LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State Volleyball enters the final stretch of Conference USA action this weekend, doing so from the Pan American Center. The Aggies will host Middle Tennessee for a pair of contests in the Land of Enchantment as both sides eye a return to the win column with eight chances left in the conference slate. The Crimson & White look to snap a four-match skid and improve on their 3-1 record against MTSU since joining CUSA two years ago.  
 
WHAT TO KNOW
Who: Middle Tennessee (10-10, 2-6 CUSA) at NM State (11-10, 4-4 CUSA)
Where: Pan American Center – Las Cruces, N.M.
When: Friday, Oct. 24 at 6:00 PM / Oct. 25 at 1:00 PM 
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: nmstatesports.com/stats
All-Time Record vs. MTSU: 8-2
Last Meeting: NM State 3 at MTSU 2 – Nov. 16, 2024
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies hit the road to take on Missouri State last weekend. The Bears picked up a straight-set victory on Friday before NM State rolled to a 2-0 lead in Saturday's bout. The visitors appeared destined for a series split, but MSU took each of the ensuing three sets, becoming the first team to pull off a reverse sweep against NM State since it joined CUSA in 2023. 
 
AGENT ZERO
Coming out of Las Cruces, Tess Fuqua committed to Arizona in the fall of 2023. The outside hitter suffered a pair of ACL injuries that led her back home for a 2024 season on the Aggie bench. This fall, Fuqua finally got her long-awaited collegiate debut, and she has not disappointed. 
 
The two-time New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year has averaged a team-best 3.10 kills per set this season, in addition to 148 total digs as a consistent starter for NM State. In CUSA play, she's upped her production to the tune of 3.57 kills per set on a .218 hitting percentage across five matches. Last weekend, the Centennial High School product racked up 37 kills on a .250 clip, including a hyper-efficient 19 in just three sets on Friday (.444). 
 
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 20 of 21 matches, only missing the opener at Missouri State. The junior has the most Aggie kills (222) this season and has led the team in seven matches thus far. Her 203 digs also place her second on the team leaderboard, only behind libero Makayla Martinez. 
 
Additionally, Lightheart paces Conference USA with 42 aces on the campaign, placing her seventh 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 earlier this month. 
 
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 15 of 21 matches, leading the way with 399 assists thus far on an average of 5.18 per set. The Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, native also holds 21 aces in 2025, ranking second on the team. 
 
TINY BUT MIGHTY
Makayla Martinez has emerged as a consistent starting libero in her sophomore season with Mike Jordan's group. The second-year Aggie already has more digs in 2025 than her entire freshman campaign, leading the team with 232. Both her total and average per set (3.60) rank inside CUSA's top 10, despite missing three September matches with an injury. 
 
The Albuquerque native has led the team in digs 10 times this year, including eight of the past 12 matches. She has surpassed 20 digs twice in 2025, with her most coming against Little Rock (27). The sophomore has also racked up 78 assists and 18 service aces this year, ranking fourth and third on the team, respectively.
 
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 20 matches and appeared in all but two sets. The middle blocker leads the team in total blocks, tallying 70 on the season, including 10 solo rejections. 
 
Offensively, Sinclair's 100 kills have come on a .242 hitting percentage; a clip that leads the team (minimum 3.0 attempts per set). In her last 13 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 started every match, accepting 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 the only Aggie to appear in all 80 sets. The sophomore has led the squad in denials on 10 occasions, including five times in CUSA contests. In eight league bouts, she has totaled 50 kills and a team-high 26 blocks from the front row. 
 
SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS
Middle Tennessee is under the direction of Alexa Keckler, who boasts a 334-253 record in her 21-year career. The former Lehigh coach is in her first season with the Blue Raiders, who are out to a 10-10 start in 2025. The squad most recently earned a series split with Liberty, with both teams taking a five-set victory a day apart. 
 
The squad is led on the floor by Raegan Durbin, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter. The Indiana native was named CUSA Freshman of the Week on Sept. 29 amid a season in which she has led MTSU with 3.34 kills per set and 33 aces thus far. Setter Caroline Macander's 666 assists pace the squad in Keckler's predominantly 5-1 system, while she also averages 3.24 digs per set. Isil Yilmaz leads the way defensively from the back row with 274 digs, while Michaela Dlouhá's 77 blocks put her atop the team leaderboard.
 
Last season, NM State trekked to Murfreesboro for the regular-season finale. After dropping the series opener the day prior, the Aggies settled in for a classic Saturday afternoon duel. The visitors prevailed in a five-set thriller that saw 238 points and 141 kills. Makayla Martinez racked up five aces while Nellie Reese and Rilen Garcia combined for 62 assists to guide their side to a .315 hitting percentage in the win. 
 
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