NM State Aggies vs UTEP Miners Volleyball 10-4-23

Aleka Darko shows off her winning smile.

I’m exhausted.  Today was more sedate than yesterday, but I didn’t count on the Aggie Volleyball game itself exhausting me.  Mostly it was from running the full gamut of emotions for the match and occasionally jumping out of my seat trying to dig loose balls.  There was no meal out today, but I did go over to watch the Rangers demolish the Rays over at my dad’s apartment again, 7-1.  (The Rangers move on to the next round.)  That game finished in time for me to see the whole thing before heading off to the Pan-Am Center, where the game with the UTEP Miners would start an hour earlier than yesterday at 5:00.

 

The start time was because Aggie Football would be having their game at 7:00 next door.  C-USA’s TV deal has their games early in the week to give them national exposure.  This still doesn’t explain why the Aggies and Miners are playing volleyball early in the week instead of Friday and Saturday.  I don’t think it hurt attendance much at either game.  Volleyball had 1,400 listed, which was a little less than yesterday.  Having three high school girls teams there helped, because otherwise there would have been a lot less.  There was also a good UTEP section.  Football had 11,500, which was less than half capacity, but probably about what you’d expect for a mid-week football game.       

 

I only saw one RV in the football parking lot where I parked and nobody tailgating, which seemed like a bad sign for that game.  I didn’t drink anything while I was at dad’s and came into the game thirsty.  I picked up a large raspberry tea and a pretzel.  I was planning on eating after the game when I got home, but didn’t know how long the game would be.  This turned out to be a good call due to the length of the game and pretzel was good.

 

There were leftover autograph posters up front today, which only made me sad since I missed out on autographs, but I grabbed one anyway.  I also picked up a conference football poster, which looked pretty cool.  (I’ll post these at a later date.)  I felt so smart remembering to bring a rubber band today.  Unfortunately during the match, this guy sitting behind me, whom I’ll call UTEP Dad, was playing with his kid and managed to push down the seat beside me and crush my poster underneath it.  What really pissed me off is this is the second time this has happened to me this season.  (This also happened at a low point in the match.)

 

Looking over the team warming up, libero Darian Markham was sitting in the stands, while the rest of the team was standing.  Later, she was wandering around the sidelines by herself singing to the PA music.  I was a bit concerned about her, but she played great tonight. 

 

Assistant Coach Whitis pulled Kacia Brown out of line for hitting practice to chat with her for a while.  I’ve sort of tagged her as the team leader.  Starr Williams had her long hair down in a braid.  Hopefully, that would help her have better success than yesterday.  I noticed my favorite, Maggie Lightheart, in spite of getting playing time yesterday (and today) was still doing freshman stuff and porting water and equipment.       

 

The Miners were all in pink with white trim and blue shorts.  And I thought it was weird having their libero dressed like that yesterday.  I don’t know.  I used to live in El Paso.  This isn’t very UTEP-y.  Blue and orange looks pretty good to me.   

 

The Cheerleaders weren’t here, since they were at Football.  I was surprised to see Adam Young here broadcasting, since he usually does the football TV broadcast.  Pistol Pete was also here.  (There’s a couple of Pete’s.  The other was surely at football.)  There was a tall, pretty line judge, who was unfortunately wearing a mask.  Speaking of pretty, Grad assistant, Molly Johnson, wasn’t here either.  Did she defect to football, too?  Cute moment during introductions.  Ryleigh Whitekettle, who has the best arm on the team, instead of tossing her souvenir ball high into the stands, she ran over and handed it to a little boy on the sidelines.   

 

Set 1

Morgan Stewart started for the Aggies.  I assume this was to help on serve and receive.  That wasn’t the only change.  The team went to a 5-1 rotation, instead of their usual 6-2.  That meant Bianca Perez basically did all of the setting (instead of cycling two setters).  She also had to do blocking at the net.  Coach Jordan was not being passive after yesterday’s loss.

 

UTEP started off with the first two points, including an ace.  Mari Sharp got a kill and tip kill early.  Kacia had a solo block.  Bianca was called for a double touch.  This was going to be one of those matches.  Some refs call that more than others.  At 4-3 Aggies, Bella Garcia came in to serve.  That put three “smalls” in the backcourt. 

 

The match stayed tight.  Bianca got worked trying to solo block.  5-4 Aggies, Kacia and Mari successfully blocked.  Mari aced on the next point, but Bianca was called for another DT to side out.  That’s okay.  UTEP kept turning the ball back over with three service errors.  There was a scary moment on Aggie defense.  Mari took a tumble running off court for a dig.  Thankfully, she was okay. 

 

UTEP did take the lead, 10-12, on an overpass kill.  Ryleigh came back with her first kill.  Unlike last night, we were going to have offense tonight.  The Miners increased to a three-point lead, but Ry put up another kill, Kacia and Bianca had another block, and Bianca tied it at 14 with a solo block.  Mari gave the Aggies the lead, 15-14, going into the Media timeout.

