The New Mexico State volleyball team looked to protect their home court at the Pan American Center against Tarleton State University on Thursday, November 10. The Aggies entered the contest just over .500, with a record of 13-11, while the Texans touted a 12-15 record. Both teams looked to improve their Western Athletic Conference standings, as they stood at 5-7 and 4-8 respectively in conference play. This would be only the third time these two teams have faced one another, with NMSU leading the series at 2-0.

Tarleton State came out firing in the early goings of the game. The Texans took a quick 3-0 lead over the Aggies thanks to two kills by Grayson Schirpik and three assists by Megan Hodges. NM State was able to rally back later in the set, pushing the score to 9-9, much in part to five assists by NMSU’s Rylee Fay. A huge surge by the Aggies would push the set out of reach for the Texans, as NMSU scored six unanswered points off of four Molly Johnson kills and four more assists from Rylee Fay. With the score now at 15-9, this streak was just what the Aggies needed to swing the momentum, as they would win the set 25-16.

The Aggies immediately carried their momentum from the first set over to the second. NMSU would score five unanswered points to open the set at 5-0, four of which were assisted kills from Fay once again. The Texans would not be completely shut out in this set however, as they attempted to rally back, but never got within closer than four points after the 0-5 start. Tarleton State struggled to create any real offense, as seven of their 16 points came from attack, service and ball-handling errors by the Aggies. This set would also conclude with a score of 25-16 in favor of the Aggies.

NMSU looked to close the show as they entered potentially the final set of the game. Hot streaks would continue to define the offense of the Aggies, as they would rally back into contention with streaks of four, three, and seven unanswered points throughout the set. After being down as many as 4-7, the Aggies would continue to impose their will on the Texans, finishing out the third and final set with a score of 25-19, securing a 3-0 sweep of Tarleton State. 

Aggies’ Johnson and Fay carried their team to a sound victory in emphatic fashion. Johnson led the team in scoring, tallying 16 kills on 32 attempts, along with four errors. Fay showed her setting abilities with a ridiculous 29 assists throughout the three sets. While 29 is an impressive number, this is only her seventh-highest assist performance of the season, as she has posted more than 30 assists six times this season.

NMSU will look to maintain this offensive firepower throughout the season, starting with their next matchup against Abilene Christian University at the Pan American Center. The Wildcats have accumulated a 7-18 overall record, along with a 4-9 record in WAC play. The Aggies will attempt to continue their winning ways with a win over ACU.