OREM – Utah Valley dropped a hard-fought match to New Mexico State, 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 24-26, 20-25) in Lockhart Arena. With the loss, the Wolverines fall to 5-7 on the season, including 0-1 in the WAC. The Aggies improve to 10-3 on the year and 1-0 in conference play.
 
"You have to give New Mexico State credit," said Utah Valley head volleyball coach, Sam Atoa. "They did a really good job, they were well coached, and their girls executed. They hit much better than we did. We played on our heels a little bit and we didn't execute the way that we feel we can. If we can be confident in our execution then we will be fine, but it didn't work for us tonight."
 
NM State got off to a quick start, taking an early 4-1 lead. UVU used a 4-1 of its own to tie the set up at 5-5, but the Aggies pushed back with a 5-2 run to regain the lead, 10-7. NMSU never relinquished the lead as the Wolverines tied the set on four occasions but were never able to take the lead.  NM State finished the set on a 5-2 run to take the set, 25-20, extending its streak to 19-straight sets won.
 
The Wolverines came out firing in the second set, racing out to an early 7-2 advantage. The Aggies countered with a 5-2 run but Sadie Hamson and Kazna Tanuvasa led UVU on a 5-2 run to extend the lead back out to 14-9. After both teams went back and forth, Kristen Bell led a 5-1 surge to push the lead to 21-14. Utah Valley was able to coast to the win from there with Abbie Miller getting the final kill to give the Wolverines the set, 25-20. With UVU leading the set from start to finish, Utah Valley snapped a 26-set streak of having a lead at some point during the set.  
 
Jules Fink and Hamson led Utah Valley to an early 4-2 advantage. Both teams alternated the next 10 points as the Aggies tied the set up at 8-8. UVU and NMSU then alternated the next 14 points before Tanuvasa led Utah Valley on a 4-0 surge to go up 18-14. The Aggies stormed back with an 8-4 run to tie it up at 22-22 but a quick attack by Natalie Palmer put the Wolverines up 23-22. NM State scored four of the last five points in the set to take the set, 26-24, and put the Aggies up, 2-1.
 
Both teams went back and forth to start the fourth set before NMSU scored four-straight points to go up, 7-3. Tanuvasa and Kalea Kennedy brought the Wolverines back to within a point 12-11 as both teams alternated 11-straight points. The Aggies used a 5-0 burst to extend its lead to 17-11 but used a 3-0 run to cut the deficit to 17-14. NM State made a final 3-0 push that the Wolverines weren't able to overcome as the Aggies took the fourth set, 25-20, winning the match 3-1.
 
Tanuvasa led the Wolverines with 16 kills while Bell added nine kills and six digs. Fink chipped in eight kills to go along with four blocks and Hamson led UVU with six blocks to go along with five kills. Miller had with a double-double, finishing with 18 assists, 10 digs, and a pair of aces. Palmer collected 18 assists to go along with seven digs and Bryton Bishop led Utah Valley with 14 digs.

The Wolverines continue WAC play as Utah Valley welcomes Grand Canyon to Lockhart Arena, on Saturday, Sep. 25 at 1:00 p.m. MT. UVU then travels to Chicago State on Thursday, Sep. 30, at 5:00 p.m. MT.