GCU heads to 1st-place NMSU

Thursday, October 14

Las Cruces, N.M.

5 p.m.

Grand Canyon

New Mexico State

10/13/2021 10:58:00 AM | Volleyball

Lopes look to catch Aggies in WAC's West Division race

By: Kellie Reynolds


Grand Canyon Lopes (11-3, 3-2 WAC)	at	New Mexico State Aggies (13-4, 4-1 WAC)
		Thursday, Oct. 14 6 p.m.
GCU game notes		Live stats Live video

GCU heads to Las Cruces, New Mexico, to take on the No. 1 team in the WAC's West Division on Thursday night. The Lopes are in second place and are looking to tie New Mexico State as teams get ready for the second round of WAC play.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

RPI: The Lopes have the fourth-highest RPI in the WAC, as they are ranked 117th behind Utah Valley (110), Sam Houston (79) and Steven F. Austin (73).
NATIONALLY RANKED: Graduate student libero Teagan DeFalco is 24th in the nation and second in the WAC for digs per set with 5.02.
LAS CRUCES: GCU has never won a match in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in all of its time competing against the Aggies.

SCOUTING

New Mexico State comes into the Thursday match with a 13-4 overall record and a 4-1 WAC record. The Aggies and Lopes both competed against UTEP and Western Carolina in nonconference play with both teams sweeping WCU. However, New Mexico State lost to UTEP in five sets while the Lopes defeated the Miners in four sets. The Aggies' only loss in WAC play comes from California Baptist, a match in which the Lancers took New Mexico State to five sets and pulled out the win. New Mexico State put four players on the Preseason All-WAC team: Carly Aigner-Swesey, Victoria Barrett, Shaney Lipscomb and Lia Mosher.

Mosher, a senior middle blocker, leads the WAC in hitting percentage at .460. She is third in kills for NMSU with 134 and averages 2.06 kills per set. Mosher is also the Aggies' top blocker with 11 solos, 45 total and an average of 0.69 per set.

Lipscomb, a senior opposite hitter, has a team-best 194 kills with 2.98 kills per set and a hitting percentage of .327. Aigner-Swesey, a senior setter, has a team-best 466 assists. She is averaging 7.17 assist per set. The California native is also second in aces with 16 and averages 0.25 per set. Sophomore libero Darian Markham has 232 digs this season with an average of 4.46 per set. In 224 receptions, Markham has a .969 reception percentage.

New Mexico State traveled to Chicago State a week ago, when they trailed 2-1 before winning the final two sets to take the match. NMSU spread out its kills with double-digit totals coming from Lipscomb (15) and Mosher (13) while Katie Birtcil added nine.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Lopes host New Mexico State on Saturday, when buckets will be given away for the 6 p.m. Block Out Breast Cancer match in GCU Arena.