Wildcat Classic | Sept. 2-3 | Davidson, N.C.
Teams
NM State (2-1, 0-0 WAC) | Lindenwood (2-1, 0-0 OVC) | North Carolina A&T (3-1, 0-0 CAA) | Davidson (2-1, 0-0 A-10)
First Serve
• Week two of non-conference play for the Aggies will take place inside John M. Belk Arena in Davidson, N.C., where they will compete in the Wildcat Classic hosted by Davidson College.
• While there, NM State will square off with three programs it has never seen before in Division I newcomer Lindenwood, North Carolina A&T and Davidson.
Weekend Notes
• Just three matches in, the Aggies are still leaning on returners Katie Birtcil, Lia Mosher, Darian Markham and Mari Sharp. However, several newcomers have made an impact early on, including Molly Johnson, Rylee Fay, Bianca Perez, Ryleigh Whitekettle and Taylor Snow.
• Currently, seven different Aggies rank among the top ten in the WAC across six major statistical categories. Molly Johnson's hitting percentage of .359 is good for fourth-best in the conference.
• Meanwhile, Katie Birtcil ranks sixth in kills per set (3.33), Bianca Perez sits in eighth in assists per set (5.11), Rylee Fay posts 0.56 aces per set to rank fifth and Darian Markham averages 4.89 digs per set to rank fourth
• Additionally, both Lia Mosher and Ryleigh Whitekettle rank inside the top six blockers in the league as Mosher ranks third with 1.19 blocks per set and Whitekettle sits in a tie for sixth with 1.00 blocks per set.
• As a team, the Aggies have limited to opponents to a lower hitting percentage than any other squad in the WAC with teams facing the Aggies hitting a mere .112 across nine sets. This mark is also good for 23rd-best in the nation.
• The defense has also been strong on the back end as the Aggies rank second in the WAC and 15th among D-I programs in digs per set (17.67).
• The Aggies won their third-straight WAC Regular Season Championship during the Fall 2021 season and sixth in the last seven years behind a 10-4 regular season league record.
• Both Mosher and Birtcil also began the year on the heels of First Team All-WAC selections for their play in Fall 2021.
Keep Up with the Aggies
Fans will be able to watch NM State's Saturday afternoon match against Davidson on ESPN+. However, the Aggies first two matches will not be broadcasted. Instead, fans can follow along via live stats using this link.
Scouting Lindenwood
• The Lions make their Division I debut this season as they joined the Ohio Valley Conference ahead of the fall semester.
• After competing in the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational last weekend, Lindenwood enters the contest with the Aggies boasting a 2-1 record with wins coming over Canisius and Western Illinois. The Lions lone loss came in the form of a sweep at the hands of Purdue Fort Wayne.
• On the season, the Lions are led offensively by sophomore outside hitter Taylor Gentemann who averages a team-high 3.50 kills per set while also leading the team in hitting percentage (.280).
• Meanwhile, Rebecca Janke paces the Lions in blocks per set at 1.50.\
• Last week, both Nyah Wilson and Allie Otten picked up All-Tournament honors the the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational.
A Look at North Carolina A&T
• North Carolina A&T enters the weekend with four matches already under its belt - putting together a 3-1 overall record on the season.
• With victories coming over Bethune-Cookman, UNC Greensboro and North Carolina Central, the Aggies are led by six-foot outside hitter Naiya Sawtelle who ranks 46th in the nation in kills per set (4.35).
• The Aggies are also strong from the service line as Chiara Napoli has compiled nine service aces to rank ninth in the country.
Scouting Davidson
• Davidson rounds out the group of teams competing this weekend and will start its second week of play after putting together a 2-1 record at the UNC Wilmington Invitational.
• The Wildcats leader in kills per set is Isabel Decker at 2.82, however they will bring a balanced attack as both Jackie Bardin and Emma Slusser average 2.00-plus kills per set.
Up Next
NM State will return to Las Cruces for its first home regular season match as they welcome UC Santa Barbara on Friday, Sept. 9, and Saturday, Sept. 10.
++NM State++
