MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Just 78 days after it began, the regular season finale has arrived for NM State Volleyball. The Aggies wrap up their 18-match CUSA slate at Middle Tennessee for a crucial matchup with standings. If the Crimson & White win one or more matches than Kennesaw State this weekend (at 14-2 UTEP), NM State will earn the No. 3 seed in next week's Conference USA Championship. The Aggies will look to carry their late-season momentum into a series with MTSU, who sits in fifth place with an 8-8 record in league play. 
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
Who: NM State (16-12, 10-6 CUSA) at Middle Tennessee (12-12, 8-8 CUSA)
Where: Alumni Memorial Gymnasium – Murfreesboro, Tenn.
When: Friday, Nov. 15 (6:00 PM CT) / Saturday, Nov. 16 (1:00 PM CT)
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: nmstatestats.com
All-Time Record vs. MTSU: 2-1
Last Meeting: MTSU 2 NM State 3 – Sept. 22, 2023
 
QUICK HITS
- NM State has now played 16 series against CUSA opponents; including at least one against each league member, with a 21-11 record
- The Aggies hold a 9-7 record in series openers, but are 12-4 in finales spanning their two years in the league
- Last month, Kacia Brown was named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week, earning the award on Monday, Oct. 21
- The middle blocker was exceptional against FIU, tallying 11 blocks as NM State swept the Panthers.
- Makayla Martinez has recorded 14 service aces over the past eight matches (0.56 per set), taking the team lead at 22 this season. 
- On Oct. 7, Nellie Reese became the first Aggie to ever be named CUSA Setter of the Week
- Reese leads the Aggies in assists (561), assists per set (5.61) and is second on the team in service aces (21) this season.
- Yasso Amin was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 16
- Starr Williams was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 2
- Nicole Briggs leads all Aggies with 0.94 blocks per set and has been involved in 38.9% of all Aggie blocks this season (83/206).
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies took care of business against Jax State, claiming six of seven sets over the weekend. Friday's showing was dominant as the home side hit .460 while holding the Gamecocks to .013, taking 75 points to Jax State's 36. Saturday's contest proved to be a tighter contest, but 15 efficient kills from Yasso Amin in addition to 20 Darian Markham digs were enough for the eight graduating Aggies to celebrate Senior Day with a four-set win. 
 
2023 MATCHUP SUMMARY
Last year, NM State hosted MTSU for what was the home team's first-ever Conference USA match. The Aggies took the series opener in a sweep before prevailing in a five-set finale. Ryleigh Whitekettle led the way with 22 kills over the series, while Aleka Darko tallied 13 blocks and Darian Markham racked up 33 digs as NM State took its first two matches in league history.  
 
SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS
Chuck Crawford is in his eighth year at the helm, holding a record of 88-124. This season, the program has won 12 of 28 matches, but came out on top in nine of 11 home contests. In CUSA play, MTSU is 8-8, ranking fifth in the league. Last time out, Kennesaw State hosted the Blue Raiders as the two sides earned a perfect split. The visitors came out on top in the finale, prevailing in four sets behind 19 kills and 13 digs from Adri Rhoda. Four-time CUSA Freshman of the Week Andi Spies filled up the box score with 10 kills, six blocks and 39 assists.
 
THE MARK OF A CHAMPION
Darian Markham is currently 114th in the nation with an average of 4.12 digs per set this season. In October, the star libero passed Krystal Torres for first place on the all-time NM State dig list, when she recorded her 1,943^rd of her career. Last weekend, the McKinney, Texas native became the first Aggie to surpass 2,000 career digs. The two-time WAC Champion has been named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week twice and was the CUSA Libero of the Year in 2023. 
 
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
After making the All-CUSA Second Team a year ago, Kacia Brown racked up some more hardware last month. The redshirt senior middle blocker was named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 21. Brown became the first Aggie to win the award this season and joined Darian Markham (twice in 2023) as the only members to ever earn the honor for NM State in CUSA. 
 
Since NM State's match versus Incarnate Word on Sept. 21 (17 matches), Brown has amassed 93 kills (5.47 per match), 52 blocks, eight solo blocks, 49 digs and 14 aces. The redshirt senior has now earned 16 consecutive starts entering the weekend and has tied Nicole Briggs for the team-lead in solo blocks on the season (10). Over this span, she leads her squad with an impressive .378 hitting percentage and 0.96 blocks per set. 
 
