NM State topples LA Tech in CUSA home opener and 50th anniversary match.
Source: NMSU Athletics (NMSU Photo and Article by Matthew Knope)
On the 50th anniversary of NM State Volleyball’s first match, the Aggies comfortably handled LA Tech for their 957th all-time victory. The home team swept the Bulldogs behind the efforts of four Aggies with double-digit kills. Kacia Brown and Mari Sharp shone once again, propelling their side to its second straight victory. The Aggies improved to 8-7 overall and 1-1 in CUSA play, marking the third time their record moved above the .500 mark this season.
Set-by-set: NM State wins 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-19)
FIRST SET
Kacia Brown left her fingerprints all over the opening frame, pouring in eight kills and a block to lead both sides. In fact, she finished just shy of the 10 first-set kills posted by LA Tech. The NM State lead quickly swelled to 11-3, but the Bulldogs answered with a 10-1 burst of their own and pulled even at 13 points apiece. The two sides traded each of the final eight rallies, but Brown nailed two kills to the floor in the final three points to give her side a set victory. Despite 12 team attack errors, the Aggies took down the visitors by a score of 25-23 in the first frame.
SECOND SET
An early 6-1 Aggie run put the home team in front 11-7. After a mid-set 3-0 run forced a Bulldog timeout, Nellie Reesepoured in her 11th ace of the season to put her side ahead by six late in the frame. Following a rare kill from true freshman defensive specialist Makayla Martinez, Yasso Amin ended the set with a bang, giving her side a 25-18 lead. Mari Sharp led all Aggies with seven kills in the stanza.
THIRD SET
The Aggies’ second and final block of the match came from Kacia Brown and Starr Williams, putting the home side in front 6-1 and prompting a timeout from the visitors. With the exception of a 14-16 deficit, LA Tech failed to cut the margin within three for the final 37 points. Starr Williams tallied three kills in the final five rallies, leading an Aggie 4-1 run and closing out the match by a score of 25-19.
NUMBERS OF NOTE
• Yasso Amin posted her fourth double-double of the season. The FIU transfer notched 11 kills and led her side with 13 digs.
• Kacia Brown continued one of the most dominant stretches of her career. The redshirt senior posted 12 kills and two blocks on a team-high .611 efficiency.
• Over her past four matches, Brown has 33 kills on a .588 hitting percentage to go with 11 digs, 10 blocks (two solo) and five service aces.
• Rilen Garcia tallied a personal season high with 20 assists in just three sets as part of a 6-2 system.
• With just two blocks, the Aggies tied a season low, but managed to hold LA Tech to a .241 hitting percentage.
• The Aggies tallied 58 kills in what was tied for their fourth-highest mark this season.
• For the season, the Aggies are now 5-1 when taking each of the first two sets.
FROM THE FLOOR
Head Coach Mike Jordan, on the win: “We did alright today. We need to eliminate attack errors, but I thought we played the rest of the match pretty well. Hopefully we’ll do a better job of serving and blocking tomorrow. I thought we dug it well, and those were good things.”
Redshirt senior middle blocker Kacia Brown, on her play of late: “After the UNM match, we had a moment as a team where we talked about having each other’s backs and what needed to improve. We’ve had some struggles, but having each other’s backs is our top priority. Knowing that the setters trust me more and are starting to let me handle that larger load has been a big deal, too. I feel so lucky that I can talk to any of the girls on a good or a bad day, and I think that trust is so important. It means the world to me, and really, all of us.”
UP NEXT
The Aggies and Bulldogs will square off once again on Saturday, with the action starting at 12:00 PM MT from the Pan American Center. NM State will look to turn its momentum into a three-match winning streak for the second time this season. The weekend finale will be streamed live on ESPN+ and available to follow via nmstatestats.com.
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