LA JOLLA, CALIF. – NM State Volleyball is set to begin its 52^nd season in program history on Friday. The Aggies will commence the 2025 campaign from just outside sunny San Diego, where the hosting Tritons also welcome Northwestern and Eastern Washington. The Eagles are up first for NM State's Friday doubleheader, with first serve slated four hours ahead of a matchup with the Wildcats. The host, UC San Diego, awaits on Saturday for the Aggies' only streamed match of the weekend.
 
WHAT TO KNOW
Who: NM State (0-0) vs. Eastern Washington (0-0) / Northwestern (0-0) / UC San Diego (0-0)
Where: LionTree Arena – La Jolla, Calif.
When: Friday, Aug. 29 12:00 PM MT and 4:00 PM MT / Saturday, Aug. 30 at 4:00 PM MT
Live Stream: ESPN+ (UC San Diego match only)
Live Statistics: SIDEARM (UCSD)
All-Time Record vs. Eastern Washington: 0-1
Last Meeting: NM State 2 vs. Eastern Washington 3 – Sept. 8, 2001 (Eugene, Ore.)
All-Time Record vs. Northwestern: 1-3
Last Meeting: Northwestern 2 at NM State 3 – Sept. 3, 2021
All-Time Record vs. UC San Diego: 3-0
Last Meeting: NM State 3 vs. UC San Diego 2 – Aug. 27, 2021 (Tucson, Ariz.)
 
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, NM State hosted Lubbock Christian for its lone exhibition of the season. The home team rolled to a straight-set sweep, taking down the Lady Chaps 25-16, 25-16, 25-14. Head Coach Mike Jordan's club collectively hit .320 while tallying 11 blocks and holding LCU to a .098 hitting percentage. The back row provided as well, coming up with 46 digs and nine service aces. 
 
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
In each of their first two years in Conference USA, the Aggies have advanced to the CUSA Championship Match. Last year, second-seeded UTEP hosted the tournament, but the Aggies took a classic five-set Battle of I-10 in the semifinal round. With the duo of title match appearances, NM State has immediately proven to be a force in the league.
 
This fall, Mike Jordan has his sights set on returning to the championship and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. Following a second-place finish in the 2023 regular season and a third-place mark last year, NM State earned the fifth-most points in the CUSA Preseason Coaches' Poll earlier this month.
 
PERSONNEL GROWTH
The 2025 roster will stand at an average of 6-foot-0, nearly an entire inch above the final 2024 edition. This fall's squad boasts six Aggies of at least six feet tall that were not active on the 2024 club, including four newcomers. Freshman Jaelynn Kohli and transfer Ezgi Duzgezen each stand at 6-foot-3 ahead of their first year with the program. Kate Sinclair (6-foot-4) and Zoe Ziegler (6-foot-6) would each have been the tallest on last year's squad, with the latter coming in as the tallest on record in program history record. Peyton Castillo and Tess Fuqua were also both inactive in 2024 as they recovered from injury. 
 
CAN'T GET RID OF 'EM
Over the offseason, several familiar faces returned to the Aggie staff. Twenty-eighth year head coach Mike Jordan brought back longtime assistant Chris Hertel after a season apart in which Hertel was head coach at Radford. Chelsea Rose, a member of the 2010 Aggie squad and former director of player development, also reclaimed a spot on the bench.
 
ENDLESS OPTIONS
With 20 student-athletes, the Aggies boast the largest roster in Conference USA for the second straight season. Additionally, six setters give the Crimson & White the most in the league once again. No other league program enters the season with more than four. 
 
LOCAL PRODUCTS
Seven Aggies hail from the Land of Enchantment, including four from Las Cruces. Rilen Garcia, Maggie Lightheart, Tess Fuqua, Bella Castro, Jazlyn Vasquez, Mia Mendoza and Makayla Martinez all call the Land of Enchantment home. Jaelynn Kohli also recently graduated from Eastlake High School in El Paso, Texas. 
 
CALIFORNIA GIRLS
Two Aggies call the Golden State home, with both Ashley Herman (Bakersfield) and Zoe Ziegler (Westminster) hailing from California. The latter spent the past two seasons in the state, playing for Cypress CC just 89 miles from LionTree Arena. Aggie assistant Chelsea Rose is also a product of the 31^st state, playing for Bakersfield College from 2008-09.
 
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