Ruston, La. - NM State has wrapped up a perfect weekend from the Pelican State. The Aggies played six sets against Louisiana Tech, and convincingly won them all. NM State now stands at 11-4 overall and a perfect 4-0 in Conference USA. LA Tech has lost six consecutive matches and 18 straight sets to fall to 5-11, and remain winless in their four conference matches.
Set-by-set: NM State wins 3-0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-20)
Ryleigh Whitekettle made quick work early on in the opening set, landing a block and five kills on just eight swings. Mari Sharp also continued her hot streak with a kill and an ace on the first two points of the match. Ultimately, the first frame was decided by the bookends. An 8-0 start to the match immediately dampened any hopes LA Tech had of getting revenge for their loss on Friday. The Bulldogs cut it to 21-15 before the Aggies closed it out with four straight points, highlighted by back-to-back Starr Williams kills.
The all-important second set was the most successful of the day. The Aggies went down 2-0 early, then went on an absolutely dominant run, winning 15 of the next 18 points to go up 15-5. Aleka Darko had a pair of kills and a block in the set, en route to her best day in Division I. Darko, the transfer from Ithaca College, set multiple season records with a block solo, a pair of digs, and four kills on just seven swings. The Aggies used that production to take the second set by a score of 25-13.
Kacia Brown had one of her best games of the season in the third. The redshirt junior collected five kills and two blocks (including a block solo) in the set. Brown's final kill was her eighth of the match, an impressive number on just 11 attempts. That last kill put the Aggies ahead 20-10, and it seemed as though another blowout was impending. However, the Bulldogs went on a run that included seven of eight points, and made it as close as 24-20. Mari Sharp came up with a clutch kill, ending the match in the same fashion as it began.
Notable Stats/Trends
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Kacia Brown set a new career high with a hitting percentage of .636 after collecting eight kills and only one error on 11 swings. Brown also finished with an impressive 11 digs and four blocks, including one block solo.
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Aleka Darko's day was highlighted by a season-high four kills on just seven attempts.
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NM State held the Bulldogs to a negative hitting percentage in both matches on the weekend, including -0.033 in the finale.
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LA Tech broke their own record, nabbing just 15 kills after totaling just 17 a day prior. 15 is now the lowest mark for kills in a single match by any Aggie opponent this season.
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The second set has still foreshadowed the winner of all 15 matches. The Aggies are 11-0 in matches when winning the set, and 0-4 when dropping the set.
Head Coach Mike Jordan, on the upcoming stretch: "We're playing well in spurts. This midweek stuff after traveling on the weekend is awful. We've got six straight matches coming up against really good teams in a span of 10 days. That's brutal. We got the worst schedule without question."
Up Next
The Aggies will head home, but won't rest long. NM State is set to host rival UTEP for a Tuesday and Wednesday series. Both matches will be live on ESPN+. After the I-10 rivalry, the Aggies will quickly hit the road again. They will play two in Lynchburg, Va. in just over a week, squaring up with Liberty on Oct. 7-8.
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