New Mexico State University Athletics

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State Volleyball opened Conference USA play on Friday night inside the Pan American Center, welcoming Western Kentucky for the first match of a two-game series. Facing one of the league's top contenders, the Aggies responded to an opening-set loss with a strong second frame and continued to battle throughout the night before falling in four sets. 

Set-by-set: Western Kentucky def. NM State 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 25-21, 25-23) 

FIRST SET 

The Aggies stayed within striking distance throughout the opening frame, though never lead. Jaelynn Kohli tallied five kills in the set, while strong contributions from Tess Fuqua and Ashley Herman helped the Aggies make a late 5-3 run, trimming the deficit to just two points (24-22) following a Katrina Catalan service ace, but Western Kentucky was able to secure the final point and take the set, 25-22. 

SECOND SET 

NM State answered in the second stanza, turning in its most efficient offensive set of the night with a .486 hitting percentage, totaling a single-match high of 16 kills in set two. Ashley Herman paced the NM State attack with five kills on eight swings, while Maggie Lightheart and Kohli added four kills each. The Aggies built an early advantage and never surrendered, cruising to a 25-19 victory to even the match at one set apiece. 

THIRD SET 

The third frame remained competitive early, tied at 10-10 before a 5-1 WKU run created separation for the Hilltoppers heading into the media timeout. Sadie Ross recorded a pair of kills and the first service ace of her collegiate career. Despite trimming the deficit to 22-19 late, the Hilltoppers held on for a 25-21 win. 

FOURTH SET 

The final set featured 10 ties and eight lead changes as neither side could gain control. With the visitors holding a slight 15-14 lead entering the media timeout, the teams traded points deep into the frame before WKU gained a narrow edge. Tess Fuqua recorded four kills in the set, while Jaelynn Kohli delivered three kills of her own, though the Hilltoppers secured the final two points to earn a 25-23 victory and a four-set win. 

NUMBERS OF NOTE 

• Friday's match marked NM State's Conference USA opener for the 2026 season. With the loss, the Aggies move to 2-2 in conference openers since joining CUSA in 2023. 

• Jaelynn Kohli led the Aggies with 12 kills while adding a block assist – her seventh match with 10 or more kills this season, and third consecutive. 

• Las Cruces High graduate Tess Fuqua finished with 11 kills, 11 digs and a block assist for her fourth double-double of the season. 

• Fifth-year Aggie Ashley Herman totaled 10 kills while posting a team-best .476 hitting percentage. 

• Las Cruces native Maggie Lightheart contributed eight kills, two aces and eight digs. 

• Makayla Martinez anchored the defense with 23 digs and a service ace, notching her third game with 20+ digs this season, and second straight following a 21-dig effort against UTRGV (9/19). 

• Paige Nelson dished out 24 assists for her sixth match with 20+ in the last seven contests, while Katrina Catalan added 18 assists and two service aces. 

• Sadie Ross established new career highs with four kills, three digs and a pair of service aces. The freshman's two aces were the first of her collegiate career. 

Head Coach Mike Jordan, the CUSA opener:  

"It was a very competitive match. Really well played in stretches and then both teams would take turns being inconsistent. They're difficult to stop in system, they've got 5 great arms. Hopefully tomorrow we can block and dig a little better to slow them down." 

UP NEXT 

The Aggies will close out the two-match series against Western Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Pan American Center. First serve is scheduled for Noon MT as NM State looks to even the series and earn their first Conference USA victory of the season. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+, with 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.  

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