LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State volleyball team welcomes a pair of Western Athletic Conference foes to the Pan American Center this week. The Aggies face off against Utah Valley in a special pink match on Thursday, Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. MT. NM State closes out the weekend with a crucial match against CSU Bakersfield on Saturday, Oct. 20 at noon.

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FOLLOW ALONG
New Mexico State's match against the Wolverines can be heard on 91.5 FM KRUX or through the TuneIn site or app on tablets or mobile devices with Adam Young handling the play-by-play. Fans who are unable to make the match against the 'Runners can follow along on StatBroadcast.

WHERE IN THE WAC
Overall, NM State leads the WAC with a .161 opponent hitting percentage and rank third in blocks (2.28). In conference matches alone, the Aggies are the league leaders with a .230 hitting clip. The squad is also second in opponent hitting percentage (1.48) and blocks (2.68).

Individually, Tatyana Battle ranks sixth in kills (3.33) and points (3.76). The senior also leads the league with 11 double-doubles so far this season. Julianna Salanoa sits in fourth with 1.12 blocks per set while Megan Hart tallied 0.97 for all matches, placing the middle blocker in ninth. In conference play only, Battle is sixth in the league for kills (3.61) and points (4.07) while also ranking seventh in hitting percentage (.237). Salanoa is fourth for blocks (1.50) and Savannah Davison sits in ninth for kills (2.96) and points (3.25).

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
NM State heads into the conference matches riding an 18-match home winning streak, which dates back to the 2017 season. The Aggies last loss at the Pan American Center came on Sept. 1, 2017 when the squad fell in straight sets to then-ranked No. 11 UCLA. During the streak, New Mexico State took down rivals UTEP and New Mexico and earlier this season, the Aggies won a five-set thriller against Arizona for the program's first win over the Wildcats since volleyball became an NCAA sanctioned sport.

New Mexico State volleyball has a tradition of being a victorious at home. The current winning streak ties the second longest streak home by the volleyball team, which took place from 2002-2004. The longest home-winning streak for NM State occurred from 2005-2007 when the team rattled off a 29-straight victories at the Pan American Center, including a perfect 18-0 record at home in 2006.

LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies won a five-set thriller at UT Rio Grande Valley in their only match last week. New Mexico State posted 63 kills on a .204 hitting clip to 57 on .214 for the Vaqueros while racking up 59 assists and 83 digs. Battle posted the 11th double-double of her senior campaign on 12 kills and 16 digs while Davison picked up her fifth double-double of the season on 13 kills and 14 digs.

Cat Kelly led the team with 14 kills, a new career best, on a .400 hitting clip. Briana Ainsworth and Natalie Mikels also tallied double-doubles in the victory. Ainsworth had 25 assists and 14 digs while Mikels posted 22 assists and 15 digs.

SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
Utah Valley heads to the Land of Enchantment with an 11-9 overall record and a 3-4 record in league play. The Wolverines post 12.32 kills, 14.13 digs, and a WAC-best 2.59 blocks. In conference matches only, UVU leads the WAC in opponent hitting percentage (.138) and blocks (3.06).

Individually, freshman Kazna Tarawhiti is the leader in kills (3.99) and points (4.47) and teammate Makaila Jarema is first in blocks (1.58). Madi Wardle runs the Wolverine offense with 5.89 assists per set while Seren Merrill posts a team-best 3.84 digs.

LOOKING AT THE 'RUNNERS
CSU Bakersfield comes into the weekend at 11-9 overall and 4-3 in WAC play. Overall, the team sports 11.77 kills per set and a 14.15 digs per set average. Individually, Desiree Sukhov sits atop the conference rankings in service aces (0.43) while Briannah Mariner leads the CSUB squad with 184 total kills so far this season.

Earlier this season when the Aggies and 'Runners faced off in the Golden State, NM State came up short, falling in a five-set thriller. New Mexico State tallied 49 kills on hitting .168 with Battle recording a double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs. CSU Bakersfield's Brooke Boiseau led the 'Runners with 17 kills and eight blocks.

COMING UP: BACK IN WACTION
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.