 

Mari put in another kill, but was stuffed a couple of points later.  The Miners tied it at 18 on an ace and took the lead on a kill.  Rilen Garcia and Ashley Herman came in.  UTEP tied it at 19 on another service error, but then Rilen was called for a DT.  Coach Jordan slapped the table.  Starr got the Aggies even at 20 firing off a couple of blockers.  Ry was blocked on the next point and the Aggies took a timeout.

 

Ryleigh tied it at 21 with an out-of-system kill.  Morgan then aced for the lead and the Miners took a timeout.  Ry added another kill out of the break, but then blocked to tie it at 23.  Timeout Aggies.  Coach Jordan talked to Bianca individually before talking to the team.  A UTEP foul put the Aggies at set point.  The next point was a long rally.  Ry was blocked early, but the point kept going. 

 

UTEP got a kill to make it 24-25 to give them a set point.  Next point tied it again on a UTEP out swing.  Miner Coach Wallis challenged that there was a touch, but was denied.  Ryleigh cycled out and ran back to the reserves smiling like she just got away with one.  It didn’t end there.  It tied again at 25 and 27.  UTEP had their sixth service error, as Morgan ducked under a serve and it went out.  Finally, Starr ended it 29-27 Aggies with a touch kill.  Whew!

 

Set 2: Aggies 1, Miners 0

There was a mass defection of fans after the first set.  That did take a while.  I’m not sure if they were going to football, since that was probably an hour and a half from now. 

 

UTEP began early with another service error, though they also had an early ace.  Kacia and Starr had kills.  6-4 Aggies, Mari came in from the backcourt with a kill.  Kacia served out on the next point, but Mari came back with another flying kill next.  Starr and Aleka Darko teamed up for a block.  UTEP took a timeout at 9-5 Aggies.

 

The Miners came back with a dump shot and a block on Starr.  Ryleigh got a kill, but another DT gave the Miners back the serve.  Ry got it back on another kill, 11-9.  I could hear the Band performing outside.  Ry’s next swing was called out, but was immediately overturned on review.  The replays were being shown on screen, so the crowd got a say in it. 

 

13-9 Aggies, Kacia with a solo block.  The Miners came back.  They had an ace that ate up Morgan.  She missed a dig on the next point and the coach yelled at her on court.  She listened.  Next point, she ducked under a serve for another UTEP service error.  (She’d perform the “Morgan Maneuver” later in the match for a third time.  Another Aggie player also did it.)  The Miners closed in again as Kacia was solo blocked.  The Aggies took a timeout, but Starr fired out to tie it at 16. 

 

The Miners handed it right back on another service error.  Starr fired out again to tie it at 17.  And then another Miner service error handed the serve right back.  The Aggies went up to a three-point lead on a block by Ry and Aleka, 20-17.  Timeout UTEP.  Bianca had a service error, but Ryleigh picked her up with a pair of kills.  One of them was accompanied by thunder and took out the pretty line judge.  Another UTEP service error brought the Aggies to set point.  Mari won Set 2, 25-22, off a touch kill for the Aggies.

            

Set 3: Aggies 2, Miners 1

Okay even at the time, I was not doing any premature celebrating.  I’ve seen this setup before.  (Err . . . Actually, I can’t find the match I was thinking of.  Have all the Aggie/Miner matches since Coach Wallis took over been five sets?)  In any case, I knew this Miner team under Wallis was nothing if not resilient.  In fact, I actually ran to the bathroom between sets thinking this wasn’t going to be over soon.  I did see the Band performing outside by the east entrance.    

 

This set started tight as the other two.  The Aggies were playing hard.  Ryleigh ran off court to make a save on a play like a libero.  The Aggies didn’t win the point, but she came back smiling.  Ry did get a solo block, along with Aleka, Kacia, and Mari getting kills (2).  There was another Aggie DT call mixed in.

 

5-7 Miners, UTEP served up an ace.  They errored on their next two serves.  Starr got a kill into a block to tie it at 8.  UTEP tied it at 9 with . . . another service error.  Mari tied it at 10 with a tip kill.  UTEP retook the lead on another DT by Bianca.  (The refs didn’t like her.)  Mari tied it at 11 with a solo block.  11-13 Miners, a UTEP ace, which was followed by another service, which was followed a service error by Mari.  12-15 Miners and a Media timeout. 

 

So, both teams were playing a bit tight.  At this point, UTEP definitively stayed ahead.  UTEP actually managed to get in two more aces, but without a follow up serve into the net, which was the difference.  The Aggies did make some more great plays.  At 13-17 Miners, Starr knocked down a player at the net with a swing.  The Miners managed to dig it though, but Kacia finished the point with a kill.  UTEP took the set 18-25.

