SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Aggies found their way to the win column on Saturday night. A 3-0 sweep of the North Florida Ospreys, highlighted by an epic second set, served as the team's first win of the season. NM State and UNF now each find themselves at 1-1 on the season with one match remaining in The Thunderdome Classic. 

Set-by-set: NM State wins 3-0 (25-22, 29-27, 25-22)

Redshirt sophomore Ryleigh Whitekettle stood out offensively, leading both sides with 17 kills. The outside hitter only had to swing 25 times to reach the mark, landing her a whopping .680 hitting percentage on the night. Two blocks and three digs did supplement her statline for the match as well.

"It felt really good to come back after yesterday, with more energy." Whitekettle was asked about her stellar offensive night, and what it meant to get the team's first win. "We had a lot of pressure on us to perform well as a team and I think we handled it very well." When discussing her growing role on the team, she noted "being a leader means more to me about how you treat your teammates and how you react in tough situations. I was focused on lifting everyone up and keeping the energy high."

Head Coach Mike Jordan has now extended his program record by notching a win in his 26th season."We attacked the ball well today," said Jordan, who now sits at 545 career wins. "We were able to take advantage of a mismatch or two. Ryleigh was aggressive on the ball today. We're limited with some injury issues but we battled a bit better today and outplayed a good team."

The Ospreys took a commanding 14-6 lead early, and it seemed as if the night was destined to be a repeat of Friday, when UCSB swept NM State. The Aggies turned the tide, though, taking 14 of the next 18 points on the back of Mari Sharp, who provided two kills and an ace in the run. In all, Whitekettle finished with five kills in the opening set, followed by Kacia Brown with four, and Sharp with three. 

Brown, a redshirt sophomore, continued her strong start to the season. After an impressive exhibition, Brown was third on the team in two categories, logging five kills and as many digs against UCSB. Against the Ospreys, she added nine kills, six digs and 11.5 points to her totals, which once again places her in the top three among Aggies. 

NM State closed out the first set relatively comfortably on an Osprey error, winning 25-22. 

The second set was a test of will and desire, and it was the three Preseason All-CUSA Team selections who put their side on top. The honorees, Whitekettle, Sharp, and Starr Williams, combined for 13 kills in the second set alone. The team combined for 20 in the frame, a high for the season. 

The set featured 15 ties and six lead changes, highlighting the competitiveness of these two squads. Ultimately, the Aggies' offense, which had a hitting percentage of .346,  proved to be too much to handle for UNF. The final for the set was 29-27.

The third set was back and forth for the opening moments, with a Mahalia White kill cutting the Aggies' lead to 14-13. Two straight NM State points forced a North Florida timeout, but the run was far from over. A kill from Williams, followed by two consecutive from Whitekettle highlighted a 7-1 stretch that grew the lead to 21-14. At 24-18, the outcome was fairly inevitable. The short-lived run proved to be not enough, with a fitting final point. Sophomore transfer Peyton Castillo assisted Whitekettle for her 17th and final kill, ending it at 25-22. 

Notable Stats/Leaders

• Castillo, a transfer from Western New Mexico, had a career night and led the team with 21 assists. It was her first start for the Aggies, and could very well be the first of many following that much production. 

• Darian Markham continues to be one of the most consistent, steady members of the roster. She tallied 18 digs, which was tied for a match high, and added an ace in the opening set.

• Mari Sharp and Sidney McIntosh rounded out the bulk of the offensive production, with 10 and five kills respectively. Sharp hit .455 on the night, with McIntosh at .286.

• The team increased their hitting percentage by 17 percent from a night ago, hitting .346 compared to .176 against UCSB

The Aggies return to action early tomorrow, taking on Denver Sunday at 12:00 PM MDT. The Pioneers currently sit at 0-2, following losses to North Florida and UC Santa Barbara.

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