Wow! I’m tired. Three Aggie Sporting events in a row (10-2-25, 10-3-25) have sort of knocked me out. I had a slightly rough and rushed morning before taking off. In an effort to look good for Autograph Day, I was wearing my tightest jeans and boots to look taller. In reality, it just made me uncomfortable.
I was again sitting with the Reese family. As per yesterday’s Halloween costume discussion, I showed Trey and Robin a couple of pictures of the girls from a few years ago making fun of their coaches with their costumes. The one making fun of Assistant Coach Chelsea Rose was a bit cruel. “You women are mean,” I told Robin. Also as per yesterday’s conversation, I also showed Trey a variety of Wonder Woman costumes from the comic books, as his daughter was planning on dressing up as the character for Halloween. I’m sure he was fascinated. They were joined by several of Robin’s volleyball teammates for a reunion.
I was wearing two pairs of socks to make my slightly oversized sized boots fit, but I was still a bit chilled inside the Pan-Am Center. I didn’t have a jacket with me. There was a slightly smaller crowd than last night at 398.
Aggie Volleyball was again playing Sam Houston State, as they were yesterday. It’s only been four games over two weeks and three sports playing the Bearkats. Are we ever going to be done playing the Bearkats this year? I’ve seen Soccer, Football, and now Volleyball against Sam Houston State in a very short period of time. There are other teams in C-USA right?
Set 1
Let’s get right to it. Maggie Lightheart started the Aggie scoring with a tip kill to tie the score at 1. Zoe Ziegler gave the Aggies the lead with a big kill. Kate Sinclair followed that up with a kill from the middle, 3-1. Jaelynn Kohli then got involved with a kill down the line. 6-2 Aggies, Mia Fox and Jae combined for a block. Jae added a tip for a commanding, 8-3 lead.
Pistol Pete came by. This was the mustached one from Football, not the one from last night. Wave the Wonder Dog would not be making an appearance today. 10-5 Aggies, Mia and Kate teamed up for a block. Kate had a great reaction next. She intercepted a dump shot and turned it into a tip kill.
A camera girl came by. She wanted a shot of one of Robin’s teammates and the PA announced her as a former Aggie Volleyball great. The camera girl thanked her afterward. This wasn’t planned with her consent apparently, though I’m sure she appreciated a little recognition.
SH had an embarrassing mis-set, which led to Maggie making a kill down the line. Mia was serving. The Reserves and the Cheerleaders were making little ears over their heads. Trey explained these were fox ears. He didn’t know all of the handsigns that they were making for Aggie servers, but got that one.
14-6 Aggies, Kate got the block. Maggie had a one-handed save off the floor on the point. At 16-6, SH called another timeout. Out of the break, Makayla Martinez made an off-court save that led to a crosscourt paint the line kill by Maggie. On the next point, Bella Garcia had an off-court save and Maggie got the block for the point. It was all working for the Aggies.
Near catastrophe followed. Rilen Garcia and Bella collided heads going for a dig. They were okay, surprisingly. 21-8 Aggies, Maggie put one on the line again. SH made a good save at the net during the point. Maggie put in an ace on the next point. Kate and Zoe made a block at 23-8. The Aggies took it with a very efficient, 25-9 score.
Set 2: Aggies 1, Bearkats 0
The Aggies still had it working in Set 2. Jae got a touch kill to tie it at 2. Zoe had a kill to give the Aggies an early lead. Zoe and Mia teamed up for a block and Mia finished another point to make it, 5-3 Aggies. 6-4 Maggie had her back to the net and hit a free ball back over that landed for a kill. Are you kidding me?
7-5 Aggies, SH had a block on Mia. The SH Reserves got off a “She said, ‘No!’” shout. Kate came back with a block and a kill and Jae added a touch kill at, 12-9. Makayla poured in an ace at 13-9. The Bearkats weren’t going away, though. SH sided out and Shaelin White served up back-to-back aces. 13-12 and timeout Aggies.
Out of the break, SH tied it at 13 on a block of Zoe. Coach Jordan immediately sent Jacquline Corcoran in for Zoe. The Bearkats took a brief lead on a touch kill, but Mia got it back to even on a kill. The teams then traded service errors, maybe playing a bit tight there. The next point, Maggie smashed one with some heat to get back into the lead, 16-15. (The shot also came right at us. Thankfully, there a several people sitting in front of us to block it.)
SH retied it at 16 after a long rally. Nellie Reese made a one-handed off-court save on the point. Maggie then went down the line for a kill and the lead. SH came back with a couple of points and got the lead on an overpass kill. Their Reserves shouted, “All aboard!” (I don’t know how those connect, but it sounded good.) They got another overpass kill at 18-20 and Coach Jordan called a timeout.
