NMSU Volleyball Falls in Four Sets to No. 14 Georgia Tech

ATLANTA, Georgia (KVIA) -- After an impressive win on Friday over Coastal Carolina, NM State Volleyball turned to the highest-ranked opponent on its schedule. The Aggies took on the nation’s 14th-highest ranked squad at Georgia Tech’s home gymnasium to close out the opening weekend of the regular season. The Yellow Jackets took the match in four sets, placing both teams at 1-1 overall. 

Set-by-set: NM State loses 1-3 (13-25, 13-25, 25-21, 11-25)

FIRST SET

Georgia Tech came out of the gate riding its home crowd, going on a 16-3 run to pull ahead 18-7 and force an Aggie timeout. After hitting .394 as a team on Friday, the visitors opened up with a .111 team hitting percentage in the first set on Sunday. Georgia Tech hit .312 and posted 16 digs to take the opening set by a score of 25-13. 

SECOND SET

The second frame followed much of the same script as its predecessor. NM State followed up six first-set kills with just eight in the second, hitting .067 as a team. Darian Markham led the Aggies to a team total of 14 digs, but the hosts poured in three service aces and two blocks to repeat the first set score of 25-13. 

THIRD SET

The Crimson & White started out much hotter in frame three, pulling ahead 7-3 as a Mari Sharp kill forced a Georgia Tech timeout. Starr Williams came through with back-to-back-to-back kills, extending the Aggie lead to 15-9. Williams connected with Nellie Reese all set long, including a five-point stretch in which the duo paired up for a kill four times. Ashley Herman came in with the set’s final blow, smashing a kill off a Yellow Jacket and into the scoreboard. The visitors posted a team hitting percentage of .500 in the frame, led by a staggering total of 10 kills from Williams.

FOURTH SET

The Yellow Jackets took control of the fourth set with a 14-2 run that put them ahead 20-8. Aleka Darko entered the match and recorded her first kill of the season, but Georgia Tech left no room for a comeback as the Aggies fell 25-11 in the final stanza.

FROM THE FLOOR

Head Coach Mike Jordan, on the loss: “Their service pressure was unlike anything we’ve seen before. They hit it heavy and hard, and we had trouble with that kind of physicality. When we were able to get them out of system, we had a lot of highlight-reel moments. We’re physical ourselves, but they were just a little too much to deal with from an offensive standpoint. It was a loud environment, a packed house, a top-14 team in the country. They’re capable of being a top-10 team and I think we learned a lot.”

Head Coach Mike Jordan, on what went right in the third set: “I thought we were in system more, and our setters did a good job. Starr [Williams] played really well offensively today. It doesn’t surprise me that she’s capable of having those moments.”

NUMBERS OF NOTE

• The last time NM State faced an opponent ranked 14th or higher was Dec. 6, 2019, when the Aggies took on #13 BYU in the NCAA Tournament
• Starr Williams continued her excellent start, posting 16 kills on .560 hitting percentage, including 10 kills in the third set
• Williams is hitting .560 on the season, earning a spot on the Georgia Tech Invitational All-Tournament Team
• Darian Markham led the team in digs again, posting 12 in the loss
• In the third set, the Aggies hit .500 as a team, but failed to surpass .111 in any other set
• After a .394 hitting percentage on Friday, NM State tallied a .190 mark on Sunday

UP NEXT

After their Sunday afternoon match, the Aggies will venture back to the Land of Enchantment, with an arrival time set well into the early morning hours of Monday, Sept. 2. Just over 48 hours later, NM State will head west to the Sacramento State Invitational, with their first match being against San Francisco on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 5:00 PM MT.                   

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