LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State volleyball team travels for a Western Athletic Conference contest at UT Rio Grande Valley on Saturday, Oct. 13. First serve from the match is set for 6 p.m. MT. The Aggies' clash with the Vaqueros can be viewed for free on the WAC Digital Network.

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PACKING THE PAN AM
Aggie volleyball gets set to pack the Pan Am for a sellout match when UTRGV visits the City of Crosses. Tickets for the match, which is slated for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, are only $1 for groups. For more information about the promotion or to purchase tickets for the match, call the Pan American Center ticket office at (575) 646-1420.

WHERE IN THE WAC
Overall, NM State leads the league with a .158 opponent hitting percentage. The squad also posts 2.31 blocks per set which is second among WAC teams. In WAC play alone, NM State leads the conference in hitting percentage (.236) and ranks second in blocks (2.87) and opponent hitting percentage (.134).

Individually, Tatyana Battle ranks among the best in the league, placing fifth in kills (3.39) and points (3.84) while also coming in at 10^th in hitting percentage (.221). Julianna Salanoa's 1.14 blocks is good for third in the league while Savannah Davison sits in 10^th for kills (3.07) and points (3.34). In conference matches only, Salanoa averages 1.65 blocks per set, which puts the sophomore in second in the standings. Battle is fourth in points (4.37), fifth in kills (3.87) and sixth in hitting percentage (.251) while Davison ranks eighth in kills (3.04) and ninth in points (3.33).

WEEKLY WARRIOR
Salanoa took home the squads first WAC Defensive Player of the Week honor, the league announced on Monday. The award was the first ever for the sophomore. Salanoa led the WAC with 2.67 blocks per set, almost one block per set more than any other player, when NM State swept a pair of road matches last week. Against Kansas City, she tallied a career-best nine blocks and was one shy of posting her first career double-double as she also had 10 kills in the match. At Chicago State, the middle blocker finished with a match-high seven blocks. Salanoa also recorded a pair of digs on the weekend.

LAST TIME OUT
New Mexico State went 2-0 last week, taking down both Kansas City and Chicago State with sweeps on the road. The Aggies straight-set victory at UMKC was the first loss for the Roos in WAC play.

Against Chicago State, New Mexico State posted 43 kills on hitting .276 for the match. As a squad, NM State tallied 52 digs, 42 assists, and 11 blocks. Battle posted her 10th double-double her senior campaign when she recorded 14 kills and 16 digs. Davison also tallied double-digit kills in the victory when she posted 12.

SCOUTING THE VAQUEROS
UT Rio Grande Valley enters the week at 14-6 overall and first in the WAC with a 5-1 conference record. The Vaqueros lone loss in league play came at CSU Bakersfield in the WAC opener when the team fell 3-1. As a team, UTRGV leads the WAC in hitting percentage (.228) and digs (17.38).

Ragni Steen Knudsen posts a squad best 3.74 kills per set average while also hitting .233 for the season. The senior has taken home the WAC Offensive Player of the Week award three times and the outside hitter was pegged as the Preseason Player of the Year. Defensively, libero Gysell Zayas averaged 5.38 digs per set, which ranks second in the league.

COMING UP: BACK IN WACTION
The Aggies open a three-match homestand when the team takes on Utah Valley and CSU Bakersfield in a pair of conference contests. New Mexico State welcomes the Wolverines for a Pink Match on Thursday, Oct 18. NM State closes the weekend against the 'Runners at noon on Saturday, Oct. 20.