That helped. The Aggies brought it back to even at 20, after Jae tooled a block. SH took the next point and, again, the Aggies avoided disaster. Makayla, going for an off-court dig, slid face first into the metal side of a sideline table. The crowd collectively gasped, but Makayla came up smiling.
After that, the Bearkats made a couple of errors and misfired on a serve. SH took a timeout, 22-21 Aggies. Makayla ducked out of the huddle and went the trainer. She might have had a slightly bloody nose or some kind of damage. (The Aggies were on the far end of the court from me.) Before she went back on court, Coach Chelsea grabbed Makayla and asked if she was okay. No problem and she’d be serving.
23-21 Aggies, after a long rally, Mia and Zoe teamed up for a block. SH came back and tied it at 23 with a block on Jae. She was not blocked on the next point to take the Aggies to set point. Surprisingly, Zoe served. SH fired out and the Aggies took it, 25-22.
Set 3: Aggies 2, Bearkats 0
It wasn’t my imagination; it was colder in the Pan-Am Center today than yesterday. We all left our seats at the halftime break. Robin and I went to separate bathrooms. Trey went to buy bottled water for the ladies. He came into the bathroom after I’d finished. I offered to hold the water bottles while he was doing business, but this came out as me walking over the urinal and saying, “Let me hold that for you.” Robin was amused with the story.
Kate began Set 3 with a kill and Maggie tooled a block early. SH took a 2-3 lead after Katie and Mia blocked two shots, but couldn’t stop a third. Maggie tied it on a power kill and took the lead on an ace. The score was tied at 5 with Maggie making another diving dig and Jae finishing the point. I couldn’t help but notice injured Tess Fuqua laid out on the bench. She was having her ankle iced down and taped up. That really didn’t look good, especially given she was only walking between one bench to the other. (If she were playing this weekend, these two matches would have been finished in three.)
8-9 SH took the lead as Maggie fired out and was then blocked. Kate fired out on the next point. Coach Jordan was rubbing his head. He put Bianca Perez in. Maggie put down a kill in anger on the next point, but fired out on two more points. 10-14 SH and timeout Aggies. It felt like Maggie was getting tired, mentally at least.
SH increased their lead to 9-15 with an ace. Mia went crosscourt with a kill and Maggie hit a big kill that bounced way off court. At 13-17 SH called a timeout to protect their lead. Jae made a couple more kills, but SH took the Turn when Maggie swung out at 15-20. From there, the Bearkats finished it. Jae was blocked, Kate had an out swing, and the Aggies were called for a Carry. SH takes it, 16-25.
Set 4: Aggies 2, Bearkats 1
I asked Trey about today’s Baseball playoff games. He looked up the scores and the Brewers had a six-run first inning over the Cubs. They were off to a good start. It was 9-1 after 3 innings with 4 unearned runs.
A long rally started the Fourth Set. SH took it. They got the next point on a double touch call, but gave it back on a net serve. 2-3 SH, Zoe made a block that delivered a facial to the defender. I could see on the other end of the court that Claudia Rossi, our other setter, was warming up. I wondered if the Coach was unhappy with the setting and wanted her ready to go.
3-4 SH, Katie Funk was in and fired a kill that traveled down the length of the net and fell in. 4-5 SH, Mia fired through the blockers for a kill. On the next point, Katie made an off-court save and Kate finished it with a block to tie it. A Zoe and Kate block tied it at 7. The Aggies went up, 9-7, as Jae came in and got a kill. Timeout SH.
Maggie was on serve and you know what that means. She aced at 10-7. 12-7 Aggies, Jae made a huge shot that rebounded way out. It was a six-point run before SH sided out. SH added another point with a block on Jae. 13-9 Aggies, Kate came back with a kill that hit the net and went over. 13-11 Mia was blocked. She got the kill on the next point, but it was challenged and reversed. SH served into the net on the next point and the crowd cheered.
15-12 Aggies, there was Jae with another kill. On the next point, Nellie made a great dig. It was so good, her teammates just watched it as the ball fell back to the court untouched. They really need to work on that. Maggie fired into the net at 15-14 and the Aggies took a timeout.
Mia tooled a block out of the break, but SH would take the lead after, 15-16. Coach Jordan was mad about the point. There might have been a double touch before the kill. The Aggies got the lead back with a tip kill by Maggie. Kaylee Peterson came in served up an opportune ace to make it, 18-16.
Maggie was blocked to tie it at 18. SH came up with their own opportune ace to take an 18-19 lead. The Aggies took a timeout. Out of the break, Kate tooled a block and SH fired out to get the Aggies to the Turn, 20-19. Kate had a big block and Maggie tooled a block. 22-19 Aggies and timeout SH.
