Coach Jordan reaches 500 wins with unbeaten New Mexico State volleyball
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (BVM) 鈥� The New Mexico State volleyball team has reason to feel good about itself these days. The two-time defending Western Athletic Conference champions have won 28 straight conference matches, including all eight they鈥檝e played this season, and they appear primed for a third straight WAC title and a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
But the unbeaten Aggies were given another reason to celebrate Monday when their first of back-to-back, straight-set sweeps of California Baptist gave head coach Mike Jordan his 500th career win.聽
Jordan is in his 23rd season coaching at NMSU where he鈥檚 earned all 501 (and counting) victories, a number that ranks him 30th among all active coaches. The nine-time WAC Coach of the Year, who earned his first victory back on Sept. 4, 1998, has guided the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament 11 times and his teams have notched at least 18 wins for 19 straight seasons.
鈥淚t flew by in a lot of ways,鈥� Jordan in a Zoom postgame presser. 鈥淚 think the special part is all the relationships you get to form in this business, from the people we competed against who become really good friends and mentors, to the players you coach and people you work with day-to-day, I’ve just been very fortunate to have lived this coaching life and it’s been a lot of fun.鈥�
It's been quite the ride for MJ.
Who better to celebrate with than those who were along for the ride?
Congratulations, Coach!
— NM State Volleyball (@NMStateVBall)
Davison earns POTW again
While the Aggies continue to roll through their competition, it鈥檚 the WAC Preseason Player of the Year who continues to lead them. Senior outside hitter Savannah Davison was named the WAC Player of the Week for the second consecutive week, the league announced Wednesday.
叠补肠办-鉁岋笍-叠补肠办
馃摪:
— NM State Volleyball (@NMStateVBall)
Davison led NMSU with 384 kills last season when she earned All-WAC first team honors, and she鈥檚 off to a strong start through the first month of matches the Aggies have played this season. The Toronto native recorded 28 kills in a pair of wins over California Baptist this week after smashing 33 last week in two victories over Grand Canyon, including a season-high 18 in a straight-set sweep of the Antelopes on Feb. 16.
WAC tourney relocates
The Aggies haven鈥檛 been allowed to play a match on their home court yet this season because current Covid-19 guidelines prevent them playing there, and they won鈥檛 be allowed to host the WAC Volleyball Tournament as they were originally scheduled to from April 1-3 at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces.
The conference announced Wednesday that it would be moving the postseason tournament to Orem, Utah, the home of the Utah Valley Wolverines.
The Aggies, who will still be favored to win the tourney despite the relocation, will return to action next week in their temporary home, El Paso, Texas, for back-to-back matches with Seattle University on March 1 and 2 at UTEP鈥檚 Memorial Gym.
