LAS CRUCES, N.M.—The University of California San Diego Tritons women’s volleyball team dropped a hard-fought five-set match to the New Mexico State Aggies, 3-2, on September 11, 2026, at the Pan American Center. The set scores were 26-24, 20-25, 25-20, 23-25, and 11-15 in favor of New Mexico State.
Despite outblocking New Mexico State by a 14-5 margin and posting a hitting percentage of .244 compared to the Aggies’ .227, UC San Diego could not secure the win. Molly McCluskey led the team with 22 kills, 25 points, a .357 hitting percentage, 13 digs and six total blocks. Freshman Gia Rivera recorded a career-high 20 kills and 22 points, marking her first 20-kill performance.
Ireland McNees contributed 14 kills, while Marleena Catalan delivered a career-best 49 assists and 14 digs, earning her second consecutive double-double. Redshirt freshman middle blocker Kaliya Ndiaye made an impressive first collegiate start with a match-high 10 total blocks. Defensively, Paulina Baillie led the team with 16 digs.
The match was tightly contested throughout. UC San Diego won the opening set 26-24 after erasing a deficit late. New Mexico State responded by taking the second set 25-20. The Tritons regained the lead with a 25-20 third set win, only to be edged 25-23 in the fourth. In the decisive fifth set, the Aggies pulled away late for a 15-11 victory.
This loss marked UC San Diego’s third consecutive five-set defeat, leaving them 0-3 in such matches this season and 0-3 all-time against New Mexico State in women’s volleyball. The Tritons hold a 2-5 record this season.
UC San Diego’s next match is against UTEP on September 12, 2026, at 2 p.m. PT during the Borderland Classic.
CSB Take
UC San Diego continues to show competitiveness by taking multiple matches to five sets, but their inability to close out those tight contests remains a challenge. Strong individual performances show promise for the Tritons’ potential to convert narrow losses into wins as the NCAA Division I season progresses. Building on these efforts will be key to turning their fortunes around in upcoming matches.
Source: Original report
