RUSTON, La. – Over Halloween weekend, NM State Volleyball hits the road again, this time making the trek to the Bayou State. LA Tech awaits as the series host, with the Bulldogs (7-17, 0-10) still hunting their first Conference USA victory. The Aggies (13-10, 6-4), winners of two straight, look to build on their streak and climb the ranks ahead of next month's conference tournament. 
 
WHAT TO KNOW
Who: NM State (13-10, 6-4 CUSA) at LA Tech (7-17, 0-10 CUSA)
Where: Thomas Assembly Center – Ruston, La.
When: Friday, Oct. 31 at 1:00 PM MT / Saturday, Nov. 1 at 12:00 PM MT
Live Stream: ESPN+ (Friday only)
Live Statistics: nmstatesports.com/stats
All-Time Record vs. LA Tech: 22-1
Last Meeting: LA Tech 1 at NM State 3 – Oct. 5, 2024
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Crimson & White hosted Middle Tennessee last weekend, taking two four-set victories in the Pan American Center. NM State rolled with 23 blocks in the series, holding the Blue Raiders to a .132 hitting percentage. Eighteen Aggie aces were sparked by six on Friday alone from Tess Fuqua, who notched a career high. 
 
Zoe Ziegler (12) and Jaelynn Kohli (11) led the way defensively, each garnering double-digit block totals on the weekend. The former tallied eight rejections in the series opener, setting a career high in her junior season. Mia Fox was also impactful up front, notching 15 kills and six blocks while amassing a .423 hitting percentage.
 
NOTHING LIGHTHEARTED ABOUT HER
Since 2023, Maggie Lightheart has blossomed from a walk-on to a star six-rotation player with multiple league awards. The junior notched 42 kills and 23 digs over the weekend, leading her team to a pair of home victories. The Las Cruces native notched 23 kills on Friday, marking a career high and the most by any Aggie this season, all while hitting .429 on just 42 attempts. For her efforts, she was named CUSA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, picking up the program's first weekly award of the season. 
 
So far in 2025, the Las Cruces native has started 22 of 23 matches, only missing the opener at Missouri State. The junior has the most Aggie kills (264) this season and has led the team in nine matches thus far. Her 260 digs also place her second on the team leaderboard, only behind libero Makayla Martinez. 
 
Additionally, Lightheart paces Conference USA with 44 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, staking her claim as one of the nation's elite at the service line. 
 
BACK IN FUNKYTOWN
A native of Shreveport, La., Katie Funk is in the midst of her first season with NM State. The middle blocker spent her first two seasons with Tyler JC in Texas, where she tallied 160 kills and 137 blocks with the Apaches. The junior is the lone Louisiana product on the roster, tallying 17 kills and 10 blocks thus far in 2025.
 
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 3.00 kills per set this season, in addition to 162 total digs as a regular starter for NM State. Last Friday, the Centennial High School product racked up a career-best six aces in a four-set win over MTSU, bringing her season total to 23 (second on team). 
 
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 17 of 23 matches, leading the way with 441 assists thus far on an average of 5.19 per set. The Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, native also holds 22 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 260. Both her total and average per set (3.51) rank inside CUSA's top 10, despite missing three September matches with an injury. 
 
The Albuquerque native has led the team in digs 12 times this year, including 10 of the past 14 matches. She has surpassed 20 digs twice in 2025, with her most coming against Little Rock (27). The sophomore has also racked up 88 assists and 21 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 22 matches and appeared in all but two sets. The middle blocker leads the team in total blocks, tallying 74 on the season, including 11 solo rejections. She has notched at least one block in 22 of 23 contests this year, doing so in 16 straight outings. 
 
Offensively, Sinclair's 108 kills have come on a .243 hitting percentage; a clip that leads the team (minimum 3.0 attempts per set). In her last 15 contests, she has finished with an efficiency of .300 or higher eight times, started off by 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 154 kills and 72 blocks while being the only Aggie to appear in all 88 sets. The sophomore has led the squad in denials on 10 occasions, including five times in CUSA contests. In 10 league bouts, she has totaled 65 kills and a team-high 32 blocks from the front row. 
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
LA Tech is under the direction of Scott Mattera, who boasts a 217-153 record in his 13-year career. The former Our Lady of the Lake coach is in his first season with the Bulldogs, who are out to a 7-17 start in 2025. The squad is still in search of its first CUSA win this year, most recently dropping both contests at Missouri State a week ago. 
 
The squad is led on the floor by Jailen Hurley, a 6-foot-0 right-side hitter. The senior leads her team with 185 kills and a 2.20 average per set. Setter Sydney Carter's 359 assists pace the squad in Mattera's predominantly 6-2 system, alongside Grace Krohn's 261. Charlize Williams sets the tone at the net to the tune of 0.91 blocks per frame, while Riley Steubing cleans up the defense from the back row with a team-best 3.83 digs each stanza.
 
In 2024, NM State hosted LA Tech for its first home CUSA series of the season. The Crimson & White took six of seven sets across the series, wrapping up the weekend with an eye-popping .359 hitting percentage in the finale. Since joining CUSA, Mike Jordan's bunch is a combined 5-0 against the Bulldogs, including three wins away from home.
 
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