Sharp and Brown Lead Aggies to Sweep

NM State collects first CUSA win of 2024; head home to welcome LA Tech

Source: NMSU Athletics (Photo: Courtesy)

NM State Volleyball responded to Friday’s disappointing outing with a convincing sweep at Kennesaw State. The Aggies posted just 41 kills, but 26 combined service and attack errors were more than enough for the visitors to walk away with a straight-set victory to close out the weekend. With the win, NM State improved to 7-7 (1-1 CUSA) and dropped KSU to 4-9 (1-1 CUSA).

Set-by-set: NM State wins 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-23)

FIRST SET
In a stark contrast from recent matches, the Aggies posted zero attack errors in the opening frame. NM State dominated the set with just nine kills on 28 attempts, falling short of KSU’s 11 opening-set kills. Despite the visitors not posting a single block, the Owls still put up seven attack errors. Kacia Brown highlighted a 4-0 sprint with two consecutive aces early on. Later in the set, a second 4-0 run for NM State put them ahead 20-12 and forced a timeout from the home bench. Morgan Stewart poured in the Aggies’ third and final ace of the first game, granting her side a 25-18 win.

SECOND SET
After building a 9-6 lead, NM State found itself trailing 12 points later, down 13-12 as Head Coach Mike Jordancalled for a timeout. While the Aggies took the first point out of the break, KSU put a 5-0 run together, forcing Jordan’s final timeout of the set. A 5-1 spurt immediately cut the Crimson & White’s deficit to one point, before Starr Williams recorded kills on back-to-back points to cap off a set-clinching 3-0 run. The Aggies pulled ahead two sets to none after a 25-23 win.

THIRD SET
There were 14 ties and seven lead changes in the final frame, as the margin was within two points in either direction for 43 of the set’s 48 points, including the last 31 rallies. An 8-2 Owl run put the home team in front by a score of 14-12 just past the midway point, before a Rilen Garcia ace gave a 3-0 burst and the lead right back to the Aggies. NM State’s eighth and final service error of the match led to a 21-20 deficit, but Kacia Brown wrapped up her impressive outing with a bang. The redshirt senior recorded her side’s lone solo block amid a 5-2 run, before her match-point kill sealed the win.

NUMBERS OF NOTE
•    Mari Sharp posted her fourth double-double of the season, notching 12 kills and 15 digs to pace the Aggies in both metrics.
•    Kacia Brown continued one of the most dominant stretches of her career. The redshirt senior posted nine kills, two aces, a solo block and three digs on a match-high efficiency of .438.
•    Over her past three matches, Brown has 21 kills on a .576 hitting percentage to go with nine digs, eight blocks (two solo) and four service aces.
•    Rilen Garcia led the Aggies in assists for the first time this season, tallying a season-high 17.
•    The Aggies’ three total blocks were their second fewest this season, just ahead of their two against Abilene Christian.
•    On Friday, NM State tallied a season-high 64 kills in a loss. On Saturday, the Aggies set their new mark for fewest kills in a win with just 41 needed to earn the sweep.
•    The Owls were much less efficient from the front row compared to their outing a day prior. After recording the second-highest hitting percentage by an Aggie opponent on Friday (.239), KSU hit just .168 on Friday, amassing 17 errors in three sets.
•    NM State has now completed nine regular-season series in Conference USA; one against each foe. In the opening match of the series, the Aggies’ record is 4-5. In the finale, their record is 8-1.
•    In four or five set matches, NM State remains 3-6. However, the Aggies improved to 4-1 in three-set outings this season.

FROM THE FLOOR
Head Coach Mike Jordan, on the win: “We struggled a lot with attack errors in the second set, but after our second timeout we made better choices and picked some better attacking lines. It was good to see us bounce back from yesterday.”

Fifth year outside hitter Mari Sharp, on the win: “Everything I do is for my team, and today they needed me to dig and score. I think we did better because we played for each other instead of for ourselves. I’m so proud of Rilen [Garcia] Morgan [Stewart] and Maggie [Lightheart] for coming in and doing exactly what they needed to do without having to work into it. We win when we have selfless people on the court.”

Redshirt senior middle blocker Kacia Brown, on her performance: “I connected with the setters well and I focused on having my teammates’ backs in any way they needed me. This year, we’ve put an emphasis on being a unit and doing everything for each other. I think today we showed a lot of fight for each other and wanted to close it out for the group.”

UP NEXT
NM State will return home for a pair of matches with LA Tech on Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5. The series is the Aggies’ first in league play at home in 2024. Last season, NM State notched three wins in as many tries against the Bulldogs, including a sweep in the CUSA Championship Quarterfinals. Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+ and available to follow via nmstatestats.com.

For complete coverage of NM State Volleyball, follow us on Twitter (@NMStateVBall), Instagram (@NMStateVBall) and like us on Facebook (NM State Volleyball). You can also follow along with Aggie Volleyball via NMStateSports.com.

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Levi Gwaltney

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