 

Set 4: Aggies 2, Miners 1

Ashley started this set.  UTEP started off with a setter dump for a kill.  Ashley contributed right after by tooling a block for a kill.  2-2 was a long rally.  Ryleigh ended it with a touch kill.  UTEP tied it at 3 with service error.  Rilen came in at setter and got in setter dump of her own.  Being a shorter player, you wouldn’t have seen that coming from her.  UTEP tried to kick the ball back over to save it.  (That’s legal.) 

 

A couple of out swings by the Aggies gave the Miners the lead.  At 4-8 Miners, the Aggies took a timeout.  From there, the Aggies were not competitive in the set.  They could never get a run going of more a couple of points.  UTEP had two more aces and two more service errors.  The Aggies had one ace, but three errors of their own.  UTEP took the set by the same score as the last, 18-25.

 

Set 5: Aggies 2, Miners 2

The Aggie players huddled at their end of the court.  The UTEP players danced to the PA music.  I was exhausted.  Being here by myself, I was having unregulated emotional swings.  I might not have looked like it, but I was all turmoil on the inside.  The crowd was likewise murdered.  I was sort of halfway expecting the comeback.  If the rest of crowd was looking to a quick victory, it must have been devastating.

 

Ryleigh was blocked on the first point.  Starr got a kill off a block on the next.  The UTEP players lobbied their coach to challenge.  I think he had two to give, but Coach Wallis shook his head on it.  Maggie came in to serve.  Coach Jordan must like the freshman to put her in for the first time in the match in such a big spot.  She made an off court save on the point and UTEP swung out to make it 2-1 Aggies.

 

Mari increased the lead to 3-1 with a kill.  3-3 Ry missed on a swing to tie it.  4-3 Aggies, Mari got the lead back with a kill.  5-3 Aggies, UTEP hit out.  This time Coach Wallis challenged, but was denied.  Mari made a block that went out to give UTEP another point.  UTEP then hit out.  Coach Wallis again considered challenging, but didn’t.  UTEP tied it at 6.  Bianca got the lead back with a one-handed dump shot.  Starr tooled a block to make it 8-6 Aggies, as the teams flipped ends.

 

Mari had a service error and then UTEP tied it at 8 with a block.  Timeout Aggies.  One of the high school girls teams started swaying and singing to Sweet Caroline.  9-8 Aggies was a super nervous point for both teams with a fire drill on both sides of the net.  The Aggies basically outlasted the Miners on errors. 

 

10-8 Aggies, Aleka and Starr teamed up for a block.  The crowd found new energy and erupted.  Timeout UTEP.  Another girls team started up a “Let’s go Aggies!” chant.  UTEP came back with a big kill.  Starr answered back with a touch kill.  Her and Ry were in together, which is rare.  11-10 Aggies, Bianca served out, but Aleka smacked down an overpass on the next point.  Three points from victory, Mari took over.  She made a kill and followed up with a solo block that set the crowd howling.  Mari finished it with a kill on a touch.  Aggies win 15-12 and 3-2! 

 

The Aggie reserves charged the court.  The team loosely huddled after the match all smiles.  Coach Jordan came over said something quick and then gave Mari a big bear hug.  The team cheered.  One of the girls teams charged the court and Mari went over to greet them and got ton of adulation.  On the other side of the net, Coach Wallis huddled his team together for a long talk.  They were still huddled when I left a couple of minutes later.   

 

The stat of the match is easy.  UTEP had 9 aces and 19 service errors!  I thought having 12 last night with only 4 aces was bad.  The Miners didn’t just hand the victory to the Aggies, they served it up on a silver platter.  They did play well and hard with four players with double digit kills.

 

The Aggies led 16 to 14 in blocks.  Compared to last night, that was a huge improvement.  Our star, Mari Sharp led everyone with 19 kills, Ryleigh Whittlekettle had 15, and Starr Williams had 11.  Those three had almost all of the kills.  Bianca Perez had a rough game, but had a lot on her shoulders doing almost all of the setting and having to block.  She finished with 38 assists and 2 blocks. 

 

I could hear the cheers at football as I was leaving.  That game had started a half hour ago, which is why these games shouldn’t have been cross scheduled.  I was drained and there was no thought of staying, except in the parking lot.  I had to wait about 15 minutes to leave with traffic being restricted.

 

At home, I turned on the radio and immediately heard Diego Pavia toss a 49-yard bomb for a touchdown for an Aggie lead.  I kept listening while I had dinner.  From what I could hear, the crowd that was there was at least enthusiastic and stuck around till the end to see a 34-17 over FIU (and to watch fireworks after).  The team pulled away in the fourth.  Diego finished with over 250 yards passing with 2 passing TD’s and 1 rushing touchdown.  There were nearly 200 yards rushing for the team.  It was another good win for Aggie Nation tonight.