LAS CRUCES, N.M. – When the lights get brightest, coaches turn to the players they can trust. In a tense five-set match against their rivals from UTEP, Mike Jordan and the Aggies turned to senior outside hitter Mari Sharp. The Albuquerque native came up with a career-high 19 kills, along with eight digs, four blocks, and a service ace. The Aggies took the match in the fifth set, moving to 5-1 in conference play and 12-5 overall. The Miners fell to 11-6 and 3-3 in Conference USA.
Set-by-set: NM State wins 3-2 (29-27, 25-22, 18-25, 18-25, 15-12)
The first frame set the tone for the rest of the evening.