LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Kicking off their final weekend of regular season matches, NM State secured its fifth straight win – its longest such streak of the season – in a 3-1 victory over FIU on Friday night at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. Led by an impressive performance from Ryleigh Whitekettle who ended the night with 18 kills and just two attack errors on her way to posting a .471 hitting percentage. The Panthers now fall to 8-7 in CUSA action while NM State (18-9, 10-5) records conference win number ten for the 22^nd time in the past 23 seasons.
 
Once again, the Aggie defense was a big reason why they were able to prevail as NM State compiled 14 blocks on the night to notch their highest total since Oct. 4. This defensive attack was led by Kacia Brown who recorded seven total blocks to go along with her 12 kills. As a team, the Aggie offense combined to hit .320 to post a plus-.300 percentage for the fourth time in the last five outings.
 
The Panthers entered the night hindered by not having one of its top attackers in Yasso Amin, however, Syra Tanchin did her best to carry the load as she posted 19 kills on .463 hitting to lead the way for the home side.
 
Set-by-set: NM State wins 3-1 (25-14, 26-28, 25-20, 25-22)
 
The Aggies wasted no time in imposing their will on the Panthers as a kill from Starr Williams capped off an early 6-0 scoring run to put the visiting Aggies ahead 7-2 and force a very early timeout from FIU head coach Cristina Robertson. Later, the Aggies extended their lead to 11 points to force yet another timeout from the struggling Panthers. During the Aggies' dominant opening points, Darian Markham recorded two three aces for the Aggies to continue her strong play from the service line after she posted four aces in NM State's most recent outing. With the Aggies firmly in control, FIU put together a 5-0 run to cut the lead to nine points before back-to-back kills from Starr Williams handed the Aggies the 1-0 lead after one set.
 
NM State commanded the set early once again as a block from Starr Williams gave the Aggies their fourth block of the night and earned the Crimson and White a 6-3 advantage. However, unlike the first set, the Panthers showed some fight before the set could get out of hand as FIU rattled off five-straight points to take a 10-9 lead. From there, the two sides went back-and-forth until a kill from the Panthers' Syra Tanchin kickstarted a three-point run that put the Aggies behind 11-14. This gave the home side the momentum it needed to put itself in position to secure the second-set victory. However, the Aggies had a different idea as a kill from Ashley Herman was followed a solo block from Ryleigh Whitekettle, a kill from Whitekettle then a kill from Kacia Brown tied the set at 24-24 and force extra points. Unfortunately for the Aggie faithful watching from home, FIU eventually closed out the set to even the match at a set apiece.
 
The third set was competitive early on with neither side taking more than a three-point lead until Aleka Darko and Mari Sharp combined to reject an FIU attack and give NM State a 10-6 lead. Later, an ace from the right hand of Rilen Garcia capped off a three-point run to put the Aggies ahead 14-8. After controlling much of the third set, the Aggies watched their lead shrink disappear after FIU notched a 5-0 run to tie the match at 18. The Aggies then responded with an impressive three-point run which included kills from both Mari Sharp and Starr Williams – forcing a timeout from the Panthers. The Aggies used this burst to clinch their second set win of the night as Ryleigh Whitekettle recorded her 12^th kill of the night to end the set.
 
Like the third set, neither side could grab a strong hold of the fourth frame to start as FIU's three-point lead was the largest for either squad through the first 15 points. Later, the Panthers would build a four-point lead to force an NM State timeout which proved to be useful as the Aggies pieced together a four-point run to tie the match and force a timeout from FIU. With the set tied at 13, the two teams traded the next seven points until FIU tallied three-in-a-row to take an 18-16 lead. With the Aggies in need of a spark, Mari Sharp provided one as she tallied a kill then followed with a solo block to even the score. The momentum then fully shifted to the Aggies as Bianca Perez teamed up with Ryleigh Whitekettle at the net to record just her sixth block of the season and move the Aggies in front 20-18. Eventually, the Aggies sealed the deal as Kacia Brown and Starr Williams met Travel Morris at the net to earn the Aggies the match win.
 
Notable Stats/Leaders

• By holding the Panthers to just 14 points in the first set, the Aggies have now refused to let their opponent surpass 15 points in at least one set in each of the last three matches.
• Aggies reach conference win 10 for 22^nd time in 23 seasons. Last season NM State finished with a 7-7 record in conference action, the first time they failed to secure ten victories over conference foes since the 2000 season, as members of the Sun Belt Conference.
• NM State improved to a 4-0 record in November, matching its win total in the month of October, when the Aggies posted a 4-5 mark.
• Three times this season the Crimson & White have recorded four straight victories, including their streak heading into the contest with the Panthers. With the four-set victory, the Aggies tallied their fifth straight win, the first five-game winning streak for a Mike Jordan led squad since the 2021 season, when NM State record six wins in a row between Sept. 17 and Sept. 30.
• Meeting on the volleyball court for the first time since 2012, NM State improved its all-time record against FIU to 10-1.
• Sophomore setter Rilen Garcia stepped up big against the Panthers – recording a career-high 32 assists in her increased role on Friday night. This also ranks as the third-most assists by an Aggie this season and most in a four-set match.
• Ryleigh Whitekettle's 18 kills in the four-set bout is the second most by an Aggie in a four-set match this season.

From the Floor
Head Coach Mike Jordan, on what stood out in the win: "We overcame some bad serving and attacked the ball pretty well. We blocked it reasonably well. They're a solid team so it's a good road win."

Up Next
NM State returns to Ocean Bank Convocation Center on the campus of FIU for their final match of the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 11. First serve is set for 11:00 a.m. MT, with fans able to stream the action on ESPN+, or follow along thanks to StatBroadcast. Following the conclusion of Saturday's contest, the Aggies will look ahead to the CUSA Tournament, held in Lynchburg, Va., starting Friday, Nov. 17. With a win on Saturday, NM State will clinch the number two seed in the tournament and face either LA Tech or Jax State in the first round.
 
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