LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State volleyball heads to the Wildcat Classic in Tucson, Ariz., from Sept. 13-14. The Aggies face off against Sacramento State and the host Wildcats on Friday at 1:30 p.m. MT and 8 p.m., respectively. The team closes out the tournament with a match against Alabama State on Saturday at 10 a.m.
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 all three match on 91.5 FM KRUX or through the TuneIn site or app on tablets or mobile devices. Fans can watch the Arizona match for free on the Arizona live stream. The Sacramento State and Alabama State matches are also available for a fee on FloSports.
WEEKLY WARRIOR
Savannah Davison was named the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday. This was the first-ever weekly honor for the outside hitter and the second-straight weekly award taken home by a New Mexico State player.
Davison averaged 4.10 points and 3.70 kill when the Aggies went 2-1 at the NM State SpringHIll Suites Invitational last weekend. She tallied 11 kills against both Grambling State and Portland while also hitting .476 against the Tigers. In the tournament finale, Davison finished with 15 kills with a .361 hitting clip to help the Aggies take down Lamar in four sets. She also posted a double-doubles in the matches against the Pilots and Cardinals.
LAST TIME OUT
New Mexico State went 2-1 at the NM State SpringHill Suites Invitational. The Aggies opened the tournament with a loss to Portland but the squad rallied and knocked off Grambling State and Lamar to close out the weekend. Following the matches, Julianna Salanoa and Cat Kelly were named the all-tournament team.
LOOKING AT SACRAMENTO STATE
Sacramento State comes into the tournament with a 3-7 record. The Hornets dropped all three matches at the UIC Invitational last weekend but hold a win over WAC foe CSU Bakersfield this season. As a team, Sacramento State is averaging 11.29 kills per set and 2.20 blocks per set.
Individually, Sarah Davis leads the squad with 143 kills on the season and 160.0 total points. Defensively, Paige Swinney leads the team with 4.74 digs per set while Cianna Andrews comes in with 1.17 blocks per set.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Arizona enters the weekend at 7-2 for the season. The team is riding a five-match winning streak after falling to Samford and then-ranked No. 2 Nebraska in back-to-back matches early in the season. The Wildcats come in tournament averaging 12.87 kills per set and 14.06 digs per set.
Last season, NM State took down the Arizona in a five-set thriller during the first meeting between the teams that season. In the victory at the Pan American Center, Davison led the Aggies with 15 kills and 13 digs for the match while Megan Hart posted a squad-best six blocks.
GETTING TO KNOW ALABAMA STATE
Alabama State holds a 3-7 record this season and sits at 2-6 at neutral sites. The Hornets started the season with three-straight win but have yet to record a victory since the hot start. As a team, ASU averages 12.70 digs per set and 11.18 kills per set.
Leading the squad in points is Bayle' Bennett, who has tallied 150.5 points for the season while also posting a team-best 129 kills. The senior is also holds the career record for kills at Alabama State. Defensively, freshman Emmersen Belles paces the Hornets with 2.98 digs per set.
COMING UP: WILDCAT CLASSIC
Following the weekend tournament, the Aggies begin conference play with matches at Utah Valley and Seattle U. NM State faces the Wolverines at 6 p.m. on Sept. 26 before taking on the Redhawks on Sept. 28 at 2 p.m.
