LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State Head Volleyball Coach Mike Jordan has announced a new addition to his staff, with the hiring of former Aggie student-athlete Rilen Garcia as an assistant coach. A native of nearby Santa Teresa, N.M., Garcia returns to the program after recently graduating with a degree in business marketing.

"I couldn't be more excited to stay in the place that has given me so much. I love this sport and it means everything to give back in any way I can," said Assistant Coach Rilen Garcia. "I'm so thankful for this opportunity, thank you MJ for always believing in me on and off the court. Coaching is such a privilege, and I can't wait to continue to give 110% to this program and community! Go Aggies!" 

"We're looking forward to having Rilen on staff," added Head Coach Mike Jordan. "She's got all of the intangibles and most importantly she's a tremendous person that has already made a great investment in our program." 

Garcia transitions into a coaching role following a four-year playing career with the Aggies. During her time in Crimson & White, Garcia was a steady presence for the Aggies as a setter, appearing in 99 matches and recording 1,325 career assists. In her senior season, she totaled 223 assists, highlighted by a 26-assist performance in a conference road win at Delaware. 

Across her career, Garcia added 389 digs and 38 service aces, while contributing to back-to-back Conference USA Tournament championship game appearances in 2023 and 2024, to include a matchup against No. 22 WKU in the program's first season in CUSA and a rivalry upset win over host UTEP in 2024.  

Assistant Coach Garcia will be making her coaching debut this fall, beginning the next chapter of her Aggie career on the sidelines. 

For complete coverage of NM State Volleyball, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateVB), Instagram (@NMStateVB), and like us on Facebook (NM State Volleyball). 

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