2010 (JUNIOR):
After sitting out for the first 13 matches of the season, defensive
specialist Kesli Phillips rejoined the NM State volleyball team, Sept. 22. She led the team in 2009 with a remarkable
3.67 digs per set and 378 digs on the season.
She played extraordinary against Idaho (11/7) where in five sets she
managed a season-high of 23 digs, contributing to 83 digs total for the Aggies,
which was the most for the team all season. She also posted 20-plus digs in
matches against Utah State (10/31) and I-10 rival UTEP (9/8). Phillips finished with 22 double-digit dig
matches and posted at least 15 digs in 11 matches. There was a span of nine consecutive matches,
from Oct. 3-Oct. 23, where she tallied at least 10 digs.
2009 (RED SHIRT SOPHOMORE): Libero Kelsi Phillips played in 65 sets for NM State and led the
way averaging 3.66 digs per set, which is the ninth-best average in Aggie
volleyball history. She also holds the
No. 8 spot in the Aggie record books for posting 3.67 digs per set in
2009. Phillips marked at least 10 digs
in all but four matches she played in the 2009 season and came up with a
career-high 26 digs against Idaho (10/16), helping NM State to a 3-2 victory.
Phillips had one other 20-plus-dig match when she posted 22 digs against Fresno
State (10/22). She tallied her first double-digit dig match of the season
against Arizona (10/3), who finished the year in the national polls, as she
marked 16 digs in a 3-1 loss in the Pan American Center. Phillips had no
ball-handling errors on the year, while coming up with 52 assists and two
kills. She was excellent receiving the
ball as she marked one or zero receiving errors in 15 of the 18 matches she
played in.
2008 (SOPHOMORE): Phillips sat out due to transfer rules.
2007 (FRESHMAN): Phillips played for the University of New
Mexico during the 2007 season. She
participated in all but one match and averaged 2.30 digs per set along with
0.27 assists and 0.20 serves per set.
Phillips was third on the team in total digs with 230. She tallied at least one service ace in each
of the first four matches. In her first
match of the season, against Florida Atlantic (8/24), Phillips marked two aces
and six digs. She tallied her first
double-digit dig match of her career when she posted 11 digs against Long
Island in the Hilton Phoenix/East Mesa Challenge (8/28). Phillips came up with nine double-digit dig
matches on the season. Her second career
double-digit match happened to come against New Mexico State (9/4) when she had
14 digs in a 3-1 loss to the Aggies. She
would have a great match against TCU (9/28) as she tallied 16 digs with one ace
and four assists. Her season-high digs
match came against Utah (11/3) when she dug up 17 balls in a 3-1 loss to the
Utes.
HIGH SCHOOL: Phillips was a four-year letterwinner for
two-time state champion Desert Mountain High School and coach Amanda
Burbridge. The team won the state
championship in 2006 and 2007, while they were also 2006 and 2007 region
champions. Phillips was named team MVP
and defensive player of the year while also being named second team all-state
and first team all-region. Phillips was
named to Westwood All-Tournament team in 2006.
She also lettered in basketball, track, and softball and earned
basketball defensive player of the year honors as a sophomore.
PERSONAL: Phillips is the daughter of Stephan and
Sherre Phillips. She has a twin sister,
Whitney, who recently transferred from NM State to Portland State. Phillips is majoring in secondary education.
