LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State volleyball travels for a pair of Western Athletic Conference matches. The Aggies take on Seattle U on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. (MT) before facing Utah Valley on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. Fans can watch both matches for free on the WAC Digital Network
REMARKABLE RANKINGS
New Mexico State posts a .121 opponent hitting percentage, which ranks third nationally. Additionally, the Aggies rank 25th in digs per set (17.19), 43rd in team attacks per set (37.28) and 57th in assists per set (12.86). NM State also leads the WAC in opponent hitting percentage, assists, and kills (13.58).
Individually, Ariadnne Sierra is averaging 5.23 digs per set which ranks 27th in the nation and is second in the league. Lia Mosher (1.04), Brielle Sterns (0.96) and Sasha-Lee Thomas (0.91) rank in the top-10 in the WAC for blocks per set. The trio ranks third, sixth and ninth, respectively. Thomas also ranks ninth in the league for hitting percentage (.250).
SENSATIONAL SIERRA
Sierra continues to climb up the ranks in the New Mexico State all-time records. The senior ranks sixth all-time for career digs with 1,152 as she has posted 298 digs this season. The libero is no stranger to the NM State record books as she recorded 548 digs and 4.68 digs per set in 2016, which ranks fourth all-time for a single season.
LAST TIME OUT
NM State picked up a pair of three-set victories at home against Chicago State and UMKC. Against the Cougars, Tatyana Battle led the Aggies with 13 kills while hitting .379 in the match. Natalie Mikels tallied 14 assists while Briana Ainsworth followed closely behind with 13. Battle also led the team with 15 kills against UMKC followed by Sterns, who recorded eight kills on nine attempts and Thomas, who hit .615 with eight kills.
KNOW YOUR FOE: SEATTLE U
Seattle U enters the match with a 5-11 overall record and a 1-2 record in WAC play. The Redhawks are looking for their first win at home as they post a 0-3 record at the Connolly Complex this season. In league play, SU's lone victory came at Grand Canyon when the Redhawks defeated the Lopes 3-1.
Katarina Marinkovic averages 3.62 kills per set while posting a team-high 203 kills this season, which is second in the conference. Shae Harris leads the team with 556 assists, so far, this season. Defensively, Tijana Milojevic averages a team-high 4.84 digs per set.
KNOW YOUR FOE: UTAH VALLEY
Utah Valley comes into the weekend with a 7-11 overall record and a 2-1 record in conference play. The Wolverines defeated Seattle U (3-0) and Grand Canyon (3-1) before falling in a five-set thriller to CSU Bakersfield in their last match. As a team, UVU leads the WAC in overall hitting percentage (.220) and blocks (189).
Madison Dennison leads the nation with 109 total blocks and is fifth in the NCAA in blocks per set with 1.60. The senior middle blocker also leads the team with a .312 hitting percentage, which is third in the league. Sierra Starley leads the WAC in assists as she averages 10.29 per set.
COMING UP
Following New Mexico State's match with Utah Valley, the Aggies return home to take on a pair of conference opponents. NM State faces on CSU Bakersfield on Oct. 12 at the Pan American Center with first serve scheduled for 7 p.m. New Mexico State follows the match by taking on Grand Canyon on Oct. 14 at 1 p.m.
