Gamecocks Head in for Aggies’ Senior Weekend
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- For one final time, eight seniors will lace up in the Pan American Center as members of the NM State Volleyball program. The Aggies are set to host Jax State for their last home series of the regular season, culminating in a post-match Senior Day Ceremony on Saturday. The Gamecocks (1-13) are looking to carry momentum from their win last weekend, while the hosts (8-6) aim to get back on track after coming up just short at WKU in their most recent series.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Who: Jax State (8-19, 1-13 CUSA) at NM State (14-12, 8-6 CUSA)
Where: Pan American Center – Las Cruces, N.M.
When: Friday, Nov. 8 (6:00 PM CT) / Saturday, Nov. 9 (12:00 PM CT)
Live Stream: N/A
Live Statistics: nmstatestats.com
All-Time Record vs. Jax State: 2-1
Last Meeting: NM State 3 at Jax State 0 – Oct. 21, 2023
QUICK HITS
- NM State has now played 16 series against CUSA opponents; including at least one against each league member, with a 19-11 record
- The Aggies hold a 8-7 record in series openers, but are 11-4 in finales spanning their two years in the league
- Last month, Kacia Brown was named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week, earning the award on Monday, Oct. 21
- Makayla Martinez has recorded 13 service aces over the past six matches (0.72 per set), taking the team lead at 21 this season.
- The middle blocker was exceptional against FIU, tallying 11 blocks as NM State swept the Panthers.
- On Oct. 7, Nellie Reese became the first Aggie to ever be named CUSA Setter of the Week
- Reese leads the Aggies in assists (536), assists per set (5.76) and is second on the team in service aces (18) this season.
- Yasso Amin was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 16
- Starr Williams was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 2
- Nicole Briggs leads all Aggies with 0.90 blocks per set and has been involved in 38.9% of all Aggie blocks this season (74/190).
LAST TIME OUT
Following a four-match homestand, NM State traveled back east to take on Western Kentucky in Bowling Green. The hosting Hilltoppers took each match in a sweep, but all six sets on the weekend were decided by four points or fewer. In four of those, NM State fell by just two points, capped off by a decisive frame on Saturday in which the visitors led by as many as 10 on two separate occasions, but ultimately fell short at 26-24. Starr Williams was remarkable on Saturday, landing 16 kills on a .538 hitting percentage. Makayla Martinez continued her excellence at the service line, racking up five aces over the series.
2023 MATCHUP SUMMARY
Last year, Jax State took the series opener in Alabama as Maggie Lightheart entered the starting lineup in the absence of Mari Sharp. The true freshman posted 13 kills on 32 attempts throughout the five-set affair, setting two career highs. NM State bounced back in the series finale, cruising to a sweep in Pete Mathews Coliseum behind 12 kills and four blocks from Ryleigh Whitekettle.
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
Derek Schroeder is in his second year at the helm, holding a 13-41 record. This season, the program has won eight of 27 matches and two of 10 true road contests. Jax State’s five-set win over NM State on Oct. 20, 2023 was their only victory in their final 15 matches against CUSA opponents last season. To start 2024, the Gamecocks were 0-13 in league play before taking down FIU in four sets last time out. Jax State now sits with two triumphs in its past 29 outings against league foes after snapping a 379-day streak without one such victory.
THE MARK OF A CHAMPION
Darian Markham is currently 101st in the nation with an average of 4.17 digs per set this season. Last month, the star libero passed Krystal Torres for first place on the all-time NM State dig list, when she recorded her 1,943rd of her career. She now stands just nine digs away from being the first Aggie to ever amass 2,000 career digs. The two-time WAC Champion has been named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week twice and was the CUSA Libero of the Year in 2023.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
After making the All-CUSA Second Team a year ago, Kacia Brown racked up some more hardware last month. The redshirt senior middle blocker was named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 21. Brown became the first Aggie to win the award this season and joined Darian Markham (twice in 2023) as the only members to ever earn the honor for NM State in CUSA.
Since NM State’s match versus Incarnate Word on Sept. 21 (15 matches), Brown has amassed 83 kills (5.53 per match), 49 blocks, eight solo blocks, 46 digs and nine aces. The redshirt senior has now earned 14 consecutive starts entering the weekend and has tied Nicole Briggs for the team-lead in solo blocks on the season (10). Over this span, she leads her squad with an impressive .380 hitting percentage and 0.96 blocks per set.
