LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State volleyball team hosts the SpringHill Suites Invitational from Sept. 13-14 at the Pan American Center. The Aggies open the tournament against Portland at 6 p.m. MT on Friday, Sept. 13. NM State follows the match with games against Grambling State and Lamar on Saturday, Sept. 14.
GET CONNECTED
To stay connected with the volleyball team and catch all of the up-to-date information and breaking news, follow the Aggies on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, @NMStateVBall.
SEASON TICKET TIME
Season tickets to see the Aggies are available for $50 online at ticketmaster.com. Fans can also call the Pan American Center at (575) 646-1420 or toll free at 833-AGGIEUP. New Mexico State faculty and staff are able to purchase season tickets to see NM State volleyball at a discounted rate. Additionally, fans can also acquire season tickets by purchasing an Aggie Country Pass.
TUNE IN
Fans can listen to Adam Young's radio broadcast of the Portland match on 91.5 FM KRUX or through the TuneIn site or app on tablets or mobile devices. The match can also be viewed on the WAC Digital Network.
WEEKLY WARRIOR
Julianna Salanoa was named the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday. This is the first weekly honor for New Mexico State this season and the second of Salanoa's career.
The Olympia, Wash. native was named to the Borderland Invitational All-Tournament Team following an impressive weekend where she helped the Aggies remain undefeated this season. Salanoa averaged 1.45 blocks per set with 16 total blocks for the three-day tournament. The middle blocker posted eight blocks in the squad's sweep of Pacific and also tallied six digs in the match. Against UTEP, Salanoa recorded five crucial blocks that helped the Aggies take down the Miners in the five-set thriller.
LAST TIME OUT
New Mexico State went 3-0 at the Borderland Invitational last weekend, picking up wins against Pacific, New Mexico and UTEP. Megan Hart was named the tournament's most valuable player. The senior was previously named the War Eagle Invitational MVP following the first weekend of the season. Joining Hart on the all-tournament team were teammates Cat Kelly and Salanoa.
STARTING STRONG
NM State's 6-0 start is its best since the 2006 season when the team went 33-4. The 2006 team began its year 17-0 before losing to Nevada in a five-set match. The Aggies defeated then-ranked No. 11 Hawaii that season and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
LOOKING AT THE PILOTS
Portland holds 4-2 record for the 2019 season. During the squad's home tournament last weekend, the Pilots went 2-1 with wins over Idaho and Utah State and a loss to Washington State. As a team, Portland posts 12.8 kills per set and a .189 hitting percentage.
Leading the Pilots in kills per set is Liz Reich, who averages 2.46 per set. Shayla Hoeft follows closely behind the junior with 3.08 kills a while also leading the squad with a .315 hitting percentage. Defensively, Carey Williams holds a team-high 4.83 digs per set.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Grambling State enters the tournament 1-4 this season with the lone victory coming against NAIA program Tougaloo College. The Tigers are hitting .065 as a team and average 7.83 kills per set.
Last season, NM State and GSU faced off at the Pan American Center with the Aggies sweeping the Tigers. Kelly led New Mexico State with 13 kills and Savannah Davison posted a team-high two blocks in the victory.
GETTING TO KNOWÂ THE CARDINALS
Lamar comes into the weekend at 4-3 for the season. The Cardinals were riding a four-match winning streak before losing to Houston is a midweek match. As a team, Lamar is averaging 14.29kills per set and 16.58 digs per set.
At the helm for the Cardinals is former New Mexico State standout Michelle Kuester. The NM State volleyball alumna was named to the All-WAC Second Team in 2011. During her senior campaign, she led the squad with 127.0 blocks, which ranked fifth in the Western Athletic Conference that season.
COMING UP: WILDCAT CLASSIC
Following the weekend tournament, the Aggies head to the Grand Canyon State for the Wildcat Classic. NM State is set to face off against Sacramento State, Alabama State and host Arizona at the two-day tournament from Sept. 20-21.
