New Mexico
No. 14 Jackets bounce back for wins over New Mexico State and Coastal Carolina
Jack here, this is not me doing the recap, but instead is our newest staff writer, my dear friend and partner in crime during our Technique days, Will Fuss. Fuss is a Tech BSIE graduate in the class of 2023 who worked as the Sports Staff Writer (Fall ‘20), Sports Editor (Spring ‘21-Fall’22), and Paper Boy (Spring ‘23) for the Technique while in school. They have covered every Tech varsity sport and have been a Tech fan for 23 years and grew up in the Atlanta area. Fuss will have his byline properly listed once we get his account sorted out!
Following a tough loss to a talented UCLA squad, Georgia Tech Volleyball handled business against their remaining GT Invitational foes by dispatching New Mexico State in four sets and a dominant sweep over Coastal Carolina. The Jackets move to 2-1 on the season and hold onto a No. 19 ranking as UCLA sneaks into the top 25.
Head coach Michelle Collier moved one win shy of 200 on the weekend, and will become the second Jacket volleyball skipper to reach the threshold. O’Keefe Gymnasium continues to fill up for every home tilt, as the sellout streak hit 30 games against the Aggies on Sunday afternoon.
Tech played efficient games to dispatch New Mexico State and Coastal Carolina, hitting .367 against the Aggies and completing the sweep against the Chanticleers by an average score of 25-18. Larissa Mendes totaled 31 kills, including 23 against New Mexico State (her career high), and Tamara Otene and Bianca Bertolino recorded double-doubles on Sunday and Monday respectively.
Sunday, September 1: 3-1 Win over New Mexico State
The Jackets dominated three of four sets against the Aggies, winning sets one, two, and four by scores of 25-13, 25-12, and 25-11. New Mexico state took the third set 25-21 on a hyper efficient .500 hitting percentage that included 10 kills by Starr Williams alone and only two attacking errors.
Tech played a shallow bench, with only nine players seeing action and the starters playing every point in the fourth set. Mendes and DeAndra Pierce each had eight-plus kills on a .500 or greater hitting percentage, including a career-high 23 kills by Mendes.
Otene had the game’s only double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs, while Bertolino’s nine kills and 16 digs left her just shy of the double-double mark. Luanna Emiliano recorded 43 assists, Sofia Velez had 16 digs, and Liv Mogridge had an efficient eight kills along with three of the team’s 10 blocks.
Monday, September 2: 3-0 Win over Coastal Carolina
Tech rounded out the weekend with a sweep over Coastal Carolina, holding the visitors to a .055 hitting percentage on the day. The Institute squeezed out a close first set win, 25-23, before more comfortable results of 25-12 and 25-19 for the win.
Only one Chanticleer, Jalyn Stout, had more than two kills with a positive hitting percentage, as her nine kills and two aces paced the visitors. Velez and Otene had 15 and 12 digs respectively as the Jackets benefited from clean receptions and 33 combined attacking and service errors by the Chanticleers.
Bertolino paced the Jackets offensively with 10 kills and added 11 digs for her second double-double of the year. Mogridge and Pierce both tallied at least five kills without an error, and Pierce had a game-high five blocks.
Takeaways
Bounce back: After dropping a close opener against a good UCLA team, Tech used the day off to reset and soundly defeat their remaining weekend slate. The sweep of Coastal Carolina was a strong finish to the weekend, but the team may have played even better against the Aggies besides the dropped third set.
Short leash: While the first two sets against New Mexico State were 25-13 wins, the third set loss spurred Collier into cutting out the bench entirely. Her trust paid off with a 25-11 final set win, but the Jackets will need more reliability from the reserves against the nation’s top teams.
Next Up
Tech travels to Provo to face Lipscomb and BYU on September 6 and 7. BYU is ranked No. 14 after a 3-0 start, and will be the Jackets’ first big road test. Each match will get underway at 9 p.m. Eastern.
2026 Sun City Pride Parade rolls through Downtown El Paso
Attendees lined the streets of Downtown El Paso as colorful floats and performers celebrated Pride during the 2026 Sun City Pride Parade.
