LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State Volleyball returned to the win column on Friday with a convincing sweep of Southern. Following an error-filled performance on Thursday, the Aggies cleaned up their offense, notching 42 kills on a .337 hitting percentage. 15 Aggies entered the match, with eight posting multiple kills and nine recording at least one dig. NM State (5-6) has one non-conference match left on its schedule, and will aim to bring Friday's success into Saturday's home affair with Incarnate Word.
Set-by-set: NM State wins 3-0 (25-9, 25-12, 25-18)
FIRST SET
The home team bounced back on Friday, with an electric 11-2 start highlighted by two kills and a block from Yasso Amin. Mari Sharp posted three quick kills en route to pulling ahead 21-7 and forcing the Jaguars' second timeout. An Aleka Darko solo block followed by back-to-back Amin kills closed out a 4-1 set-sealing run for NM State, who took a dominant 25-9 win.
SECOND SET
The second stanza opened with more stellar play from Darko, as she racked up two quick kills to pull ahead 8-1 and prompt yet another Southern timeout. Later, a 4-0 run put the home side in front 21-8, and the Jaguars never pulled within 10 points for the remainder of the frame. One of Nicole Briggs' three efficient kills on the evening sent the match to set three, with the Aggies prevailing 25-12.
THIRD SET
Southern held their own with a 7-7 split through the first 14 points of the set, before a trio of home kills from three different Aggies sparked a 5-1 run. Claudia Rossi dropped in an ace to prompt the media timeout before Morgan Stewart tallied her second ace on the night, pulling her side ahead 20-12 on a late 7-1 spurt. Aleka Darko's seventh and final kill of the night got the crowd to its feet for match point. Just one play later, a Southern service error ended the match at 25-18.
NUMBERS OF NOTE
-
Mia Fox recorded two new career high with four kills and a .500 hitting percentage in the win.
-
Aleka Darko also passed her season high in kills with seven finishes on a .667 hitting percentage in the sweep.
-
The Houston native tallied a 2024-best five blocks, leading her team in the win.
-
Yasso Amin tied a season high with three block assists, and recorded her first solo block of 2024.
-
The Aggies posted a remarkable .500 hitting percentage in the second set.
-
With just 16 combined attack and service errors, the Aggies finished with their second-best such mark this season (Texas Southern: 13).
-
The Aggies had their fewest amount of kills in a win this season (42).
-
As a team, the Crimson & White (.337) hit .406 better than Southern (-.069). That margin is the largest this season (previous: .283 versus Texas Southern).
-
Additionally, with 42 kills to the visitors' 18, the Aggies' 24-kill margin was the largest of 2024 (previous: 18 vs. ACU).
-
The Aggies held the Jaguars to a -.069 hitting percentage, over .100 points below NM State's previous best against an opponent (CSUN: .063).
FROM THE FLOOR
Fifth year libero Darian Markham: "I think we worked together as a team more today. We communicated well both on and off the court, which is the key to helping each other. I think getting more people in today was helpful, because it gives those people experience and chances to see things they don't normally see."
UP NEXT
The Aggies will return to the Pan American Center tomorrow as they conclude their three-match weekend. NM State will host Incarnate Word (7-2) on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 1:00 PM as they look to finish non-conference play at .500. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ and available to follow via LiveStats at nmstatestats.com.
For complete coverage of NM State Volleyball, follow us on Twitter (@NMStateVBall), Instagram (@NMStateVBall) and like us on Facebook (NM State Volleyball). You can also follow along with Aggie Volleyball via NMStateSports.com.
##NM State##
