New Mexico State University Athletics

PEORIA, Ill. – NM State Volleyball closed out play at the Bradley Invitational on Saturday morning, taking UTRGV to five sets inside Renaissance Coliseum. Dropping the first set, the Aggies responded to the opening-set loss by claiming the next two frames. However, the Vaqueros rallied to force a fifth set and ultimately escaped with a 3-2 victory. 

Set-by-set: UTRGV def. NM State 3-2 (25-22, 14-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-10) 

FIRST SET 

UTRGV seized momentum early with a 10-5 run that prompted NM State Head Coach Mike Jordan into an early timeout. Ashley Herman and Jaelynn Kohli recorded four kills each in the frame, and despite NM State's 7-4 run to pull within two points late in set one (24-22), the Vaqueros still escaped with a 25-22 win.  

SECOND SET 

The Aggies struck back in the second frame, hitting .433 with 15 kills while limiting UTRGV to a .138 hitting percentage and five attack errors. Kohli led the way with six kills, while Maggie Lightheart tallied four kills of her own as the Aggies surged ahead and never looked back. The Aggies closed the stanza on a 12-5 run to secure a 25-14 victory. 

THIRD SET 

NM State carried its energy into the third set, opening the frame on an 11-4 run. Tess Fuqua delivered four of her seven total kills in set three, and the Aggies recorded a .333 hitting percentage while forcing the Vaqueros into six attacking errors. A late service ace by Paige Nelson capped the 25-20 win and put NM State into a 2-1 match advantage. 

FOURTH SET 

UTRGV responded in the fourth, using a late rush to pull away after the teams were tied at 16-16. Maggie Lightheart paced the Aggie offense with six kills in the frame, while Ashley Herman added four kills, though the Vaqueros hit .440 in the set and forced a deciding fifth frame with a 25-19 victory. 

FIFTH SET 

Playing a fifth set for their second consecutive match, the final set featured three ties early before UTRGV gained control midway through the frame. Lightheart and Jacqueline Corcoran kept the Aggies within striking distance, but the Vaqueros used a 5-1 run to create separation and ultimately secured the set, 15-10. 

NUMBERS OF NOTE  

• Jaelynn Kohli recorded a team-high 16 kills while hitting an impressive .520 on Saturday morning. This becomes her sixth game with 10 or more kills in a match this season, and third in her last six contests. 

• Maggie Lightheart matched Kohli with 16 kills, a new season high for the Las Cruces, N.M., native. Adding one service ace and one block assist, this becomes her sixth straight match with at least one block assist. 

• Posting 15 kills in the Friday night win over Bradley, Ashley Herman finished with 12 kills while hitting .391 against UTRGV. Posting six digs, this represents a new season best and her most in a single game since Sept. 29, 2023 against LA Tech. 

• Paige Nelson dished out 26 assists and eight digs, matching her career high in assists, set previously against UC San Diego (Sept. 11). 

• Makayla Martinez anchored the back row with a game-high 21 digs, a new season best for the junior Libero. 

• The Aggies held advantages in kills (61-49), digs (51-45) and hitting percentage (.255-.246). 

QUOTABLES  

Head Coach Mike Jordan, the five set battle against UTRGV:  

"It's tough to win long matches on such a short rest period, and we had a few players struggling with their stamina late. Credit to UTRGV for serving tough, I clearly need to toughen us up a little. We're good for stretches... but consistency is key and we need more than just Maggie, Ash[ley Herman], and Jaelynn scoring." 

UP NEXT 

NM State will return home on Monday, Sept. 21, for a rivalry matchup with New Mexico inside the Pan American Center. This game will serve as the Aggies' last game before conference play starts. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. MT, with the match streamed live on ESPN+, and live stats available at nmstatesports.com/stats. 

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##