Written By: NM State Athletic Dept.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The New Mexico State volleyball team swept UMKC at the Pan American Center on Saturday. The Aggies defeated the Kangaroos 25-10, 25-15, 25-19 for their seventh-straight home win.
"We've been up and down a little bit, but we're really close to looking like a phenomenal team on paper," head coach Mike Jordan said. "I liked today's performances and I thought we were consistent for long periods of time."
How It Happened
The Aggies came out hot to start the match, taking a 7-1 lead over UMKC. NM State built on its advantage with a pair of three-point runs and went ahead 21-8 after scoring four-straight. New Mexico State continued to dominate and took the first set 25-10.
In the second set, Kaylee Neal was solid from behind the service line and the Aggies went on a 6-0 run to lead the Roos, 12-5. The next time Neal was came to the service line, NM State scored three-straight to go ahead 22-13. The Aggies closed out the set by scoring the final two points, winning the set 25-15.
New Mexico State kept its momentum going and went ahead 7-2 early in the third set. The Aggies built on their lead and quickly led by eight. Despite a late comeback by UMKC, NM State was able to hang on to win 25-19 and complete the sweep.
By the Numbers
NM State posted 44 kills while hitting .313 for the match. The Aggies also tallied a total of 48 digs and 42 assists. Tatyana Battle led the team with 15 kills followed by Brielle Sterns who recorded eight kills on nine attempts and Sasha-Lee Thomas, who hit .615 with eight kills.
New Mexico State hits the road for its next two matches. The Aggies take on Seattle U on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. (MT). NM State then travels to Utah Valley to take on the Wolverines on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.