A Cloudcroft barbecue spot has gained national recognition for its slow-cooked, savory meats and generous sides.
Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue landed at No. 7 on Yelp’s latest list of the Top 100 BBQ restaurants and was the only New Mexico spot to make the list. To compile the list, Yelp identified businesses in the barbecue category, then ranked those spots based on the volume and ratings of reviews from the Yelp Elite Squad — which comprises adventurous locals.
“High up in Cloudcroft, Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue brings Texas pitmaster tradition to 9,000 feet, serving up slow-smoked meats, hearty sides, and homemade desserts,” Yelp Elite Squad writes. “With picnic favorites like loaded potatoes, roasted corn, and hand-cut brisket sandwiches, this laid-back spot turns every meal into a mountain getaway worth savoring.”
It’s no surprise that Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue ranked high on the list, since James Jackson, a native of Lockhart, Texas, founded the restaurant. Lockhart is known as the “Barbecue Capital of Texas,” a title it received from the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas Legislature in 1999.
Jackson’s family bought a vacation home in Cloudcroft, and Mad Jack’s came to be.The line can stretch up to two hours, and people from all over the world, including plenty of Texans, come to taste what Mad Jack’s has to offer, according to its website.
If you can’t make the trip out to Cloudcroft, you can still get a taste of Mad Jack’s by ordering its rubs and sauces online.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
A wild rat in New Mexico tested positive for the plague after four dogs were diagnosed with the troubling disease earlier this year, according to authorities.
A homeowner discovered the plague-ridden rodent dead on a private property in Santa Fe County and submitted it for testing, according to the New Mexico Health Department.
It is the first confirmed wild animal in Santa Fe County to test positive for the illness caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria in 2026, the health department said.
The case follows four other confirmed plague cases in dogs this year — including three pooches in Santa Fe County and one in Bernalillo County.
“While this is an animal case of plague, it’s important to remember humans can get plague from flea bites or direct contact with infected animals, including rodents, wildlife and even pets,” Dr. Chad Smelser, deputy state epidemiologist for NMDOH, said in a statement.
“Pets can be infected with plague if they eat an infected animal or are bitten by infected fleas,” Smelser said.
Although human cases of the plague are rare, roughly half of all cases in the US each year occur in New Mexico, according to the health department.
The disease can be life-threatening without proper treatment, but if it’s caught early, it can be treated with antibiotics, officials added.
Symptoms in humans include sudden high fever, chills, headache, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes.
Infected pets similarly suffer from fever, low energy, loss of appetite, and swollen lymph nodes, experts added.
The New Mexico Health Department cautioned residents to take several steps to prevent themselves and their contracting the plague — including cleaning up areas near homes such as woodpiles, brush piles, junk and abandoned vehicles, where rodents could live.
Pet food and water should be kept away from where rodents and wildlife can get to them, and people should stay away from sick or dead rodents and rabbits.
Pets should use veterinarian-approved flea control products and be promptly taken to a veterinarian if they are sick.
Last year, a man in Arizona and a domestic cat in Colorado died of the bubonic plague.
A 43-year-old man from Valencia County in New Mexico was also hospitalized with the disease in 2025.
New Mexico
Ex-Barcelona defender takes over as new Mexico boss as Javier Aguirre leaves after England defeat | Goal.com US
.jpg?ssl=1 "Ex-Barcelona defender takes over as new Mexico boss as Javier Aguirre leaves after England defeat | Goal.com US")
The transition comes at a critical moment for Mexico. Marquez’s immediate priority is addressing the tactical shortcomings that proved costly against England. Defensive errors allowed players like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane to secure the victory.
To fix this, Marquez will rely on his recent coaching experience. During his two-year spell managing Barcelona Atletic, Marquez oversaw 82 matches, recording 40 wins, 21 draws and 21 losses. This period in Spain helped him develop a structured approach to the game, which the federation hopes will translate into a more robust defensive system for the national side.
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