First Serve
• Two squads trending in opposite directions will face off on Saturday night inside GCU Arena as the Aggies, a team that is riding a two-match win streak, visit the Lopes, a group is amidst a two-match losing skid.
 
• Saturday's contest will be the lone regular-season matchup between the two programs this season. Barring a collision in the WAC Tournament, this will mark the first time that NM State and GCU will not meet at least twice during the season since the Lopes joined the WAC.
 
Last Time Out | NM State 3, California Baptist 1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-20)
• After dropping the first set, the Aggies fought their way back to win three-straight sets to take the match and move to 4-3 in WAC play. This also marked just the second time in 11 matches that the Aggies lost the first set but emerged with the match victory.
 
• The play of Taylor Snow was of the glaring factors that went into determining the outcome of the Thursday night duel in Riverside, Calif. Snow finished the match with career-highs in both blocks (11) and digs (7) while also becoming one of just three Aggies in program history to record 11 or more block assists in a four-set match.
 
• As a team, NM State combined for 18 total blocks - a mark that blew past the Aggies' previous season-high of 13.
 
• While Snow served as a catalyst on the defensive end, Molly Johnson and Katie Birtcil powered the Aggie offense as both hitters commanded their respective corners to finish the night with 15 kills each.
 
• Jayde Shelton also put forth one of the best performances of her career as she concluded the night with a career-best seven kills.
 
• Rylee Fay continued to exhibit why she is the best server in the WAC as she turned in her seventh-straight match with at least two aces. 
 
Cream of the Conference Crop
• Currently, Rylee Fay is among the best in the WAC in a pair of categories as she paces the league in service aces per set (0.61) while ranking ninth in assists per set (6.17).
 
• Meanwhile, Mosher ranks second in the conference in hitting percentage (.371) and fifth in blocks per set (1.03). Following a big night against the Lancers, Taylor Snow also cracked the top ten in the league as she now ranks 10th in blocks per set by way of averaging 0.95 rejections.
 
• The attack of Katie Birtcil has also been one of the most effective in the league this season as she ranks second in kills per set at 3.44 across 66 sets on the season. The do-it-all outside hitter also ranks fifth in points per set (3.79).
 
• Leading the Aggies' defense, Darian Markham tallies the fourth-most digs among league Liberos at 4.51 per set.
 
• As a team, the Aggies are currently holding opponents to a .172 combined hitting percentage - a mark that is good for second in the conference.
 
• Also, the Aggies rank third in the league in assists (11.94) and kills (12.88) as a team.
 
Leaderboard Lia
• In addition to her dominance this season, Lia Mosher continues to move up the all-time ranks in program history. The sixth-year senior currently sits in fifth all-time in Aggie history in both total blocks (442) and fourth in block assists (369) while she ranks 10th in solo blocks (73). She also ranks second all-time in career hitting percentage at .349.

Markham Better Than Most
Now in her third season with the Crimson & White, Darian Markham has tallied 953 digs across 229 sets to average 4.16 digs per set with the Aggies. With that, the junior from McKinney, Texas, currently sits in second all time in digs per set in Aggie history.
 
The 'A' in Fay Stands for Ace
• The sophomore setter from Iowa City, Iowa is quickly putting together one of the best seasons in program history from the service line. She is currently responsible for 42 of the Aggies' 104 aces on the season - a mark that is just four away from cracking the top-10 in program history in single-season ace totals.
 
• From an individual match perspective, Fay put together two of the best performances by anyone to wear the Crimson & White. On Sept. 2, Fay recorded seven aces in a four-set win over North Carolina A&T to put herself in a tie for the most by any Aggie in a four-set match.
 
• Later in the season, Fay would equal that feat by notching seven aces in a four-set win over Southern Utah. With that seven-ace outing against the Trailblazers, Fay is the only server in the country to achieve seven or more aces in multiple four-set contests.
 
• Fay also prides herself as one of the most consistent servers in the country as she ranks eighth among all Division I servers in aces per set at 0.62.
 
Defending Our Side in Riverside
• Taylor Snows 11-block outing against the Lancers on Thursday put her in elite company as the single-match total places her in a tie for second-most in program history in a four-set match. The last time an Aggie recorded such numbers? Julianna Salanoa on Oct. 7, 2019, who also engineered an 11-block performance on the road against the Lancers.
 
• The dominant defensive showing from the Aggies also produced the most blocks by any Aggie team since NM State traveled to Riverside and collected 17 blocks against the Lancers in October of 2019.
 
The Magic Number is .200
• The Aggies managed a hitting percentage of greater than .200 for the 10th time this season on Thursday as they finish the match with a .302 clip against the Lancers. In those matches, NM State is a perfect 10-0 while boasting a record of 2-7 in matches that they finish with a hitting percentage of less than .200.
 
Keep Up with the Aggies
Fans looking to tune in to this weekend's matches will be able to do so via ESPN+.
 
Live stats will also be available to fans this weekend via StatBroadcast at this link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=417479.
 
Up Next
Following Saturday's match against Grand Canyon, the Aggies will return home to host WAC newcomer UT Arlington Oct. 27. This will mark NM State's lone home tilt across the next four outings.