NM State Aggies vs WKY Hilltoppers Volleyball 10-14-23

My sad unsigned autograph poster.

 

I’m going to rip the Band-Aid off: the Aggies lost this game before it started.  You could argue this might have happened yesterday, but it definitely happened today.  I feel like from the coaches down to the players, the Aggies completely psyched out by the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.  I’m not saying that the results wouldn’t have been completely the same with the better attitude (WKU is a really good team), but there was no chance of the Aggies winning under these self-imposed conditions.

 

I’m a bit grumpy.  My stomach was still irritated from lunch when I went to bed last night.  After I got up, I wasn’t hungry and skipped lunch before going to the game.  At the Pan Am Center, there was a lighter crowd for this noon game (officially 700).  One member of the crowd was a little boy in a cowboy hat and a bandana with a painted on mustache, a little Pistol Pete.  Ryleigh Whitekettle would toss him a souvenir ball during player introductions. 

 

We had a live Anthem today.  I think it was sung by a member of the Aggievision TV crew.  Aleka Darko started for the Aggies.  Like yesterday, the reserve setters were again sitting with Assistant Coach Hertel and receiving additional instruction instead of standing with the rest of the reserves, as they’ve been the rest of the season. 

 

Okay, the setting this season has been generally okay, if I’m to judge by the team’s record.  But for this game, it was now an issue right at the beginning of yesterday’s game (and I think even before it started).  As a result of this sudden attention, the setters played tighter and tighter.  Perfect setting would have helped (no guarantee of victory), but nervous setting had no chance.

 

Set 1

The other story of this match were the double touch calls.  By my count, the Aggies got called for it five times and it was by all three setters.  (I wasn’t kidding when I said they were playing tight.)  WKU was only called for it once.  Some officials make this call way more than others, which is another factor.  Anyway, these DT’s started right off the bat in this set with one on Bianca Perez. 

 

WKU Coach Hudson used a challenge early at 3-3 after a long rally.  The touch call was overturned to give them the lead, 2-4.  Mari Sharp had a couple of kills and Ryleigh had her first kill, but the Toppers jumped out to a 5-10 lead and the Aggies took a timeout.  Ry came out of the break with a kill.  WKU sided out on the next point.  The crowd got angry and wanted a double touch on them.  (Generally, I can’t identify when it happens, but others can.)

 

7-12 WKU, Ryleigh came back with a soft kill.  Then there was a delay.  Something came out on court, which I couldn’t identify.  The Aggie trainer cleaned it up wearing gloves and disinfecting the spots where it was.  Someone behind me made a suggestion that I think was anatomically unlikely as to the cause.  I’ll leave it at that.  Back to play, Ry served, which doesn’t usually happen as this forces her to play in the backcourt. 

 

7-14 WKU, it was another long rally that went to the Toppers.  It ended on bad dig by Mari, as did the next point.  Kacia Brown was then blocked and the Aggies called another timeout at 7-16.  Out of that break, Starr Williams was blocked on a swing.  Next, Ashley Herman won a joust at the net for her first kill. 

 

8-19 WKU, the Toppers aced.  On the next point, Maggie Lightheart came in to play at the net.  Her family was nearby and her mom cheered for her.  (I should introduce myself.  I have a small request to make to Maggie’s dad.)  After a kill by Kacia and another DT call on the Aggies, Darian Markham went on a five-point serving run.  Mari had two kills and Ryleigh had a solo block and another with Aleka.  However, it was too little, too late by this point with the Toppers sitting at 23.  After a sideout, the set ended 16-25 with Kacia making a bad decision on going after a ball going out.

 

Set 2: Hilltoppers 1, Aggies 0

A promo pic came up for the next game which would have a Barbie theme.  Oh boy.  I cannot wait.  (Barbie, the doll, I like.  The movie on the other hand . . . let’s not get into it.)  The picture featured Morgan Stewart and Kaylee Peterson.  You’d think Ryleigh might be more on brand, but this likely isn’t her style.  Morgan and Kaylee probably fit the theme better with their winning smiles.  If only Molly Johnson was still on the team and not the grad assistant.  She’d be perfect.  

I almost switched sides for this woman.

The teams changed of ends.  I got to see more of WKU Assistant Coach Megan Fox, aka “Jena Otec.”  Oooh.  All of the hotness and hopefully none of the crazy.  (Again, just having fun.  Take it as a compliment.)  Birthday girl, Anji Vishwanathan, started this set.  Ryleigh and Starr were also on court together.  Usually, it’s just one “big” at a time.

 

Early, Ryleigh made an off court save over broadcaster Adam Young’s head.  Good job protecting your TV crew.  WKU had their first service error early.  Morgan came in for the first time to serve and fired it way long.  (Bad serving is contagious.)  Mari was blocked to make it 1-4 WKU, but the Toppers turned it over on another service error.

 

Mari came back with a dunk on an overpass.  Kacia tied it at 4 with a kill through the blockers.  WKU came back with a couple of aces, one even hit the tape and fell over, to make it 5-8 WKU.  Ry came back with a kill and Bella Castro came in to serve putting the three “smalls” in the back.  Mari was blocked and Bianca had a DT call.  At 7-12, the Aggies took a timeout.  Aspen Aldous came in to set.

