LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State Volleyball fell to Arizona on Saturday after a competitive four-set match. The Aggies (4-4) kept the contest tight throughout, amassing at least 20 points in each set, but Arizona (9-0) continued its winning streak and eclipsed its win total from last season. NM State ends the Borderland Invitational with a 2-1 record, notching wins over Texas Southern and Abilene Christian.
Set-by-se t: NM State loses 1-3 (22-25, 25-23, 20-25, 22-25)
FIRST SET
Four quick kills from Starr Williams vaulted the home team in front by a score of 14-8 early. Arizona pieced together an 8-0 run to pull ahead before a Yasso Amin kill stopped the bleeding. Later, Ashley Herman and Kacia Brown each recorded kills during a 5-1 run that gave the Aggies the lead. After a set that saw seven ties, the Wildcats closed with a 7-2 spurt, taking the opening frame 25-22 on a Kiari Robey kill.
SECOND SET
The Aggies nearly doubled their hitting percentage in the second frame, posting 16 kills and just five errors on 36 swings (.306). Sharp and Amin combined for five kills to within a 6-1 run to power ahead 12-6, wasting an Arizona timeout along the way. The Aggies answered a Wildcat 6-1 stretch of their own with a 5-1 run, highlighted by a kill and ace from Amin on back-to-back points. Junior setter Nellie Reese jump-started a 3-0 run with a kill to close the set at 25-22 in favor of the home side. After just two frames, the Aggies had three members approaching double-digit kills (Sharp with nine, Amin with eight and Williams with seven).