NM State Aggies vs ASU Sundevils Volleyball 9-3-23 Part 1

Mari Sharp Guns Up!

 

Okay, wait.  I’m at another Sundevils game?  Where am I?  I know Arizona State is in Arizona, but I don’t even know where in Arizona.  Did AD Moccia win a bet with the ASU AD?  Or perhaps the other way around given the results.

 

I hate to say it, I’m actually glad Ron isn’t here for this game.  I could already hear him, “We’re gonna lose.  You ready to lose?”  Oh wait that was what Coach Jordan Friday when asked about today’s game.  I’m not really kidding here either.  He was more than pessimistic in the postgame interview.  Ron would have said it too, though.    

 

Admittedly, I was wondering if I should be going to Aggie Soccer if I wanted a better chance of seeing an Aggie win.  Annoyingly, their game against the Pacific Tigers was scheduled at the same time.  You couldn’t have started one game a little earlier or a little later?  Both games also had the bucket hat giveaway.  But, I had to support Aggie Volleyball playing a Power 5 opponent (and it was indoors and not in 98-degree heat with some humidity).  And there was another reason.   

 

Dad actually came with me today.  I’d been asking if he’d want to go for a few years.  Obviously, I think highly of the sport and thought he might like it.  For whatever reason (probably didn’t have anything better to do), he said he might want to go the day before and carried through with it.

 

At the ticket office, I ran into Team Operations Director, Tatyana Battle.  I was reluctant to bother her there as she was busy and in a rush.  At the window, I got a ticket for dad and a surprise.  It was $10.  That’s double the usual.  (Now, I was regretting inviting him.)        

We were there way early.  In spite of the surprise ticket price, I was expecting a really good crowd (which it was at over 1200).  In fact, we got tickets and got in right before a whole team of middle school volleyball players came in.  (More on them later.)  The main reason to get there early today was for the reversible bucket hat giveaway.  Yes, I have a Chihuahuas one, but not an Aggie one.  Dad wasn’t interested, but changed his mind when he saw it.  They are rather sharp.  (Taty was right there again, talking to some boosters.  I still didn’t have the opportunity to say, “Hi.”)  There was also a new schedule card with a sweet team picture, which I’ll put up in the next post. 

 

The suites were open today, but I never saw anyone up there.  Dad and I strolled around the concourse before taking our seats.  There was radio today.  I noticed setter Peyton Castillo limping around without a crutch, but broadcast Adam Young said she was done for the year.  He also mentioned that ASU was currently 5-0 having beaten the USF Dons in four sets yesterday.

 

Seated, Dad nudged me and asked if I still knew how to juggle.  That was an odd question.  (The answer is “Yes.”  Once you know how to juggle, it’s like learning to ride a bike.  You don’t forget.)  He pointed out Assistant Coaches Whitis and Hertel were trying to demonstrate juggling with the souvenir volleyballs for Peyton and Mia Daniel.  I restrained myself from going down there to help, since I don’t think they knew how to do it. 

 

While the girls warmed up on court, the camera kept focusing on Maggie Lightheart.  I approved (and somebody else has a crush on her apparently).  The team looked a little grim on court.  They did not look loose and happy.  Meanwhile, grad assistant Molly Johnson was looking very sharp and classy today. 

 

The middle school girls came in and sat down around us.  (I saw that coming, but still wanted to sit in my usual spot.)  Their indefatigable cheering and dancing was a source of entertainment for the rest of the match.  They went crazy (for the first time) during player introductions.  The lights turned off and crimson lights bathed the arena for the intros, which was new.  I didn’t see any bucket hats with the girls.  They might have gotten stiffed on them.  However, a couple of them did catch the souvenir volleyballs tossed by the starters. 

 

I’ll go ahead and take a quick pregame interlude to go over some other Aggie Sports.  Soccer won their game 3-1.  Adam did a scoring update during the volleyball game, but didn’t give the final score.  There were nearly 600 there for it.  Sydnee Johnson, after her ejection a couple of games ago, came back with a vengeance today.  She had a goal and an assist, though she also got a yellow card.  Goalie Valerie Guha, who had been injured, came back into goal late and had a save.     

 

In Football Saturday night, the Aggies beat Western Illinois 58-21.  They are a lower level FCS school, so this was expected.  It was close before the Aggies completely blew them out in the second half.  Let’s hope this gives the team some confidence. 

 

Set 1

Ryleigh Whitekettle started the game off with a kill on the line.  Sydney McIntosh took a swing that was called out, but Coach Jordan challenged and got it overturned.  Good call by the coach.  Syd then racked up a couple more kills to make it 3-1 Aggies.  The team was now looking loose and playing sharp. 

 

6-2 Aggies, ASU challenged a touch call on a block.  It was overturned, 5-3.  The next point had several thrilling tips at the net before Starr fired out.  Syd put up another kill.  Alex Connatser and Rilen Garcia came in.  Kacia Brown fired a fastball that got a touch for a kill.  7-6 Aggies, ASU blocked out Starr.  They were obviously focusing on her and Ryleigh.

 

Coach Jordan was up and out on the court coaching.  He’s mostly been on the bench prior to this.  Behind him, Adam had to stand up and look around him to call the game.  I could occasionally hear the coach through Adam’s mic.  ASU aced to tie it at 7.  ASU went up a couple of points.  Ry had an out swing.  The coach nearly challenged.  After an ASU service error, the Aggies tied it at 11.  Darian Markham had a massive dig on the play.  The teen girls loved it whenever there was a great dig on court. 

 

Ryleigh tied it up at 12, but did it with a softball kill this time.  (It’s not always about hitting it hard, but hitting it where they ain’t.)  Kacia got a kill, but the Aggies fell behind 15-13 ASU.  After the Media timeout, Kacia got another kill, but then immediately served out.  16-15 ASU, Rilen set Alex for a kill.  Alex and Mari then teamed up for a block to tie it at 16.  (Redshirt freshman Alex is ready for primetime.)  Ry then tooled a block to give the Aggies a 17-16 lead.  Timeout ASU.

 

As you might expect, the teen girls went crazy for the t-shirt toss in the break.  Marta Levinska, star hitter on ASU, hit out to make it 18-16 Aggies.  To this point, she only had four attack errors and no kills.  ASU challenged a touch and got the overturn to tie it at 18.  Mari Sharp got her first kill to retake the lead for the Aggies.  Alex came out and Coach Whitis had her sit down with him to talk.  It’s a good sign that they think she’s coachable. 

 

Meanwhile, Mari blocked Lavinska.  The ASU hitter came back with her first two kills to tie it at 20.  Ryleigh then got a kill off a block and then got another that bounced off three defenders, 22-20 Aggies.  It was even an off-balance “excuse me” swing on that second kill.  Timeout ASU.  The teen girls stood and waved to get on camera in the break. 

 

Out of the break, Ry got another kill off a block after a long rally.  Mari laid out in a full Superman to get a dig on the point.  Of course the point was challenged.  (I’m seeing a trend here.)  Actually, ASU was out of timeouts, so this might have been a delaying tactic.  The teens began a “Let’s go Aggies!” chant.  The challenge was denied, but Mari served into the net so it broke the run anyway.  Sydney put in another kill to get to set point.  Starr finished it as she hit the tape on a swing and it rolled over for a kill.  25-21 Aggies.

 

Continued in Part 2, because this ran long.