NM State Volleyball Crimson and White Scrimmage 8-12-23 Part 1

What a fun picture.  There's Darian Markham hitching a ride with Ryleigh Whitekettle.

I finally had to sign-on to Twitter to get information about this weekend’s Aggie Volleyball scrimmage.  I didn’t want to do it (for various reasons), but the online schedule was a bit tardy in disclosing info on this game.  From an Aggie podcast, I learned that there were inside renovations going on to the Pan-Am Center.  This explains why this match would be played in the practice gym attached to the arena. 

 

This wasn’t the first time the team has played a match in the gym.  In 2021, they played there in an exhibition against Texas Tech.  You can read about the circumstances in my post from that time.  The short version is that I didn’t get to see the match.  I didn’t know what to expect, except for the words “limited seating,” in the promo.

 

I went really early just to make sure.  I ran into fan Danny out in the parking lot at the rear of the Pan-Am and we entered together.  We saw former players Tatyana Battle (Ops Director) and Molly Johnson (Grad assistant) in the hallway.  I waved to them.  (I really hoped I could talk to Molly and tell her that I wanted her back playing.  One year with her wasn't enough for me.)  The small practice gym inside was not made for spectators.  Two rows of seats were on the far side of the court.  On court, the girls were warming up.  This was definitely a lot closer than the fans usually are when the team is playing.

 

In fact, too close.  I got hit on the leg by a ball after I sat down.  I found myself deflecting balls away from Danny on occasion during the match.  Danny immediately befriended an adorable chatty little girl with rosy cheeks sitting next to us.  She was 7 (as she told everyone) and, I think, the daughter of an official, of which there weren't any present for this game.  (PA Ed Caranathan was there to call the match.)  Coach Jordan came by and individually greeted the fans that had shown up early.  The little girl told him that she wanted to play for him someday.  He had to tell her that he planned on retiring probably before she'd be old enough.

 

I'd impulsively brought a piece of charcoal and some paper to draw on before I'd left.  I thought maybe I could draw some action poses and the girls relaxing on the sidelines.  That was a great idea, if I had more talent.  Also, I didn't count on being cramped in my seat with the crowd.  I wished I brought a normal pencil.  Charcoal wasn't the right tool for this.  I might try it again sometime.

 

The people kept coming.  The seating ran out and people were standing until more chairs were brought in.  People still ended up sitting on the court.  Some members of Aggie Soccer came in, including Xitlatly Hernandez and Loma McNeese (both looking glam).  Several Football players were there.  There were a couple of windows overlooking the gym from the second story.  There was a crowd of people, who might have been athletes, watching from there as well.  

 

As for the team, Ryleigh Whitekettle was as striking as ever out on court.  She also had the hardest hit ball that I heard that evening, though it was during warmups.  Newcomer Starr Williams was also a presence with her height and her amazingly long, thick braided hair going down her back.  Local girl and senior Kaitlyn Espiritu was on the sidelines and not suited out to play.  I've despaired of ever seeing her in a game.  Alexandria Connatser was back with shorter hair.  I think she needed to put a little more weight over the summer.  She seems too thin for her position.       

 

After what happened last year, Coach Jordan brought in two more setters to join Bianca Perez and Rilen Garcia.  Bianca was still wearing a thumbguard (as was Ryleigh).  From a podcast interview, the coach still really loves Rilen's effort, but she is pretty undersized for the position.  Aspen Aldous is a junior transfer and Peyton Castillo is a sophomore from Western NM.  I think Aspen is meant to the primary.  She's 6'2” and can block (and is well built).  Peyton also has some height (and is really pretty with a killer smile).  There's probably going to be some real competition over the setter position, because they're all capable.

 

I'm sorry Ron wasn't here.  He would have loved seeing the girls.  He would have been close to his favorite, Morgan Stewart, from court level.  This isn't a beauty contest, but I really liked Maggie Lightheart.  She's cute as heck and a local girl that’s new to the team.  She got a lot of playing time in the match and played well with a lot of hustle.  The coach was likely mostly testing out the newcomers as much as possible in this match.  I'll mention a lot of the other players during the recap.

