Volleyball: Aggies Sweep Liberty to Secure Series Split

LYNCHBURG, Va. – NM State Volleyball bounced back in impressive fashion on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Liberty in straight sets inside Liberty Arena. After falling in Friday’s series opener, the Aggies responded with one of their best performances of the season, hitting .314 while holding the Flames to a .181 attacking percentage. 

FIRST SET 

The opening frame featured five ties and one lead changes as neither side could create much separation early. Ashley Herman, Jaelynn Kohli and Mia Fox helped fuel the offense while Maggie Lightheart added key kills down the stretch. Holding a narrow advantage late in the frame, the Aggies won two of the final three points to secure a 25-23 victory. 

SECOND SET 

NM State delivered its most efficient offensive set of the afternoon, hitting .429 while recording 18 kills. The Aggies erased an early deficit and used a 12-4 run to seize control of the frame. Kohli led the way with five kills, while Fox added four kills on four swings and Makayla Martinez provided a pair of back to back service aces as NM State earned a 25-19 win. 

THIRD SET 

The Aggies closed out the match in dominant fashion. NM State held Liberty to a -.027 hitting percentage and limited the Flames to just seven kills in the frame. Kohli recorded four kills, while Fox added three and Fuqua chipped in a pair of kills and a pair of service ace as the Aggies rolled to a 25-13 victory to complete the sweep. 

“We made a couple of adjustments and got much better performances from quite a few people.  We needed a good road win against a good team.” 

~Head Coach Mike Jordan

BY THE NUMBERS

1. The Aggies hit .314 as a team, their highest hitting percentage in Conference USA play this season. 
2. Jaelynn Kohli led NM State with 11 kills while posting an impressive .550 hitting percentage. 
3. Mia Fox recorded nine kills on just 10 attacks, finishing with a remarkable .900 hitting percentage. 
4. Tess Fuqua contributed seven kills, six digs and a pair of service aces. 
5. Maggie Lightheart totaled six kills and 13 digs. 
6. Makayla Martinez anchored the back row with 16 digs while adding three service aces and six assists. This marks her 18th game to record double digit digs. 
7. Paige Nelson recorded a match-high 25 assists and five digs. 
8. Katrina Catalan chipped in 13 assists and five digs. 
9. NM State held advantages in kills (44-35), digs (49-44) and hitting percentage (.314-.181). 

UP NEXT 

NM State will return home next weekend to continue Conference USA play against Jacksonville State. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. MT on Friday, Oct. 16, inside the Pan American Center as the Aggies look to build on Saturday’s road victory. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+, and live stats available at nmstatesports.com/stats. 

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