Aggies look to extend 17-game win streak
NMSU plays WAC semifinal game Friday
LAS CRUCES — The New Mexico State University volleyball team has discovered more than one way to utilize a talented Cat.
Riding a 17-match winning streak, the Aggies (25-3) face arguably the biggest match of their season Friday, a Western Athletic Conference tournament semifinal in Orem, Utah. The top-seeded Aggies face No. 5 Utah Valley. Despite his team’s impressive record and gaudy win streak, NMSU coach Mike Jordan says the Aggies must win the WAC tournament to secure an NCAA Tournament berth.
“Our RPI is in the 60s,” Jordan said. “We have to go get two wins this week. The good news is, we know we’re capable of winning if we play well.”
The facts back Jordan’s assessment. Not only did New Mexico State sweep through its regular-season WAC schedule (16-0), middle blocker Megan Hart was named league player of the year, and outside hitters Julianna Salanoa and Savannah Davison were first-team all-conference selections.
But there are other, perhaps more underthe-radar contributors who have also helped the Aggies exceed Jordan’s expectations this season. One of them is outside hitter and Albuquerque native Cat Kelly, who has long made a habit of surprising foes with her uncanny athletic ability.
At 5-foot-8, Kelly is not the most imposing figure along New Mexico State’s front line. Nonetheless, the sophomore ranked third on her team with 234 kills.
“Cat’s done well this season,” Jordan said. “She’s got great arm speed, she’s fast off the floor and a better blocker than people give her credit for. She plays like someone who’s 5-11 or 6 feet tall.”
Kelly’s lack of height may have contributed to her winding up in Las Cruces. Despite a dominant career at Sandia Prep, where she led the Sundevils to three consecutive state titles and was two-time Gatorade New Mexico Player of the Year, Kelly was not highly recruited.
“UNM and New Mexico State were my best offers,” Kelly said, “and coming (to Las Cruces) felt like the best decision. I hadn’t really been here much before, but I love it. The environment, the coaches, the fans, it’s a great fit.”
Still, it took a while for Kelly to find her comfort zone. Jordan installed her at rightside hitter as a freshman with only moderate success.
“She had to learn to score at this level,” Jordan said, “and she was too stubborn last year. We had to have a few ‘heart-to-hearts,’ during the season.”
Kelly laughed when asked about those meetings with Jordan but concedes she had much to learn at the time.
“I’d always been able to jump over people and just hit,” she said. “It’s different at this level. I had to learn to hit off high hands and read defenses — and do everything a lot faster.”
Kelly put in extra offseason work and received a boost when Jordan shifted her back to her preferred left-side hitting position. The spot came open when fellow Albuquerque native Tatyana Battle graduated after the 2018 season.
“I love the left side,” Kelly said, “so I had more confidence right away. But I knew I had to try to fill Tatyana’s shoes, so I really tried to listen to my coaches and put in the work.”
Kelly’s efforts have paid off for the Aggies, who haven’t lost a match since Sept. 20 at Arizona. It hasn’t all been fun and games for NMSU’s resident Cat, however, as a nagging hamstring injury finally sidelined her for two matches last week.
Jordan and Kelly hope she’ll be able to return this week and, if all goes well, for the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re better with Cat in the lineup,” Jordan said, “no question about that.”
Kelly wants nothing more than to play but says she’ll do her best to provide motivational support if she’s unable to compete.
“We can see our goal now and we have to finish what we started,” Kelly said. “We can’t get complacent, because the other teams in this tournament have nothing to lose. We have everything to lose. But we also know what we can do, and once we get on a roll, no one can really stop us.”