SH challenged a touch kill on the next point and it was reversed. Their coach must be living right. Kate smacked one for a kill and a big rebound off court. The girls seem to be hitting harder than they used to in previous years. Jae made a kill to get it to match point. On the next point, Maggie made a free ball save and Jae finished it with a block. Aggies win 25-21 and 3-1.
The Aggies were up .117 to .048 in hitting. Both teams had a really good percentage in one set each, but came back down to earth. The Aggies were up 13 to 9 in blocks and 6 to 4 in aces, but SH had 9 service errors to 4 for the Aggies. Lauren Malone led the Bearkats with 11 kills and Chloe Monson had 10.
Jaelynn Kohli lead the Aggies with 15 kills. Maggie Lightheart had 13 kills. She had 4 aces and led the team in digs at 19. What a girl! Kate Sinclair had 7 kills and 6 blocks. Wait, let me check. Yes, she’s still a freshman. Mia Fox and Zoe Ziegler each had 6 blocks. The Coach did well recruiting for height. Rilen Garcia led with 19 assists.
Autographs
Jack Nixon was here. He went down to the court and interviewed Coach Jordan. I don’t know who he was doing the interviewing for. The Coach did another interview and then met with Robin and her teammates. It was all smiles. Robin gave him a hug.
I got in line for autographs. I told a couple of the girls I was glad this match didn’t go any further, because it was cold. They said, “We’re cold, too.” Apparently, it isn’t the players wanting it cold inside while they’re playing.
I called Bianca Perez “a woman of many talents” for retraining as a hitter. I asked Claudia Rossi if she was okay. She was all smiles, even when I’d seen her pregame. I told her to stay ready. I tried to ask our Turkish transfer, Ezgi Duzgezen, if she’d be playing soon. I think we had a translation issue.
Strangely, Zoe Ziegler seemed the friendliest of the girls, though she was the most intimidating looking. Makayla Martinez was the most intimidating. I’m not sure what she wrote on top of her autograph. Jazlyn Vasquez is very cute. I got to compliment Nellie Reese finally on her sliding set from yesterday. I told her to put it in her highlight reel.
Tess Fuqua was luminously beautiful with a dreamy smile. I told her I’d waited a year to see her play and she was great as advertised. When asked if she’d be playing next weekend, she said, “Come and find out.” She must be a Sports Marketing major.
I admonished Ashley Herman for denying me getting to see her play this season with her injury. The good news is that I think she’s planning on coming back next year as a grad student. We’ll look forward to that. I told her she’d always be that perky freshman fist bumping the coaches before every set. That must have seemed like a million years ago to her.
I told Kate Sinclair that she reminded me of Megan Hart, our two-time Player of the Year middle blocker. She said she’d heard that before. I hope Kate appreciates the compliment and watches some Megan’s highlights. (And Kate is very sweetly pretty.)
I told Maggie Lightheart I lost count after 10 of times she dove on to the court for a dig. I made sure to tell her how proud we are of her. Maggie was smiling and gracious and maybe a bit embarrassed (and stunningly cute). She will ever be Our Sweetheart.
“How did Coach Wallis let you leave El Paso without making you play for him?” I asked Jaelynn Kohli. Jae said she just liked the coach and the girls here. I’m not buying it. Is her family being held hostage? Seriously, she’s a physical specimen and plays like a senior. She’s a unicorn right out of high school. I thanked her for playing for NMSU.
Rilen Garcia was last in line as the Aggies’ vocal senior captain. (Maggie is our quiet on-court captain by example.) I told her I remembered her first game when she was thrown out on the court (9-29-22). I also made sure to tell her how proud we are of her and we definitely mean it.
Broadcaster Adam Young and Rito with AggieVision were still at the desk at the end. Adam has had a busy couple of days introducing the new AD at a press conference, calling a football game, and two volleyball games. I asked about a radio interview he did in the middle of that on Sportstalk on KROD. At one point, they’d tried to trick him into saying something negative and questioned him when he didn’t. Adam said he just always tries to be positive. I told him, “You keep doing that!”
I went back to say “goodbye” to Trey and Robin in the stands. I told Robin, “I hope the Coach chewed you ladies out for not cheering enough.” She seemed hurt by the comment. (Just a joke. Just kidding.)
Outside where it was much warmer, all the Whataburger promotions at these Aggie sporting events got to me, and I went there for a delicious Honey Barbeque Chicken Strip Sandwich. This was after a great Roadrunner pizza on Thursday and Arby’s on Friday. Little wonder I wasn’t interested in going out for dinner with dad on Sunday night. The Aggies’ first big test in conference comes next week against UTEP. Both teams are unbeaten in conference.
No comments:
Post a Comment