, she made the Sunflower Honorable Mention list. Brewer also played club ball for MAVS KC and Pohaku VBC with her latter team earning a 22nd place finish at the 17U Open Division at the 2023 USAV Girls Junior National Championships.

“I played club volleyball a little bit, so the level was also higher, and it prepared me,” Brewer said of the transition to play collegiately. “But compared to high school, it was a very big jump. It was a little surprising at first because the blocks definitely got higher, but I got used to it and I’m just thankful to be a playing in it and being a part of it.”

Unlike her mother, Seenane is an 5-10 outside hitter for the Lobos as Nanabah Allison-Brewer played in the back row from 1996-99, earning the WAC Defensive Specialist Award.

“I feel like over the years I’ve really improved on defense,” Brewer said. “You know, my mom played defense and I imagine myself as her whenever I play defense by not letting balls drop, so I just go after it, and I go hard.”

Last season, Brewer finished with a career-high 27 kills against UNLV on October 16, 2025. In that same contest, she scored 30.5 points along with 11 digs and three total blocks.

“I was just in a flow, and I really had high confidence,” Brewer said of that October game. “I would like to carry that out throughout next season where I’m able to play freely.”

During her freshman campaign, Brewer played in 36 sets across 17 matches as she finished with 0.111 hitting percentage with 45 kills. Last season she appeared in 73 sets over 23 matches with 0.146 hitting percentage and 117 kills.

For the upcoming season, she’s looking to get more time on the court and, perhaps, earn a starting spot.

“Obviously, nothing’s guaranteed,” Brewer said. “Everything has to be earned, so I’m going to work my hardest to be on that court.”

UNM first-year coach Brian Hosfeld describes Brewer as a big jumper with a powerful swing despite appearing undersized.

“You saw what kind of player she is with her big swings,” Hosfeld said. “She looks a little undersized and she can be a little unassuming, but she’s got a cannon. We’ve seen that in practice and so we’re just trying to take her game to the next level, you know, to deal with the size of block that we’re going to playing at times.

“That’s what she’s working on, but her game in the back row with passing and controlling the ball has been great,” he added.

Hosfeld, who was named the 11th New Mexico volleyball coach on mid-December, wants to build a program that will contend for a Mountain West Conference title. Last season, UNM finished 10th in the 12-team conference with a 13-16 overall record and a 5-13 mark in MW play. With five teams deflecting to the new Pac-12, the Mountain West will have 10 teams in its conference this fall.

“We want to be in the top 4 in the Mountain West,” said Hosfeld, who has three decades of coaching experience. “We want to get to the NCAA tournament for sure, so we’ve been focused on recruiting and training the players that have stayed loyal to the program. We’re trying to get their mindset conditioned to be able to do those kinds of things.”

Before accepting the UNM job, Hosfeld was the Associate Head Coach at Wichita State as the Shockers won the American Athletic Conference Tournament title and advanced to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Hosfeld started his coaching career in 1993 with California State University, Long Beach State where he won a national championship in his first season.

He left Long Beach State after three seasons to head the Baylor volleyball program for eight seasons, serving as the winningest coach with 129 victories.

He left Baylor for the University of Texas, where he served as an assistant coach before he ended up at Wichita State.

The UNM coaching staff includes Associate Head Coach Jeremiah Estes and Assistant Coach Katie Keiper as the two coaches bring valuable experience to the program.

“I love them,” Brewer said of the UNM coaching staff. “We’re learning so much already. I feel like I’m already a better player, and their knowledge is beyond what I’ve had so far, so I’m learning a lot and I’m happy to be taught under them.

“I’m just thankful to be here and compete with these girls,” she added. “They’re a great group, and we have great coaches, so I’m really excited to see where we can go from here.”

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