LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State volleyball team hits the road for a pair of pivotal Western Athletic Conference matches. The team takes on UMKC at the Swinney Recreation Center on Friday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. MT and follows the match with a contest at Chicago State's Jacoby Dickens Center on Saturday, Oct. 6, at 11 a.m. MT. The Aggies' match against the Roos can be viewed for free on the WAC Digital Network.

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WHERE IN THE WAC
NM State ranks first in the conference with a .164 opponent hitting percentage. The Aggies 2.15 blocks per set ranks fourth in the league while the .212 hitting percentage is fifth in the WAC. In conference play alone, the Aggies are second in hitting percentage (.211) and third in kills (12.65).

Tatyana Battle (3.29) and Savannah Davison (3.05) rank sixth and 10^th in the league, respectively, for kills. Battle also ranks sixth for points with a 3.76 average. Natalie Mikels is sixth in the WAC with 0.31 ace per set while Megan Hart (0.95) and Julianna Salanoa (0.93) are ninth and 10^th, respectively, for blocks.

LAST TIME OUT
New Mexico State went 2-0 at home last week to maintain a perfect record at the Pan American Center this season. With the victories, the Aggies extended their winning streak to 18 matches with their last loss coming against then-ranked No. 11 UCLA on Sept. 1, 2017.

Against Seattle U, three NM State players posted double-doubles in the 3-1 victory. Briana Ainsworth tallied 22 assists and 19 digs. Battle posted 18 kills and 16 digs while Davison recorded 12 kills and 11 digs. In the sweep of GCU, Hart led the squad with 13 kills and a .706 hitting percentage.

SCOUTING THE ROOS
UMKC enters the match at 13-5 overall and a perfect 4-0 in conference play. The Roos lead the WAC in hitting percentage (.235), assists (12.79) and kills (13.47). The squad has also recorded a pair of sweeps over Chicago State and California Baptist at the Swinney Recreation Center last week.

Individually, Kansas City's Tyrecia Lukes leads the WAC in hitting percentage (.426), which also ranks fourth nationally. The middle blocker also posts a squad-best 73 total blocks, averaging 1.09 per set. Preseason All-WAC team member Alicia Harrington posts 3.40 kills per set to lead the Roo offense.

LOOKING AT THE COUGARS
Chicago State comes into the weekend with a 7-12 record overall and a 1-2 record in conference play. The Cougars lone WAC victory came in their league opener at Utah Valley when the squad overcame a 2-1 deficit to win the five-set thriller. As a team, CSU posts 12.60 kills per set and a 16.69 digs per set average.

Individually, Megan Klavitter leads the league in digs with 5.75 per set and the junior also leads the squad with 20 aces this season. Lauryn De La Cruz posts a team best 3.81 kills per set average and the outside hitter has also tallied 18 blocks for the season.

COMING UP: BACK IN WACTION
The Aggies travel for their next contest when the team heads to Edinburg, Texas, for a match against UTRGV on Saturday, Oct. 13. First serve from UTRGV Fieldhouse is set for 6 p.m. MT. New Mexico State volleyball is back at the Pan American Center on Oct. 18, when the squad welcomes UVU for a match beginning at 6 p.m.