Sunday, November 15, 2026
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The NM State volleyball team closed out the 2026 regular season with a four-set victory over FIU inside the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. After earning a five-set win on Friday, the Aggies returned with another strong performance, defeating the Panthers 3-1 to complete the weekend sweep on Saturday.
A close contest in the opening frame featured eight ties and three lead changes. Ashley Herman recorded five kills in the stanza while Maggie Lightheart and Tess Fuqua each added key points during a late Aggie run. NMSU closed the set by winning seven of the final nine points to secure a 25-21 first-frame victory.
FIU responded in the second, using a lengthy run from the service line to build separation midway through the frame evening the match with a 25-18 set victory.
The Aggies regained control in the third and a late 6-3 run helped NM State break the match tie and tally a 25-21 win, taking a 2-1 set advantage.
NMSU delivered its strongest defensive effort of the afternoon in the final frame. The Aggies notched a game six blocks in the set while holding FIU in check. NM State used an 11-2 run to pull away from the Panthers, cruising to a 25-15 victory to complete the series sweep.
For just the second conference series of 2026, NM State tallied a two-game sweep of the Panthers, closing out the regular season on a three-match winning streak – also winning 8 of their last 11 contests.
The Aggies opened their final regular-season series of the year with a hard-fought five-set victory over FIU on Friday evening inside the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. The Aggies overcame a fourth-set setback and closed strong in the deciding frame to secure a 3-2 victory.
“It was a really competitive match as we knew it would be,” Jordan said. “They’re the toughest serving team in the league and they are athletic. It is always good to win on the road.”
NMSU finished the regular season with a 16-13 overall record and a 9-7 Conference USA mark, its first winning record in CUSA action since 2024 (11-7).
“We competed hard, minus a stretch in the second set where FIU’s serving pressure got to us,” said head coach Mike Jordan. “We bounced back well and played hard defensively. It was a good team road win. Hopefully we’re the three seed in the conference tournament.”
Ashley Herman paced the NM State attack with 11 kills on Saturday, her sixth match with 10+ kills in the previous seven for the Aggies. Katrina Catalan dished out 25 assists and 12 digs, tallying her 10th double-double of the season.
NMSU will head to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to compete in the 2026 Conference USA Championship, hosted by WKU at E.A. Diddle Arena. The eight-team tournament is scheduled for Nov. 20-22, with tournament seeding to be announced Saturday night.
