Thursday Rematch With Lobos to Open Three-Match Weekend

NM State to host UNM in bounce-back opportunity after Tuesday’s defeat.

Source: NMSU Athletics
NMSU Photo By Matthew Knope: Courtesy

Some matches carry extra significance, and Thursday certainly presents one such case. After a disappointing showing in Albuquerque on Tuesday, NM State Volleyball has its eyes on returning the favor on its home floor. New Mexico will take the 194-mile trip south to the Pan American Center for a rematch less than 48 hours removed from Tuesday’s clash. NM State (4-5) aims for a return to .500 as it opens its final weekend on non-conference action.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Who: NM State (4-5) vs. New Mexico (6-3) / Southern (1-10) / Incarnate Word (6-2)
Where: Pan American Center
When: Thursday, Sept. 19 (6:00 PM) / Friday, Sept. 20 (6:00 PM) / Saturday, Sept. 21 (1:00 PM)
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: nmstatestats.com
All-Time Record vs. New Mexico: 47-31
Last Meeting: NM State 1 @ New Mexico 3 (Sept. 17, 2024)
All-Time Record vs. Southern: 1-0
Last Meeting: Southern 0 vs. NM State 3 (Sept. 3, 2016 – Troy, Ala.)
All-Time Record vs. Incarnate Word: 0-0
Last Meeting: N/A

QUICK HITS
– Tuesday’s victory was the Lobos’ first against NM State in 2,894 days (Oct. 16, 2016)
– The Rio Grande Rivalry is the second-most storied in NM State program history at 78 prior matchups (UTEP: 93)
– On Tuesday, NM State produced 24 attack errors and 14 service errors. The Crimson & White tallied its most combined errors (38) in a four-set match since Nov. 3, 2022 at Utah Valley.
– Yasso Amin was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 16
– Darian Markham is currently 53th in the nation with an average of 4.53 digs per set
– Markham is also 180 digs away from breaking the all-time NM State record for career digs (Krystal Torres: 1,942)
– Nellie Reese leads the Aggies with 10 service aces on the season, including seven in the past five days of action.
– The Hayden, Idaho native posted a career-high with 14 digs in Tuesday’s loss at UNM
– Nicole Briggs leads all Aggies with 1.03 blocks per set and has been involved in 53.8% of all Aggie blocks this season (35/65).

LAST TIME OUT The Battle of I-25 was rekindled on Tuesday after five years without a matchup. New Mexico played host for the opening round of the home-and-home series, taking the match in four sets. The Aggies produced a combination of 38 errors between the front row and the service line, ultimately falling flat in a pair of close sets, including a 23-25 third frame.

This will be the second straight weekend consisting of three home matches for NM State. Last Friday, the home team swept both Texas Southern and Abilene Christian. On Saturday, Arizona clawed back from late deficits in three stanzas to earn a contested four-set victory. Yasso Amin wrapped up her stellar weekend with 15 efficient kills, earning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.

FEELIN’ 22
After three seasons with Arizona, Nicole Briggs transferred to NM State in the summer of 2024. The Chino, Calif. native joined Mike Jordan‘s squad after playing 54 matches, including all 31 last season, for the Wildcats. Briggs quickly made her mark for the Aggies, setting three career highs during a win over CSUN in the fifth match of the season. Briggs has already set new single-match bests in kills (8), total blocks (12), block assists (10), points (14), total attempts (19) and tied career highs in digs (2) and solo blocks (2). Entering the weekend, she leads the Aggies with 30 block assists, five solo blocks, 35 total blocks and 1.03 blocks per set.

TAKING NOTICE
Conference USA unveiled its 2024 volleyball preseason awards on Thursday, Aug. 22, which included both a head coaches’ poll and a 13-member All-CUSA Preseason Team. The Aggies received two first-place votes en route to finishing second in the poll, behind five-time defending regular-season champion Western Kentucky. Four Aggies (Yasso Amin, Darian Markham, Mari Sharp and Ryleigh Whitekettle) were named to the preseason team, giving NM State the most representatives in the 10-member league.

EARNING HARDWARE
Starr Williams opened the 2024 campaign with a bang, posting 30 kills on a .560 hitting percentage in just two matches against a pair of 2023 NCAA Tournament teams (Coastal Carolina and Georgia Tech). For her efforts, Williams was named CUSA Offensive Player of the Week. 14 days later, Yasso Amin tallied 37 kills on a .388 hitting percentage, along with 25 digs, three blocks and two aces over the course of the Borderland Invitational. Amin was named the league’s Sept. 16 Offensive Player of the Week, joining Williams as the first two Aggies to earn 2024 regular-season honors.

SIGHTS SET HIGH
The Aggies returned every starter and 97.7% of all point production from a season ago. The 2023 squad turned in an eight-match winning streak towards the end of the season to vault to the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, eventually advancing to the CUSA Championship Game. In the offseason, four freshmen and five transfers bolstered the roster up to 25 Aggies. Notable additions include 2023 CUSA First-Team selection Yasso Amin from FIU and three-year Pac-12-starter Nicole Briggs from Arizona.

LEGENDS ON THE BENCH
Entering 2024, Mike Jordan already amassed 565 wins, 12 regular-season conference titles and seven conference tournament championships. With Gregg Whitis already back for his fourth year as an assistant, Jordan added two of his greatest former players to his coaching staff. In February, Operations Director Tatyana Battle was elevated to assistant coach. In July, Jordan brought Lia Mosher back to Las Cruces after playing last season professionally overseas. Battle and Mosher played a combined 10 seasons for the Crimson & White, including two as teammates (2017-18). The duo combined for a 97-17 (.851) WAC record, six regular-season titles and three trips to the NCAA Tournament. Battle and Mosher tallied 262 matches played, 2,154 kills, 1,145 digs and 617 blocks. They will undoubtedly bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to share with the 2024 roster.

INJURIES OF NOTE
The Aggies entered 2024 with several notable names absent from the action, highlighted by Ryleigh Whitekettle. The redshirt junior was a First Team All-CUSA selection in 2023, and was poised for another strong 2024 campaign after being named to the All-CUSA Preseason Team in August. Whitekettle will miss this season after undergoing back surgery over the summer. Bianca Perez led the Aggies in assists and assists per set in 2023, but will not see action in 2024 after suffering a torn ACL in practice ahead of the season. Peyton Castillowill also miss this season as she continues to recover from a torn ACL in the 2023 campaign.

FIFTH-YEAR AGGIES
Darian Markham and Mari Sharp each came to Las Cruces in the fall of 2020, making their Aggie debut in Spring 2021. Each have won multiple individual awards and a pair of WAC titles, and both are in their fifth season with the Crimson & White in 2024. Both Markham and Sharp were named to the All-CUSA Preseason Team in August after a 2023 campaign in which they were named CUSA Libero of the Year and All-CUSA Second Team selection, respectively.

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Article posted by:

Levi Gwaltney

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