LAS CRUCES, N.M. ? The No. 25 New Mexico State volleyball team upset No. 11 Hawai’i, in five-games, 22-30, 30-28, 27-30, 30-24, 15-13, to break the Rainbow Wahine’s streak of 114 consecutive WAC victories, Friday, Oct. 13 at Las Cruces High in front of a crowd of 2,803. The Aggies improved to 21-1 and 5-1 and into a first-place tie with UH in the conference standings while the Rainbow Wahine fell to 13-5 and 7-1.
Four Aggies were in double-digits with senior outside hitter Alice Borden providing 17 kills to give NMSU its first victory over Hawai’i school history. Junior outside hitter Anna Callis had 14 kills along with five blocks. Middle hitters junior Kim Oguh and sophomore Amber Simpson contributed 12 and 11 kills, respectively.
Head coach Mike Jordan said he was proud of how his team competed against UH squad that hadn’t lost a WAC match since 1998.
“I feel like we were a little fortunate,” he said. “They (Hawai’i) did a great job of defending us. They are the best blocking team in the conference and one of the best in the country.”
Jordan said he believed it was a total team effort with Callis providing a spark, while the largest crowd of the season made it a difficult atmosphere for Hawai’i.
“Anna Callis was fantastic,” he said. “She was probably the difference in the match. Everybody contributed; to beat a team like that you have to. The atmosphere was outstanding. The crowd stayed in it. They were a big part of it.”
The service line was a factor in the match while the Aggies enjoyed a 13-5 advantage. Junior defensive specialist Jordan Bostic had a career-high six aces and sophomore defensive specialist Krystal Torres collected a career-high 31 digs.
After falling in the first frame, the Aggies rebounded with a balanced offensive attack. New Mexico State controlled game two from the serve. Simpson led the way with four kills while Oguh, Borden and senior outside hitter Tanya Allen each had three kills. The Aggies sealed the game with a five-point run, which included a service ace by Bostic for game point.
Trailing 2-1, the Aggies made a huge come back in game four. New Mexico State was down seven points and ended the game on a 16-4 rally that included eight straight points to tie the match at two games apiece. Bostic posted three aces in the run and the final two points of the set.
The Aggies took control of game five from the start and enjoyed a four-point advantage. Both Borden and Callis had three kills apiece in the final frame and Callis sealed the victory with a kill