 

Set 1

It seemed like most of the presumptive regular starters were on the White team and much of the reserves were on the Crimson team.  Starr made an authoritative straight down dunk at the net to start the match for the White.  Ryleigh followed that up with a kill.  Kacia Brown had a solo block and a shared block with Ryleigh.  Anji Vishwanathan, PA Ed's favorite name to announce, came back for the Crimson with a tip kill to make it 5-3 White.  Another Las Cruces player, Jacqueline Gomez-Gallegos, made a solo block for the Crimson and teamed up transfer junior, Aleka Darko, for a block.  (There was a post-match interview with Aleka.  She seems like a sweetheart.)

 

On our side of the court, we could hear Assistant Coach Whitis talking to the Crimson team.  Sometimes instructions, sometimes encouragement, and sometimes taunting.  There was also a couple next to me that was scouting the players like a couple of coaches and looking at the girls' strengths and weaknesses.  I'm guessing they're boosters.

 

Ashley Herman was my favorite freshman to watch on the sidelines last year.  She was a bundle of energy and always cheerleading.  I hope she'll be playing this year.  She was taking swings for the White today.  After being denied on a couple other points, Ashley fired a fastball to make it 11-8 White.  She went crosscourt for a kill on the next point.  Ash made a nice save a couple points later and Mari Sharp got a kill to make it 14-9 White.

 

Starr made another kill and had an overpass kill to make it 20-11 White.  For the Crimson, Anji made another tip kill.  Sydney McIntosh fired a kill through a block for the Crimson.  There was a little comedy, as Morgan and Maggie fell on each other at the net for a dig.  24-15 was our first long rally.  Sydney finished it with a kill.  White would finish out the set 25-16.

 

Set 2

Molly and surprise guest former player, Lia Mosher, went out on court between sets to toss t-shirts to the crowd.  I didn't quite recognize Lia before she was announced.  She was like Clark Kent wearing nerdy glasses with her hair pulled back.  One of her shirt bundles came apart in flight.  PA Ed told her, “Nice try, Lia.”  (She was his favorite name to announce, “Lia Mooooooosher!”)

 

The teams came back out mixed up, as the coach experimented with different lineups.  Mari with the Crimson started the set with a pair of kills and also had an ace.  It was a different perspective on serves from the floor level.  I also got a sense of the speed of the ball as a ball whizzed over my head during a point early in the set.

 

Crimson ran up the score to 7-1, as Starr slapped another overpass kill.  Ashley and Kacia teamed for a block for the White.  Ash hit a kill and may have had another kill maybe overturned on a roofing call (?).  (The players were making their own calls on the other team.)  12-7 Crimson, Starr tooled the block after a long rally.  13-8 Maggie buried one for the White.  Coach Jordan at the far end of the court immediately piped up with some instructions.  Everyone got quiet.  He apparently didn’t like the defense on that shot.

 

On the next point, Coach Whitis gave his team a long set of instructions.  Unfortunately, Bella Castro, another local player, tripped after serving and White took the point.  Crimson won the next point to lead 16-10.  Morgan, on the White team, made a couple of diving saves on the point.  Coach Whitis called a timeout.  Anji and Alex teamed up for a block to take the next point.  I thought Coach Whitis was about to jump out on to the court to play with the girls on that point.  (Him and Assistant Coach Hertel, who was coaching the other team, must have had a bet on the outcome of this match.)

 

The White team started a comeback.  Maggie got another kill, Ryleigh and Kacia made a block, Maggie served an ace off the tape, and Kacia had a kill to make it 19-15 Crimson.  Bianca and new freshman Mia Daniel made a block for Crimson 23-17.  White kept coming and closed to 24-22.  Morgan had another great off court save.  At 24-23 Coach Whitis took a timeout, but White tied it at 24.  Rilen was on a great serving run for them.  Crimson finally sided out.  The set ended 26-24 Crimson with Mari making a solo block on Ryleigh.

 

Continued in Part 2.