 

(Oh, I’m noticing my notes aren’t jiving with the official record in this set.  I was watching, but I was zoning out by this point.  I could not concentrate.)  Ashley made a pair of kills to get it to 9-13 WKU.  Topper setter Callie Bauer made a really sneaky dump shot on the next point.  She crouched like she was setting, but stayed low and put it over the net.  It seemed like that shouldn’t have worked, but it did. 

 

10-15 WKU followed up with another ace.  Starr had a kill to sideout.  The next point was another long rally to went to the Toppers.  Starr protected the Media table again on the point with a save over the broadcasters.  Ry had a kill.  13-20 WKU, a ball dropped in on the Aggie side on bad coverage.  Ry fired out on the next point and the Aggies called a timeout.  Mari came out of the break with a kill, but the Toppers dunked on the next point.  Kacia and Mari combined on a block, but the set ended, 15-25 WKU, with a DT on Aspen.  Okay, that one was legit.  Even I saw that one.

 

Set 3: Hilltoppers 2, Aggies 0

A couple of Aggie alumni players were honored on court.  One of them had been the Aggies’ first championship team.  Mari started the set with a kill.  Rilen had a mis-set on the next point, but gave Ry a good set on the next point for a kill.  Ryleigh went back to serve.  Instead of her standing serve, this time she did a Brazilian-style high toss and jump serve.  The reserves cheered as it went in and congratulated her when she cycled out.  It was a crowd-pleaser.

 

Starr was blocked early.  Kacia came back with a kill.  Anji and Aspen came in.  Anji tied it at 4 with a solo block.  Next point, Starr hit out and hit the line judge.  Anji tied it at 5 with a kill.  WKU would tie it at 6 with another service error.  7-8 WKU, Anji and Mari combined on a block.  Anji was on fire!  Anji and Aspen cycled out.  Coach Jordan had them sit beside him so he could chat with them with more instruction.  The coaches were really trying to make these two matches learning experiences (if they couldn’t be winning ones). 

 

After another WKU service error, Ash and Kacia tied it at 9 with a block.  Mari then served out, but Ry tied it at 10 with a kill.  Anji had a mis-hit on an overpass next.  The rest of the point was odd, too.  Coach Jordan challenged a pancake dig by the Toppers, but it was denied.  Starr came back with a kill.  WKU took another long rally point.  A high ball nearly went off the videoboard.  13-14 WKU, Mari had a kill.  Anji had a good block on the point.  13-15 WKU was the Media timeout.

 

Ryleigh came back with a kill and Rilen dropped in an ace to tie it at 16.  Then Rilen was called for a DT.  The crowd was getting pissed that WKU wasn’t getting called for those when they were seeing it.  (I have no idea.)  Ryleigh tied it at 17, then Kacia tied it at 18.  Ry did the jump serve again and it fell near the backline and was called out.  This was immediately challenged.  The replay was that it was obviously in.  The crowd chanted, “Ace!  Ace!”  Unfortunately, she spiked it badly on the next attempt.  I suspect the coach is going to end this experiment with that.  It’s too bad.

 

Mari got a kill to briefly put the Aggies up 20-19.  Two points later, Starr fired out and the Aggies called a timeout.  Aleka came back with a kill and the Toppers had another service error to make it 22-24 WKU.  Bella then subbed in for Kacia.  That seemed like an odd trade.  Ry and Aleka combined on a block to make it 23-24.  However, WKU ended it definitely with a dunk, 23-25, and taking the match 0-3.

 

It was another great game for Hilltopper Kaylee Cox with 23 kills.  Coach Jordan said, “We had no answer for her.”  Once again, none of the Aggies were in double digits, though Ryleigh Whitekettle had another good game with 9 kills (hitting .444), 3 blocks and an ace.  (She was a bright point yesterday as well.)  Blocks were even at 8.  WKU cleaned up their serving game having 6 aces with only 4 errors.  The Aggies had 3 aces with 4 errors.  The three Aggie setters were roughly even in assists.  I guess that means they’re about equal in that aspect.     

 

At least it was over quick again.  I was ready for lunch.  I’m sure I didn’t really need or want a third burger in three days, but I wanted to use the $7 combo coupon at Burger King I had before it expired.  What can I say, it hit the spot with no drama, except that their ketchup dispenser was spitting out really watered down condiment fluid.  Given how much I love ketchup that sort of hurt.

 

Well, let’s tier list like the kids do.  Last, I have to put 5 Guys.  Their fries are okay and plentiful, but their burger isn’t worth it for the price.  Mid, I put Freddy’s Grilled Cheese burger with bacon on Texas toast.  The burger was magnificent, but sneaky gut-busting.  Their shoestring fries are a pass.  Top, the Burger King Whopper is highly processed, but smells great and tastes pretty good.  However, they have the best fries in town.  They’re thick like steak fries and perfectly fried and salted.  That was what I really wanted.  That and some Aggie wins this week.  So much for that (except for Football, which I didn’t attend).