Match Twenty-Five
NM State (17-7, 8-4 WAC) vs. Utah Valley (11-11, 6-5 WAC)
Saturday, Nov. 6 | 1:00 p.m. | Pan American Center | Las Cruces, N.M.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets | NM State Match Notes
THE FIRST SERVE
• Hoping to remain atop the WAC's West Division standings, NM State shoots for a regular-season sweep of Utah Valley when the two teams encounter one another inside the Pan American Center at 1:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
• The WAC Digital Network will stream the action of the 21st all-time meeting between the Aggies and Wolverines.
SERIES HISTORY
Overall vs. Utah Valley | 15-5 (.750)
In Las Cruces, N.M. | 7-0 (1.000)
In Orem, Utah | 6-5 (.545)
At neutral sites | 2-0 (1.000)
Streak | NM State won one
Last five matches | 3-2 (.600)
Last 10 matches | 7-3 (.700)
In three-set matches | 6-2 (.750)
In four-set matches | 6-0 (1.000)
In five-set matches | 3-3 (.500)
Jordan vs. Utah Valley | 15-5 (.750)
Atoa vs. NM State | 5-15 (.250)
Last meeting | at Utah Valley 1, NM State 3 • Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021
• Since the meetings between the Aggies and Wolverines started in 2013, NM State possesses a 15-5 (.750) all-time record against its foes from Orem.
• NM State owns a perfect 7-0 all-time record against Utah Valley when the teams have matched up inside the Pan American Center.
WAC ATTACK
• A new-look Western Athletic Conference is making its debut season in the 2021-22 season, and the Aggies are hoping to continue their dominance in the league.
• Now in his 24th season in charge at NM State, head coach Mike Jordan has been nothing short of masterful in league action throughout his tenure. The Aggies' bench boss owns an impressive 287-69 (.806) mark in regular-season WAC showdowns as well as a 30-12 (.714) record in WAC Tournament bouts.
• NM State has been especially effective in racking up all manner of WAC hardware through the last seven seasons. In that span, the Aggies are 88-12 (.880) against league opposition in regular-season tilts and have claimed five regular-season WAC crowns as well as a trio of WAC Tournament titles.
• Since joining the WAC in 2005, NM State has secured seven regular-season titles. All told, Jordan has claimed 11 conference titles since his run in Las Cruces began in 1998.
LAST TIME OUT | NM State 3, vs. Dixie State 0 | Thursday, Nov. 4
• Katie Birtcil smashed down a match-high 14 kills, Cat Kelly and Lia Mosher added nine more each and NM State earned its second-straight WAC sweep by taking down Dixie State in three sets Thursday night inside the Pan American Center.
• The Aggies' offensive racked up 48 terminations on the night and hit an astounding .650 (14 kills, one error, 20 attacks) in the middle set.
• Birtcil finished up a double-double effort by racking up 11 digs, too. From the service line, NM State racked up six aces with two each coming off the hands of Carly Aigner-Swesey and Shaney Lipscomb.
• NM State moved to 4-0 all-time against Dixie State and won its first-ever three-set match against the Trailblazers Thursday night.
ABOUT THE AGGIES
• Thanks to their three-set win over Dixie State Thursday night - as well as a Chicago State win over California Baptist - NM State moved back up to the top of the WAC's West Division standings.
• NM State is in a three-way tie with California Baptist and Grand Canyon for the top spot on the league's West Division list.
• The Aggies lead the WAC in no fewer than five statistical categories including assists per set (12.51), kills per set (13.54), attack percentage (.255), total assists (1,138) and total kills (1,232).
• Senior middle blocker Lia Mosher continues to lead the WAC while ranking among the top players in the nation in terms of attack percentage. The Ruidoso, N.M., product is hitting .421 which ranks 14th among all NCAA Division I volleyball players.
• The hard-hitting tandem of Katie Birtcil and Shaney Lipscomb give the Aggies two of the top ten arms in the WAC. Birtcil's 3.44 kills per set rank seventh among all league players while Lipscomb's figure of 2.90 is the ninth-best in the league.
• With 15 more digs Thursday night, libero Darian Markham pushed her digs per set average to 4.45 which ranks third among all WAC players.
SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• A four-set loss at Grand Canyon was what Utah Valley was handed Thursday night in Phoenix, Ariz., and when they set foot inside the Pan American Center the Wolverines will be hoping to avoid their fourth loss in their last five matches.
• One of the nation's best front-row defensive squads, Utah Valley ranks 14th in the land and leads the WAC with 2.86 blocks per set. The Wolverines' rejection total of 237.0 ranks as the sixth-highest among all NCAA Division I teams.
• Imposing figured in the front row, Kendra Nock and Sadie Hamson lead the Wolverines in terms of blocks. Nock's average of 1.21 blocks per set is tops among all WAC players while Hamson's figure of 1.19 ranks third in the league.
• Unquestionably the Wolverines' top offensive threat, Kazna Tanuvasa has finished with no fewer than 11 kills in all but of the 21 matches she has taken part in this season. Her kills per set average of 3.69 ranks fourth among all WAC players and maker her one of two Utah Valley players among the top 20 individuals in the league in terms of kills per set.
• Kristen Bell (2.23 kills/set) ranks second on the team in kills per set and 20th among all WAC players in that category.
• In terms of floor defense, Bryton Bishop tops the team's charts with an average of 4.02 per set. Bishop of also one of four players who are averaging at least 0.21 service aces per set and leading that quartet of Wolverines is Natalie Palmer (0.32 per set).
COMING UP NEXT
• For its final non-conference showdown of the 2021 regular season, NM State gets another shot at borderland rival UTEP Wednesday night inside the Pan American Center. The Aggies are hoping to avenge a five-set loss to the Miners earlier in the year once first serve occurs at 6:00 p.m.
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