ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - 1,837 days ago, in the Pan American Center, NM State Volleyball took down New Mexico in straight sets. The Lobos have not faced off with the Aggies since then, but the Land of Enchantment's two Division I institutions are set to renew their storied rivalry on Tuesday. NM State (4-4) and UNM (5-3) will commence a two-match series that concludes with a Thursday bout in Las Cruces.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Who: NM State (4-4) at New Mexico (5-3)
Where: Johnson Center - Albuquerque, N.M.
When: Tuesday, Sept. 17 (6:30 PM)
Live Stream: Mountain West Network
Live Statistics: nmstatestats.com
All-Time Record vs. New Mexico: 47-30
Last Meeting: New Mexico 0 @ NM State 3 (Sept. 7, 2019)
QUICK HITS
- NM State snapped a three-match winning streak when Arizona won in a competitive four-set match on Saturday, Sept. 14
- The Rio Grande Rivalry is the second-most storied in NM State program history at 77 prior matchups (UTEP: 93)
- Yasso Amin was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 16
- Darian Markham is currently 35th in the nation with an average of 4.67 digs per set
- Markham is also 194 digs away from breaking the all-time NM State record for career digs
- Nellie Reese leads the Aggies with eight service aces on the season, including five last weekend
- Nicole Briggs leads all Aggies with 1.10 blocks per set, which would rank 10th all-time in program history for a career with NM State
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies fell to Arizona in four sets in the finale of their home tournament; the Borderland Invitational. NM State was the first team to reach 20 points in three of four sets, but only managed to capitalize in the second frame. Yasso Amin wrapped up her award-winning weekend with 15 efficient kills, earning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
Earlier in the weekend, NM State swept a pair of opponents across a Friday doubleheader. The home team hit nearly .400 in a rout of Texas Southern, taking a 12-1 lead early and never looking back. In the nightcap against ACU, the Aggies tallied another straight-set victory over their former WAC foes. 12 kills and 18 digs from Mari Sharp overpowered the Wildcats to cap off a Friday in which the Aggies prevailed in all six sets they played.
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).
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 Castillo will 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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