LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State volleyball begins Western Athletic Conference play on the road this week. The Aggies face Utah Valley at Lockhart Arena on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. MT. The team follows the match with a game at Seattle U in the Redhawk Center at 2 p.m. MT on Saturday, Sept. 28. Fans can watch both matches for free on the WAC Digital Network.
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.
LAST TIME OUT
New Mexico State struggled at the Wildcat Classic, dropping a five-set thriller to Sacramento State before falling to Arizona in straight sets. However, the team closed out the tournament with a victory, taking down Alabama State 3-0.
In the tournament finale, Savannah Davison and Cat Kelly posted 11 kills each. Natalie Mikels led the team with 22 assists and three aces. Defensively, Megan Hart recorded a team-best four blocks while Davison notched nine digs in the win. Following the match, Davison was named to the all-tournament team.
WHERE IN THE WAC
New Mexico State leads the conference in hitting percentage (.265), opponent hitting percentage (.100), and blocks (2.90). The Aggie squad also sits in second for assists (11.78) and kills (12.83).
Hart holds the top hitting percentage (.441) in the league and the redshirt senior is also fourth in blocks (1.00), Julianna Salanoa places second in the WAC with 1.29 blocks and ninth with a .297 hitting clip. Mikels is seventh in aces (0.34) and assists (5.90) while Davison ranks fourth in kills (3.37) and fifth in points (3.78).
LOOKING AT WOLVERINES
Utah Valley enters the week at 3-9 this season. The Wolverines are 2-3Â at home with wins over Portland State and UC Davis at Lockhart Arena. As a team, UVU posts 11.95 kills per set and 14.12 digs per set this season.
Individually, Kazna Tarawhiti leads the league with 3.95 kills per set and 4.46 points per set. The outside hitter was named the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2018 and also picked up all-tournament honors following her first year with the Wolverines. Seren Merrill comes into the match averaging 4.47 digs per set, a mark which puts the libero second in the conference.
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
Seattle U holds a 9-5 overall record this season and a 2-2 mark at home. The Redhawks are riding a two-match winning streak after defeating UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton at the UC Riverside Classic last weekend. The SU squad comes into the weekend averaging 11.95 kills and 2.39 blocks per set.
Julia Quieroz leads the WAC with 1.37 blocks per set. The middle blocker has 59.0 total blocks so far during her sophomore campaign. Offensively, Eve Kerschenbaum is third in the conference with 3.51 kills per set. The sophomore also sits second in the league with 3.94 points per set.
COMING UP: WILDCAT CLASSIC
The Aggies return to the Pan American Center for a match against UT Rio Grande Valley on Oct. 3. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
