Match Thirteen
NM State (9-3, 0-0 WAC) at Utah Valley (5-6, 0-0 WAC)
Thursday, Sept. 23 | 6:00 p.m. | Lockhart Arena | Orem, Utah
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets | NM State Match Notes
THE FIRST SERVE
• Hoping to win their 10th Western Athletic Conference opener since 2010, the NM State volleyball team sets out on a journey to Orem, Utah, for a Thursday night showdown with Utah Valley inside Lockhart Arena. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.
• The rematch of the 2021 WAC Tournament title bout will be streamed live on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
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 280-65 (.811) 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 82-8 (.911) 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.
ALL SET
• After suffering a loss in the fifth and final set against longtime Texas rival UTEP back on Sunday, Sept. 5, NM State hasn't dropped a set since.
• The Aggies are riding a six-match winning streak which ranks as the longest active run in the WAC as well as the 17th-longest stretch among all NCAA Division I volleyball teams.
• Through their six-match winning streak, the Aggies haven't lost a set. NM State's 18 consecutive sets won represent the second-longest active streak of sets won by any NCAA Division I squad. Maryland's 23-set winning streak is the only run longer than the Aggies' current 18-set unbeaten streak.
AROUND THE ROTATION
• Often referred to as the pride of Ruidoso, N.M., Lia Mosher has made a name for herself as one of the nation's best attackers in 2021. The middle blocker leads the WAC and ranks seventh nationally with her hitting percentage of .458. In addition to her efficient numbers on the attack, Mosher leads the team with 31 rejections (0.70 per set).
• Mosher has hit below .360 in just one of the Aggies' 12 matches this season and has hit .400 or better in three of her last five matches.
• At the top of the Aggies' balanced offense sits Lipscomb. The right side leads NM State with 2.98 kills per set on an efficient .338 hitting percentage. Though the Aggies possess no player with a kills per set average at 3.00 or higher, a trio of NM State players average at or near 2.5 terminations per frame. In addition to Lipscomb, Birtcil (2.52 kills per set, .301 hitting percentage) and Barrett (2.43 kills per set) are among the Aggies' top three performers in that category.
• Carly Aigner-Swesey and freshman Alana Embry have been handling the Aggies' setting duties this year. The latter leads the team with 6.11 assists per set while Embry's 4.47 helpers per frame rank second.
• In the off-colored jersey, Darian Markham's 4.39 digs per set place her among the top 100 NCAA Division I players in that category. Her average is the 96th-best in the land as well as the fourth-highest among all WAC players.
• After battling an injury which severely limited her effectiveness, Cat Kelly has been returning to form in 2021. The Albuquerque, N.M., product has helped provide some depth for the Aggies both on the attack and in terms of floor defense. Kelly has scooped up 10 or more digs in her last two outings and has struck for 10 or more kills in two of the 11 matches she has played in this year.
• The Aggies lead the WAC in both hitting percentage (.252) and opponent hitting percentage (.146). On the national scene, NM State's opponent hitting percentage is the 28th-best in the land while the Aggies' hitting percentage ranks as the 52nd-highest.
LAST TIME OUT
• Shaney Lipscomb pounded down 15 kills, Katie Birtcil hammered home 11 more and the Aggies extended their winning streak to six matches by claiming a 3-0 victory at Stetson last Saturday morning.
• During NM State's final match of the Stetson Invitational, its offense operated at an attacking clip of .350 while limiting the Hatters to a figure of .192.
• The service line was a boon for the Aggies, too, as they kept Stetson off-balance with a seven-ace assault from there. Victoria Barrett added to her team-leading ace total by serving up four. Through her three matches at the Stetson Invitational, Barrett fired in 10 aces - good for an average of 1.11 per set through the three-match swing.
• Both Lipscomb and Birtcil earned spots on the Stetson Invitational All-Tournament Team for their performances through the Aggies' three-match stretch.
SERIES HISTORY
Overall vs. Utah Valley | 14-5 (.737)
In Las Cruces, N.M. | 7-0 (1.000)
In Orem, Utah | 5-5 (.500)
At neutral sites | 2-0 (1.000)
Streak | Utah Valley won one
Last five matches | 3-2 (.600)
Last 10 matches | 6-4 (.600)
In three-set matches | 6-2 (.750)
In four-set matches | 5-0 (1.000)
In five-set matches | 3-3 (.500)
Jordan vs. Utah Valley | 14-5 (.737)
Atoa vs. NM State | 5-14 (.263)
Last meeting | at Utah Valley 3, NM State 0 (April 3, 2021)
• Since the meetings between the Aggies and Wolverines started in 2013, NM State possesses a 14-5 (.737) all-time record against its foes from Orem.
• NM State is 7-3 (.700) all-time against Utah Valley when playing in Orem, Utah, but the Wolverines have won two of the last three meetings between the two programs at that site.
SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• The team that swept NM State in the 2021 WAC Tournament title bout, Utah Valley is hoping to string together back-to-back wins over the Aggies for the first time ever when the two squads hit the court inside Lockhart Arena.
• A defensive mentality - especially when it comes to the front row - is what the Wolverines possess. Utah Valley leads the WAC and ranks 22nd nationally with 112.0 total blocks. The team's 2.49 blocks per set represent another WAC-leading figure and are also the 44th-best mark among all NCAA Division I volleyball squads.
• Much of the reason those blocking numbers are so gaudy have to do with the play of Sadie Hamson and Kendra Nock. Standing at 6-4 and 6-1 respectively, Hamson and Nock are helping the Wolverines limit opponents to a collective .202 attack percentage this year. Nock ranks second in the WAC in blocks per set (1.06) while Hamson sits in fourth (1.03) among all league players.
• WAC Player of the Year and Honorable Mention AVCA All-American were just a few of the accolades picked up by Kazna Tanuva who is back for another season in Orem. The Wolverines' go-to option on offense, Tanuva leads the team and ranks fifth in the WAC with 3.61 terminations per frame.
• In the serve/receive game, setters Abbie Miller and Natalie Palmer have been the two biggest threats to generate aces for Utah Valley. Palmer's 14 service winners lead the team while Miller isn't far behind with 13.
• Utah Valley is currently in the midst of its longest home stretch of the 2021 season. The Wolverines' battle with the Aggies will serve as the fourth in a run of five consecutive home matches.
• Showing no fear in the non-conference portion of their schedule, the Wolverines matched wits with a trio of top-15 teams prior to the start of WAC action. Utah Valley faced off against #10 Utah twice and against #15 BYU most recently (Saturday, Sept. 18).
COMING UP NEXT
• NM State will close out its two-match road swing on the opening weekend of WAC play be remaining in the state of Utah. The Aggies are headed to St. George, Utah, where they'll tangle with Dixie State at noon Saturday.
++NM State++
