BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Four matches, 12 sets and four sweeps. NM State Volleyball recently wrapped up its longest homestand of the season in flawless fashion, smoothly handling FIU and Liberty. This weekend, Mike Jordan's squad will look to carry its success on the road for a two-contest stint against Western Kentucky. In 2023, the Aggies and Hilltoppers met three times, culminating in the CUSA Championship. The Aggies (6-4) roll in off 12 straight dominant set victories, while WKU (12-0) is on a 15-match winning streak that most recently included two wins at UTEP.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
Who: NM State (14-10, 8-4 CUSA) at Western Kentucky (19-6, 12-0 CUSA)
Where: E.A. Diddle Arena – Bowling Green, Ky.
When: Friday, Nov. 1 (6:00 PM CT) / Saturday, Nov. 2 (12:00 PM CT)
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: nmstatestats.com
All-Time Record vs. WKU: 6-6
Last Meeting: [2] NM State 0 vs. [1] WKU 3 – Nov. 19, 2023 (CUSA Championship – Lynchburg, Va.)
 
QUICK HITS
- NM State has now played 14 series against CUSA opponents; including at least one against each league member, with a 19-9 record
- The Aggies hold a 8-6 record in series openers, but are 11-3 in finales spanning their two years in the league
- Last week, Kacia Brown was named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week, earning the award on Monday, Oct. 21
- The middle blocker was exceptional against FIU, tallying 11 blocks as NM State swept the Panthers
- On Oct. 7, Nellie Reese became the first Aggie to ever be named CUSA Setter of the Week
- Reese leads the Aggies in assists (501), assists per set (5.76) and is tied for the team lead in service aces (16) this season
- Yasso Amin was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 16
- Starr Williams was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 2
- Nicole Briggs leads all Aggies with 0.91 blocks per set and has been involved in 39.7% of all Aggie blocks this season (69/174)
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies hosted Liberty for what opened as a pivotal series between two squads next to each other in the top half of the CUSA standings. NM State prevailed in straight sets twice, bumping up to 8-4 in league play to join Sam Houston in a tie for third place. Kacia Brown led the way with 12 kills on a .409 hitting percentage, in addition to her six blocks and three service aces. Makayla Martinez poured in another four service aces as the freshman matched Nellie Reese for the team lead with 16 apiece. Elsewhere, Mari Sharp and Starr Williams combined for 33 kills and nine blocks to round out an impressive series from the veteran Aggie front row in which they hit .333.
 
THE MARK OF A CHAMPION
Darian Markham is currently 96th in the nation with an average of 4.18 digs per set this season. Earlier this month, the star libero passed Krystal Torres for first place on the all-time NM State dig list, when she recorded her 1,943^rd of her career. She now stands just 41 digs away from being the first Aggie to ever amass 2,000 career digs. The two-time WAC Champion has been named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week and was the CUSA Libero of the Year in 2023. 
 
2023 MATCHUP SUMMARY
Last year, WKU visited the Pan American Center in mid-October. The road Hilltoppers took both matches in straight sets in what were the Aggies' only two 3-0 defeats of the CUSA regular season. After NM State reeled off eight straight wins, WKU awaited once more in the CUSA Championship match. Travis Hudson's squad got the best of the Crimson & White, taking the title in a sweep from Liberty Arena in Lynchburg, Va. 
 
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
After making the All-CUSA Second Team a year ago, Kacia Brown racked up some more hardware last week. The redshirt senior middle blocker was named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 21. Brown became the first Aggie to win the award this season and joined Darian Markham (twice in 2023) as the only members to ever earn the honor for NM State in CUSA. 
 
Since NM State's match versus Incarnate Word on Sept. 21 (13 matches), Brown has amassed 73 kills (5.62 per match), 42 blocks, eight solo blocks, 44 digs and nine aces. The redshirt senior has now earned 12 consecutive starts entering the weekend and has taken the team-lead in solo blocks on the season (10). Over this span, she leads her squad with an impressive .394 hitting percentage and 0.93 blocks per set. 
 
GOT FIVE ON IT
Makayla Martinez recorded the first three starts of her young career over the homestand. Across the two series, the true freshman posted 32 digs and a team-high eight service aces (0.67 per set). In 2024, she now ranks inside the top five on the team with 104 digs and 1.58 per set. In CUSA play, she paces all Aggies with nine aces and 0.35 per set. During that span, the Cibola High School product sits third on the team posting 1.92 digs per set. 
 
GIVING IT 200 PERCENT
The Aggies are third among CUSA institutions in hitting percentage (.237), behind only WKU and UTEP. NM State is 14-1 this season when posting a team mark above .200, but 0-9 when hitting .199 or worse. Additionally, when opponents hit below .200, NM State is 12-1 this season, but have just two wins in 11 tries when opponents post at least a .200 mark.
 
When out-hitting their opponents, the Aggies are 14-1 this season. Conversely, the Crimson & White have yet to win a match in which their opponents have a higher hitting percentage (0-9).
 
EARNING HARDWARE
Kacia Brown's Defensive Player of the Week award last Monday made her the fourth Aggie to earn league weekly honors this season. Earlier this month, Nellie Reese became the first Aggie to ever win a conference setter of the week award after tallying a highly efficient 57 assists versus LA Tech. NM State also claimed two of the season's first three Offensive Player of the Week Awards. Starr Williams picked up league recognition after the first week of the campaign, when she put up 30 kills on a staggering .560 hitting percentage versus two 2023 NCAA Tournament representatives. Yasso Amin followed suit with an exceptional Borderland Invitational, posting 37 kills on a .388 hitting percentage to win her first CUSA Weekly Award on Sept. 16. 
 
STARR POWER
All season, the Aggies' first offensive option has been aptly-named Starr Williams. The redshirt junior has taken another leap, leading NM State in nearly every offensive category. The Ontario, Calif. native has started every match and is one of two Aggies to appear in all 87 sets this campaign (Nellie Reese). Williams paces the Crimson & White in kills (288), kills per set (3.31) and hitting percentage (.322) while ranking third in total attempts (642).
 
The duo of Reese and Williams has appeared together in all but one starting lineup this season (23 of 24). The former leads the team in assists (501) and assists per set (5.76), while ranking tied for first alongside Makayla Martinez with 16 aces. Each have won CUSA Weekly Awards - Reese, Setter of the Week (Oct. 7); Williams, Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 2).
 
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. 
 
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. 
 
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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