Volleyball: Aggies Rally Past Sam Houston for Five Set Victory

NM State claims the first, third and fifth sets to earn first CUSA win of 2026.

Source: NMSU Athletics
By Izzy Palmisano
Photos By Rodney Hunter for NMSU: Courtesy

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – NM State Volleyball tallied its first Conference USA victory of the 2026 season on Saturday afternoon, defeating Sam Houston in five sets inside Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum. Maggie Lightheartpaced the team with a season-best 17 kills, helping the Aggies capture the opening set and dominating the deciding fifth set to secure the hard-fought road win.  

FIRST SET 

The Aggies came out strong, racing to a 10-4 advantage behind contributions from Tess Fuqua, Maggie Lightheart and Mia Fox. Sam Houston battled back to trim the deficit to just two points (20-18), but a 5-2 run helped NM State maintain control down the stretch. Fuqua tallied five kills in the frame as the Aggies secured a 25-20 first-set victory. 

SECOND SET 

A back-and-forth second set featured five ties and two lead changes. Lightheart continued to power the Aggie offense with seven kills in the frame, but the Bearkats maintained momentum throughout the stanza and evened the match with a 25-17 victory. 

THIRD SET 

The Aggies wasted little time reestablishing control of the match in the third set, hitting .290 as a team while limiting Sam Houston to a -.033 hitting percentage, their lowest mark of the afternoon. Fuqua recorded three kills and two service aces during the set, while Jaelynn Kohli added key points as NM State rolled to a 25-17 victory and reclaimed the match lead, two sets to one. 

FOURTH SET 

The Bearkats forced a deciding set following a strong fourth-frame performance, claiming a 25-13 victory to send the match to a fifth set. 

FIFTH SET 

NM State saved its best volleyball for the deciding frame. The Aggies opened on a 7-2 run behind kills from Fuqua, Herman and Lightheart before continuing to apply pressure from the service line. Herman and Lightheart teamed up for a pair of key blocks, while Lilli Saldivar added a late kill as NM State cruised to a 15-8 victory to secure the match. 

“I’m not happy with our play this weekend. We made far too many mistakes. Physical errors are one thing, but mental mistakes are another. Players have the right to fail occasionally on their own, but they do not have the right to fail their teammates. We were more prepared to play today than yesterday and we managed to win but that doesn’t mean we were successful.” 

~Head Coach Mike Jordan

BY THE NUMBERS 

1. Playing in their fourth match of Conference USA action, Saturday’s victory marked NM State’s first CUSA win of the 2026 season. 
2. Maggie Lightheart powered the NM State offense with a season-high 17 kills, adding a pair of service aces and nine digs. 
3. Tess Fuqua added 13 kills and a season-high four service aces. 
4. Makayla Martinez anchored the back row with 19 digs, reaching double figures in digs for the 16th time this season. 
5. Paige Nelson dished out a match-high 26 assists, her fourth game with at least 26 helpers in a single contest for the true freshman. 
6. First-year Aggie setter Katrina Catalan contributed 22 assists, nine digs and three service aces. 
7. The Aggies recorded a season-best 13 service aces in the five-set victory. 

UP NEXT 

NM State will travel to Lynchburg, Va., next weekend to continue Conference USA play against Liberty. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. MT on Friday, Oct. 9, inside Liberty Arena as the Aggies look to build on their first conference victory of the season. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+, and live stats available at nmstatesports.com/stats. 

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