Briggs Sets Mutliple Career Records as NMSU Volleyball Topple Matadors

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- After a three-match skid, NM State Volleyball got back in the win column on Saturday. Starr Williams and Mari Sharp led the way offensively with a combined 28 kills and 15 digs, propelling the Aggies past Cal State Northridge in four sets. Nicole Briggs broke two career blocking records and tied another in a masterful defensive performance. The Crimson & White (2-3) fell in the opening set, but took each of the final three frames and finished with a .250 hitting percentage to earn a win in the weekend finale. 

Set-by-set: NM State wins 3-1 (23-25, 25-13, 27-25, 25-16)

FIRST SET

The Matadors took their lone set in the opener on Saturday, despite NM State leading in nearly every statistical category. The Aggies tallied 14 kills and a .222 hitting percentage, but four service errors and three CSUN aces were too much to overcome. NM State narrowly fell 25-23 in set one.

SECOND SET

Ashley Herman led the way for the Crimson & White with five kills in the second set. A relatively back-and-forth set left the Aggies ahead by a score of 16-13 late. Freshman middle blocker Mia Fox subsequently entered the match and went back to serve. In a near perfect turn of events for Mike Jordan and company, Fox did not stop serving until the set was over. The freshman recorded an ace and a kill as part of a 9-0 run to win 25-13. Herman poured in two kills and two blocks in the nine-point stretch to tie up the match at one set apiece. As a team, the Aggies converted on .483 of all attacks in the frame, compared to just .037 from CSUN.

THIRD SET

The hot streak didn’t stop in the second frame, as Yasso Amin’s fifth ace of the season put her side ahead 4-0, winning the 13th straight point of the match. CSUN put together a 7-2 run to take the lead, swelling to as large as three points (16-13). Yasso Amin, Nicole Briggs, Mari Sharp and Starr Williams all recorded at least three kills in the third stanza in what was NM State’s second consecutive 15-kill set. NM State faced two set points from CSUN, but prevailed with a 3-0 run to win 27-25, capped off by a Morgan Stewart service ace.

FOURTH SET

CSUN tallied 12 errors to the tune of a -.100 hitting percentage in the final set, due in large part to seven Aggie blocks. Briggs led the way, getting a hand on five total, including one solo block. CSUN took a 6-4 lead early, but never led again after a tie at 8-8. NM State closed the match and the weekend on an extended 18-8 run, highlighted by a Mari Sharp kill and ace on back-to-back points. Claudia Rossi landed a skip-set kill in the same set-clinching stretch and the Crimson & White sealed the win on, fittingly, a block assist from Briggs and Yasso Amin.

NUMBERS OF NOTE

• Senior middle blocker Nicole Briggs crushed her career high in total blocks (nine), posting 12 in the four-set win.
• Briggs recorded 10 block assists, which was also a new career best. Her two solo blocks tied a previous career high that she set while playing for the Wildcats.
• Entering the weekend, the Arizona transfer had only recorded seven kills twice in her career. She recorded seven in the win on Saturday after back-to-back eight-kill performances earlier in the tournament. Briggs has now eclipsed six kills in four of five matches to start the season.
• Fifth-year libero Darian Markham led the team in digs for the fifth consecutive match to start the season. 
• The McKinney, Texas product followed up Friday’s masterclass of 31 digs with 24 more in the win on Saturday.
• Mari Sharp recorded another double-double, posting 14 kills and 11 digs. 
• For the fourth in five matches this season, Sharp entered double-digit dig territory.
• Mia Fox recorded the first ace of her collegiate career in the midst of the 9-0 run that sealed set two for NM State.
• Yasso Amin now leads the team with five aces this season. The FIU transfer recorded two in the win and led the Panthers with 43 in 2023
• The team recorded a .250 hitting percentage; the highest mark since an outstanding .394 clip in the season opener versus Coastal Carolina.

FROM THE FLOOR

Head Coach Mike Jordan, on the win: “Nicole Briggs had a very good weekend. She’s improving offensively and working really hard as a blocker. Our small defenders were pretty good today. Mari [Sharp] has to have a scorer’s mentality out of system like she does when we’re in system. She was better today.”

Senior middle blocker Nicole Briggs, on her performance: “I was hungry to win. I transferred here for a reason. I came here knowing it was a winning program and wanted to finish off my collegiate career in that kind of environment. There’s still work to do, but there’s a lot of volleyball left to be played.”

UP NEXT

The Aggies are set for their 2024 home debut, with three matches scheduled for next weekend at the Pan American Center. NM State will host Abilene Christian, Texas Southern and Arizona for the Borderland Invitational. NM State’s home tournament kickstarts a seven-match homestand in The Land of Enchantment, including six at home. The Aggies’ action will be streamed live on ESPN+ all weekend or available to follow via StatBroadcast.

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.