GOT FIVE ON IT
Makayla Martinez recorded the first three starts of her young career over the homestand. Across the two series, the true freshman posted 32 digs and a team-high eight service aces (0.67 per set). In 2024, she now ranks fifth on the team with 119 digs and third with 1.58 digs per set. In CUSA play, she paces all Aggies with 14 aces and 0.44 per set. During that span, the Cibola High School product sits third on the team posting 2.03 digs per set.
GIVING IT 200 PERCENT
The Aggies are third among CUSA institutions in hitting percentage (.237), behind only WKU and UTEP. NM State is 14-2 this season when posting a team mark above .200, but 0-10 when hitting .199 or worse. Additionally, when opponents hit below .200, NM State is 12-1 this season, but have just two wins in 13 tries when opponents post at least a .200 mark.
When out-hitting their opponents, the Aggies are 14-1 this season. Conversely, the Crimson & White have yet to win a match in which their opponents have a higher hitting percentage (0-11).
EARNING HARDWARE
Kacia Brown’s Defensive Player of the Week award a fortnight ago made her the fourth Aggie to earn league weekly honors this season. Earlier this month, Nellie Reese became the first Aggie to ever win a conference setter of the week award after tallying a highly efficient 57 assists versus LA Tech. NM State also claimed two of the season’s first three Offensive Player of the Week Awards. Starr Williams picked up league recognition after the first week of the campaign, when she put up 30 kills on a staggering .560 hitting percentage versus two 2023 NCAA Tournament representatives. Yasso Amin followed suit with an exceptional Borderland Invitational, posting 37 kills on a .388 hitting percentage to win her first CUSA Weekly Award on Sept. 16.
STARR POWER
All season, the Aggies’ first offensive option has been aptly-named Starr Williams. The redshirt junior has taken another leap, leading NM State in nearly every offensive category. The Ontario, Calif. native has started every match and is one of two Aggies to appear in all 93 sets this campaign, alongside Nellie Reese. Williams paces the Crimson & White in kills (310), kills per set (3.33) and hitting percentage (.322) while ranking second in total attempts (689).
The duo of Reese and Williams has appeared together in all but one starting lineup this season (25 of 26). The former leads the team in assists (536) and assists per set (5.76), while ranking second on the team to Makayla Martinez with 18 aces. Each have won CUSA Weekly Awards - Reese, Setter of the Week (Oct. 7); Williams, Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 2).
TAKING NOTICE
Conference USA unveiled its 2024 volleyball preseason awards on Thursday, Aug. 22, which included both a head coaches’ poll and a 13-member All-CUSA Preseason Team. The Aggies received two first-place votes en route to finishing second in the poll, behind five-time defending regular-season champion Western Kentucky. Four Aggies (Yasso Amin, Darian Markham, Mari Sharp and Ryleigh Whitekettle) were named to the preseason team, giving NM State the most representatives in the 10-member league.
LEGENDS ON THE BENCH
Entering 2024, Mike Jordan already amassed 565 wins, 12 regular-season conference titles and seven conference tournament championships. With Gregg Whitis already back for his fourth year as an assistant, Jordan added two of his greatest former players to his coaching staff. In February, Operations Director Tatyana Battle was elevated to assistant coach. In July, Jordan brought Lia Mosher back to Las Cruces after playing last season professionally overseas. Battle and Mosher played a combined 10 seasons for the Crimson & White, including two as teammates (2017-18). The duo combined for a 97-17 (.851) WAC record, six regular-season titles and three trips to the NCAA Tournament. Battle and Mosher tallied 262 matches played, 2,154 kills, 1,145 digs and 617 blocks.
FIFTH-YEAR AGGIES
Darian Markham and Mari Sharp each came to Las Cruces in the fall of 2020, making their Aggie debut in Spring 2021. Each have won multiple individual awards and a pair of WAC titles, and both are in their fifth season with the Crimson & White in 2024. Both Markham and Sharp were named to the All-CUSA Preseason Team in August after a 2023 campaign in which they were named CUSA Libero of the Year and All-CUSA Second Team selection, respectively.
