In the fourth and final game, Sacramento State stormed back from a 23-16 deficit to tie the game at 30-30. The Hornets saved four game points and the Aggies saved three game points in the frame. With the score tied at 35-35, a Hornet attack error and a service ace by Amber Simpson gave New Mexico State the victory. Sacramento State had game points at 32-31, 33-32, and 34-33 but kills by Amber Simpson (2) and Kim Oguh (1) foiled the Hornets’ bid for a fourth-game victory.

With the loss, Sacramento State falls to 1-1 in the season-opening tournament with two matches to be played tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 26) against host UTEP and Eastern Michigan. Both New Mexico State and Sacramento State were receiving votes in the top 25 prior to the tournament, and both won their first round matches earlier in the day (New Mexico State knocked off Eastern Michigan, 3-0).

Joining Borden in double-figure kills for New Mexico State were Simpson (13), Anna Callis (11) and Oguh (10). Led by Oguh’s nine blocks, the Aggies tallied 14.0 team blocks compared to Sacramento State’s 5.0 team blocks. Sacramento State tallied seven more kills than New Mexico State, but the Hornets committed 35 errors in 192 attacks while hitting just .172 for the match. Conversely, NMSU hit .232 with 61 kills and 23 errors in 164 attacks.

Junior Lindsay Haupt led the Hornets with 15 kills to go along with a .290 hitting percentage. After coming off the bench in the team’s first match of the day, freshman Anna Schoener got the start against New Mexico State and responded with 10 kills and a .350 hitting percentage (10-3-20). Senior Atlee Hubbard added 14 kills and eight digs, Shannon Roland had nine kills and career highs in both digs (17) and aces (4), and Kristin Lutes finished with a team-best 20 digs. Sophomore setter Rose Burke had five kills, 62 assists, eight digs and a team-high tying three blocks.

In Saturday’s action, the Hornets will take on UTEP at 11 a.m. PST and Eastern Michigan at 4 p.m. PST. Sacramento State has never faced either team.