OREM, Utah -- Behind a career-night from junior outside-hitter Katie Birtcil, the NM State Aggies volleyball program rolled by Utah Valley Thursday night in four sets in the 2021 Western Athletic Conference opener, 25-20, 20-25, 26-24, 25-20 at Lockhart Arena.
With the victory, the Aggies (10-3, 1-0 WAC), have now seven straight matches and 15 of their last 16 sets. NM State won its WAC opener for the third consecutive season and the fourth time since 2016.
In the end, Birtcil finished with a career-best 24 kills and 11 digs, to record her first-career double-double. The junior hit .264 for the match and also added four aces to help NM State avenge the 2021 WAC Championship game loss to Utah Valley (5-7, 0-1 WAC)
Joining Birtcil in double-figure kills was sophomore Mari Sharp who hit a blistering .371 for the match. The Albuquerque native had a career-best 14 kills and just one attack error on the night.
Other standout performances for the Aggies came from Carly Aigner-Swesey who recorded a career-best 49 assists and Shaney Libscomb who added nine kills, 10 digs and a team-best six blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SET ONE:
The Aggies led by a pair of kills from Birtcil raced out to an early 5-2 lead in the opening set.
After UVU responded with five of the next seven to bring the score even, Lipscomb powered the Aggies to four of the next five, giving the visitors an 11-8 lead halfway through set one.
Needing to respond, the Wolverines used another mini 3-0 run to even the opening set at 11. NM State and UVU would split the next eight points, bringing the first set to a 15-all deadlock.
On the backs of two UVU service errors and a pair of kills from Lipscomb and Sharp, NM State scored four of the next five points to force a UVU timeout at 20-16.
UVU responded after the timeout, scoring three of the next four to draw within 21-19.
Needing to switch the momentum back in its favor, NM State used a kill from Birtcil and a Sharp ace to pull within two points of the set (23-19). A Kristen Bell kill brough UVU to within 23-20, but back-to-back kills from Cat Kelly and Birtcil sealed a 25-20 Aggie victory in set one.
SET TWO:
Utah Valley responded in the second set, scoring the first four points and eight of the first 11 to take an 8-3 lead. After the Aggies won four of the next five to draw to within 9-7, UVU rattled off 10 of the next 14 to take a 19-13 lead.
Sensing the set slipping away, coach Mike Jordan burned a timeout.
Following the break, the Aggies used a Sharp kill to pull to within five, but UVU used one last 3-1 run to take a commanding 22-15 lead.
A mini 3-1 run brought NM State to within four (23-19), but UVU won two of the next three to even the match at one set all.
SET THREE:
In the crucial third set, the Aggies again fell behind. After winning two of the first three points, UVU rattled off a mini 3-0 run to take a 4-2 lead.
After the two teams split the next eight points to bring the score to 8-6 UVU, NM State used back-to-back kills from Kelly to tie the set at eight all.
UVU and NM State would each win six of the next 12 points, as the ever-important swing set stood deadlocked at 14.
The Wolverines looked to have surged ahead for good after a 4-0 spurt gave them an 18-14 lead, but the Aggies behind strong hitting from Birtcil and Sharp rattled off four straight and five of six to pull even at 19.
UVU scored three of the next four to go ahead 22-20, but Birtcil and the Aggies answered with three of the next four to even the set at 23 all.
A kill from Aigner-Swesey brought the Aggies to set point, but a block assist from Bell and UVU brought the 13th and final tie (24-24) of the third set.
The Aggies used one last Birtcil kill and an attack error from UVU to hold on for a 26-24 victory, that brought the visitors to within one set of victory.
SET FOUR:
Much like the previous three sets, set four opened extremely evenly, as UVU and NM State split the first six points.
A Birtcil kill and service ace, sparked a mini 4-0 run for the Aggies, who took a 7-3 lead. After UVU answered with three straight points, the two teams split the next 10 points.
With the Aggies in front by just one point (12-11), a UVU attack error sparked a 5-0 outburst from the Aggies. The run gave NM State a 17-11 lead halfway through set four.
UVU scored the next three points, to crawl to within 18-15, prompting another Jordan timeout.
Following the pause in action, the two teams split the next six points, bringing the aggies to within four points of victory (21-18).
Another 3-0 run sparked by Sharp and Birtcil gave the Aggies a commanding 24-18 lead.
After UVU fought off a pair of match points, the dangerous duo of Aigner-Swesey and Birtcil connected on one last kill that gave the Aggies a 25-20 victory in set four and sealed the three sets to one overall victory.
HEAD COACH MIKE JORDAN:
"I'm really proud of how we played tonight. We were shorthanded and had very little prep time. A lot of different people stepped up tonight. This was a good match against a good UVU team that's played a crazy tough schedule."
UP NEXT:
The Aggies look to complete a perfect weekend in Utah against Dixie State on Saturday at Noon.