GOT FIVE ON IT
Makayla Martinez recorded the first five starts of her young career over the past eight matches. Across the four series, the true freshman posted 64 digs and a team-high 14 service aces (0.56 per set). In 2024, she now ranks fifth on the team with 136 digs and third with 1.72 digs per set. In CUSA play, she paces all Aggies with 15 aces and 0.38 per set. During that span, the Cibola High School product sits third on the team posting 2.10 digs per set. 
 
GIVING IT 200 PERCENT
The Aggies are third among CUSA institutions in hitting percentage (.242), behind only WKU and UTEP. NM State is 16-2 this season when posting a team mark above .200, but 0-10 when hitting .199 or worse. Additionally, when opponents hit below .200, NM State is 14-1 this season, but have just two wins in 13 tries when opponents post at least a .200 mark.
 
When out-hitting their opponents, the Aggies are 16-1 this season. Conversely, the Crimson & White have yet to win a match in which their opponents have a higher hitting percentage (0-11).
 
EARNING HARDWARE
Kacia Brown's Defensive Player of the Week award last month made her the fourth Aggie to earn league weekly honors this season. On Oct. 7, Nellie Reese became the first Aggie to ever win a conference setter of the week award after tallying a highly efficient 57 assists versus LA Tech. NM State also claimed two of the season's first three Offensive Player of the Week Awards. Starr Williams picked up league recognition after the first week of the campaign, when she put up 30 kills on a staggering .560 hitting percentage versus two 2023 NCAA Tournament representatives. Yasso Amin followed suit with an exceptional Borderland Invitational, posting 37 kills on a .388 hitting percentage to win her first CUSA Weekly Award on Sept. 16. 
 
STARR POWER
All season, the Aggies' first offensive option has been aptly-named Starr Williams. The redshirt junior has taken another leap, leading NM State in nearly every offensive category. The Ontario, Calif. native has started every match and is one of two Aggies to appear in all 100 sets this campaign, alongside Nellie Reese. Williams paces the Crimson & White in kills (324), kills per set (3.24) and hitting percentage (.325) while ranking second in total attempts (689).
 
The duo of Reese and Williams has appeared together in all but one starting lineup this season (27 of 28). The former leads the team in assists (561) and assists per set (5.61), while ranking second on the team to Makayla Martinez with 21 aces. Each have won CUSA Weekly Awards - Reese, Setter of the Week (Oct. 7); Williams, Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 2).
 
TAKING NOTICE
Conference USA unveiled its 2024 volleyball preseason awards on Thursday, Aug. 22, which included both a head coaches' poll and a 13-member All-CUSA Preseason Team. The Aggies received two first-place votes en route to finishing second in the poll, behind five-time defending regular-season champion Western Kentucky. Four Aggies (Yasso Amin, Darian Markham, Mari Sharp and Ryleigh Whitekettle) were named to the preseason team, giving NM State the most representatives in the 10-member league. 
 
LEGENDS ON THE BENCH
Entering 2024, Mike Jordan already amassed 565 wins, 12 regular-season conference titles and seven conference tournament championships. With Gregg Whitis already back for his fourth year as an assistant, Jordan added two of his greatest former players to his coaching staff. In February, Operations Director Tatyana Battle was elevated to assistant coach. In July, Jordan brought Lia Mosher back to Las Cruces after playing last season professionally overseas. Battle and Mosher played a combined 10 seasons for the Crimson & White, including two as teammates (2017-18). The duo combined for a 97-17 (.851) WAC record, six regular-season titles and three trips to the NCAA Tournament. Battle and Mosher tallied 262 matches played, 2,154 kills, 1,145 digs and 617 blocks. 
 
FIFTH-YEAR AGGIES
Darian Markham and Mari Sharp each came to Las Cruces in the fall of 2020, making their Aggie debut in Spring 2021. Each have won multiple individual awards and a pair of WAC titles, and both are in their fifth season with the Crimson & White in 2024. Both Markham and Sharp were named to the All-CUSA Preseason Team in August after a 2023 campaign in which they were named CUSA Libero of the Year and All-CUSA Second Team selection, respectively. 
 
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