SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Following four straight home bouts, NM State Volleyball is set to hit the road once again. The Aggies have made the trek to Springfield, Mo., where they will take on one of Conference USA's new members. Missouri State awaits as two historically dominant programs collide in the Show-Me State. The Bears entered the season with the ninth-most wins in NCAA history, but are off to a shaky 6-11 start with just one league victory in six tries. Meanwhile, the Crimson & White (11-8, 4-2) hope to bounce back from a winless weekend at home against UTEP. 
 
WHAT TO KNOW
Who: NM State (11-8, 4-2 CUSA) at Missouri State (6-11, 1-5 CUSA)
Where: Hammons Student Center – Springfield, Mo.
When: Friday, Oct. 17 at 5:00 PM MT / Oct. 18 at 12:00 PM MT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: nmstatesports.com/stats
All-Time Record vs. Missouri State: 3-8
Last Meeting: NM State 3 vs. Missouri State 0 – Aug. 29, 2014 (Salt Lake City)
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Battle of I-10 was held in the Pan American Center last weekend, with a pair of matches on Friday and Saturday. UTEP came out victorious in both, taking all six sets over the series. The Miners hit .400 as a team on Friday before cooling down to the tune of .202 on Saturday, but the Aggies' late rally fell short in set three. The losses snapped a 15-match winning streak at home for Mike Jordan's bunch.
 
SERVE AND PROTECT
NM State ranks second among Conference USA programs in total blocks (159) and aces (129) this season. The Aggies have held 11 of their 19 opponents to a sub-.200 hitting percentage, doing so at a higher rate than last year's squad (16 of 33 matches). The 2024 unit also posted eight or more blocks in 16 of 33 contests. This fall's team, however, has tallied at least eight rejections in 13 of 19 matches thus far, ranking 41^st in the nation with 159 team blocks.
 
At the service line, NM State has been equally as dominant. The Aggies have averaged 1.79 aces per set, up from last year's 1.30 mark. Eleven aces stood as the group's high-water mark in 2024, which has already been eclipsed three times this campaign. In this year's season opener against Eastern Washington, the unit amassed 15 aces, falling just two short of the four-set program record. Additionally, on Sept. 13, Maggie Lightheart racked up seven masterful serves as part of a 14-ace night for the home team against New Haven. The Crimson & White have combined have brought their season total to 129 perfect serves, ranking 24^th in NCAA Division I.
 
NOTHING LIGHTHEARTED ABOUT HER
In her first two years with the program, Maggie Lightheart cracked the starting lineup just three times. So far in 2025, the Las Cruces native has started all 19 matches and missed just one set. The junior has the most Aggie kills (210) this season following a 23-kill weekend against UTEP. Her 184 digs also place her second on the team leaderboard, only behind Makayla Martinez.
 
Additionally, Lightheart paces Conference USA with 41 aces on the campaign, placing her fifth across all of NCAA Division I and well ahead of last year's program leader (30, Martinez). The third-year Aggie has landed three or more aces in eight contests this year, doing so both times against Sam Houston during the homestand. 
 
WOAH, NELLIE
In the offseason, only one starter returned from the 2024 squad. Nellie Reese, who appeared in every set last year, was the starting setter in all but one match a season ago as she led her team with 678 total assists (5.60 per set). 
 
The Montana State transfer is now amid her senior season in her second campaign as an Aggie. This fall, Reese has started 14 of 19 matches, leading the way with 354 assists thus far on an average of 5.13 per set. The Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, native also holds 20 aces in 2025, ranking second on the team. 
 
TINY BUT MIGHTY
Makayla Martinez has emerged as a consistent starting libero in her sophomore season. The second-year Aggie already has more digs in 2025 than her entire freshman campaign, leading the team with 209. Both her total and average per set (3.60) rank top-eight in CUSA, despite missing three September matches with an injury. 
 
The Albuquerque native has led the team in digs nine times this year, including seven of the past 10 matches. She has surpassed 20 digs twice in 2025, with her most coming against Little Rock (27). The sophomore has also racked up 65 assists and 16 service aces this year, ranking fourth on the team in both categories.
 
SWEET 16
As a true freshman, Kate Sinclair has made an immediate impact. The Canadian has entered the starting lineup in each of the past 18 matches and appeared in all but two sets. The middle blocker leads the team in total blocks, tallying 67 on the season, including 10 solo rejections.
 
Offensively, Sinclair's 84 kills have come on a .263 hitting percentage; a clip that leads the team (minimum 3.0 attempts per set). The Canadian is hitting .268 in conference play while averaging 1.84 points per set. In her last 11 contests, she has finished with a clip of .350 or higher seven times, including her career best of .462 at UNM (Sept. 16).
 
FEELIN' FOXY
Among the Aggies' 13 returners, few took a leap quite as large as Mia Fox. After notching just 17 kills and six blocks as a freshman, the middle blocker has accepted a much heavier load in 2025 as the lone returner at her position.
 
This year, Fox has amassed 128 kills and 61 blocks while being one of two Aggies to start all 19 matches. The sophomore has led the squad in denials on nine occasions, including four times in CUSA contests. In six league bouts, she has totaled 39 kills and 21 blocks from the front row. 
 
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Missouri State is under the direction of Steven McRoberts, who boasts a 76-87 record in his six years with the program. The Bears are out to a 6-11 start this season, most recently earning a series split at Jacksonville State. Saturday's win was the first for the program as a member of CUSA, improving to 1-5 in league bouts. 
 
The squad is led on the floor by Peyton McKee, averaging 3.02 kills per set on a .258 hitting percentage. The outside hitter was named CUSA Freshman of the Week on Sept. 8 after just her second weekend of collegiate action. Elsewhere, Rilynn Finley and Lizanyela Lopez have combined for nearly 300 kills, mostly coming courtesy of setters Rossana Papa and Hannah Gardner in McRoberts' 6-2 system. Lopez, who leads the squad with 79 total blocks, is aided defensively by Brooke Eslinger's 3.35 digs per set. 
 
Historically, MSU has stood as one of the premier programs in all of the country. The Bears entered the season with 1,287 wins, ranking ninth in NCAA Division I. Since its opening season in 1972, the program has amassed 15 conference championships and 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. 
 
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