NM State Aggies vs WKU Hilltoppers Soccer 9-26-24

I almost didn’t make it to this one and it would have been all my fault.  I was listening to the Rangers game during the day against the A’s, which was the final MLB game in the Coliseum and perhaps in Oakland ever.  (It was a sad affair, but a full house and the fans there made the best of it.)  I’d held off on eating until it was over and then went to Raising Canes and had a big cookie with it.  It was too much food all at once on a completely empty stomach.  Getting out of the shower before going to tonight’s Aggie Soccer match, I almost barfed and sort of wished I had.

 

I put on my pants with the biggest waistline and staggered out the door with a swelled belly and some severe gastric distress.  Somehow, I made it to the Soccer Complex.  I think there was a rally going on in the Football parking lot.  I saw the full Band there, and there was a NM State hot-air balloon lit up.  It was visible from the soccer stands.  The soccer parking lot was full when I got there.   

 

I was given an Aggie bucket hat upon entering.  I didn’t really want one, since I had a similar one from last year, but I couldn’t resist the lovely, happy young woman who gave it to me.  Inside, I ran into Ramy (if I’m getting that name right), the Aggie weight trainer, who I’d met at Volleyball.  I asked him about his trip to Fresno State for Football.  He said it was great, except for the result.  His main concern was the offensive line that was missing several players, not just Shiyazh Pete.  He was looking forward to this weekend’s game against UNM to turn the season around. 

 

It was a beautiful night.  It was pleasant and cloudless.  A good crowd turned out.  (The Dallas Cowboys were playing tonight, but on Amazon Prime.  I don’t know if anybody’s watching those games.)  A couple of fans were on Kill Hill with a dog, but left after the sun went down.  (Probably because it was as dark as outer space up there.) 

 

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers were out practicing.  Admittedly, they were a nice-looking group, though they had a poor record.  One of the girls was salsa dancing to the PA music at one point.  The Aggies won their final non-conference match versus Gonzaga, 1-0, but lost their first conference match to Sam Houston, 3-2, last week. 

 

I should apologize for a comment on the last Aggie home match.  I said it looked like they were “throwing it” in the second half down 3-0.  I meant to edit that out.  I wasn’t being an angry fan about a bad loss.  It just didn’t look like the best players were being sent out to play.  I wasn’t questioning their effort.  Seeing the starting lineup tonight, it’s not the same team that tied USC and beat Oregon.  There was that one big injury to Ariana Leamons and the team still seems to be scrambling to find the best lineup and subs.

 

I rang my cowbell for the team coming on to the field and got some dirty looks from the people around me.  There was couple there that maybe hadn’t been to a game before that asked me some questions later.  Thankfully, I knew the answers.  (No offsides call came up.  I’m sure I would have had to have explained that.)  Black players, Jaiden McClellan and Marlee Cavitt, started and took a knee together during the Anthem.  Sydnee Johnson, also black, did not.  (God bless her.)  None of the other players did either.

 

First Half

44’ left in the half and Ariana Ellison was knocked down in the WKU box.  This gave the Aggies a corner kick that was stopped.  Several minutes of listless play followed.  Even the Aggie Outlaw Pep Band, which was providing musical accompaniment, sounded it a little slow.  Jena Johannes yelled out, “High energy!” at her teammates.  36’ Janae Shaklee took a long shot that was way off.

 

Back the other way, Janae deflected a long shot with a header.  WKU fired another shot right after that went out.  33’ Ariana made a good attempt outside of the WKU box that was just off.  29’ Ari took another long shot that went into the scoreboard.  WKU came back and Mya Hammack deflected a shot with another header.  (The team must be practicing those.)

 

27’ Mya Gonzales (Gonzo) tackled a WKU player.  They got a free kick, but no shot.  The Aggies got a free kick soon after.  Brooke Schultz fired directly on goal.  Maddie Davis, the WKU keeper, caught it.  24’ Gonzo made an attack.  Davis fell on it.  The other way, Valerie Guha, the Aggie goalie, caught a long shot by WKU.

 

Paydirt!  16’ Andrea Alvarenga took a shot well outside the WKU box.  Loma McNeese took it from there directly in front of the net and headed it in.  1-0 Aggies.  Andrea is the shortest player on either team but came up big there with the assist.  The Hilltoppers held a quick team meeting.  Davis read them the riot act in the huddle. 

 

On the other end, Val fell on a couple of loose balls that bounced into the Aggie box.  I noticed the Football team had come in (including Shiyazh), probably after the rally.  Pistol Pete suddenly appeared and strolled in front of the stands to get the crowd cheering.  Ryleigh Whitekettle from the Volleyball team came in briefly with some friends.  I think the rest of the team is probably on the road.  9’ Brooke took a long free kick.  There was a big scrum in front of the WKU net, but the ball was kicked out.  Brooke also took the last shot of the half, which Davis caught.  1-0 Aggies at the half.

 

Halftime

To this point, the Aggies had 1 goal, 2 SOG, and 4 corners.  The Hilltoppers had nothing.  A group of ASNMSU students came in wearing sharp football jerseys with number 88 on them.  The school doesn’t sell the best merch, like those kinds of jerseys and those hockey sweaters the Roadrunner Revue wears.  Meanwhile, the Pep Band and Drumline gave a short performance.  Across the field, Coach Baarts was running around demonstrating stuff for the team, who were seated on the bench in front of him.

 

Second Half

Lucia Yenes from the Women’s Basketball team came in.  I hope she’s healed up and ready for a great season.  The girl is pretty good at finding the basket.  Back to play.  43’ left in the game, Marlee was totally faked out on defense.  After a pass, there was a shot in front of the Aggie goal that went just wide.  41’ right back down field, there was a serious attack in front of the WKU goal.  There were a couple of misses, but Sydnee stayed with it and squeezed the ball inside the post.  2-0 Aggies.

 

And then the pain.  39’ Loma was double teamed and took a running shot on the WKU goal and got kicked hard in the shin.  She went down in a heap.  Davis went over to check on her, as the trainers came out.  The trainers helped Loma off.  Pistol Pete walked by the stands in the break and tried to get the crowd cheering.  That wasn’t great timing.  

 

35’ Hilltopper Aspen Seaich took the first good-looking shot on the Aggie goal that just went over the crossbar.  (Admittedly, with Aspen’s silver blonde hair and good-looks, she’s not going to take a bad-looking shot either.)  Syd took a low shot that was caught.  Val caught a long shot.  31’ WKU got their first SOG.  Val jumped and caught a long shot.  We were getting lots of action on both ends here.

 

Brooke hit Syd with a pass and the shot was deflected out.  27’ Brooke took a free kick away from the box that was caught.  The crowd was laughing, though.  A guy in the Band was making a horrible screeching noise trying to cheer.  26’ WKU got their first corner.  A header shot was put into the scoreboard. 

 

25’ Janae took a hard tackle outside the WKU box.  Off a free kick, the ball pinballed around the box before coming out to Mya.  She kicked it high and over the net.  Into the Aggie end, off a free kick, there was a shot inside the box.  Val made a dive stop.  Off some nice passing by the Aggies, Meredith Scott took a shot that went just wide.

 

Catastrophe!  (It’s soccer.  I’m required to use hyperbole.)  17’ Hilltopper Rebecca Roth got inside the Aggie box and kicked the ball into the top shelf.  It was a heady play.  2-1 Aggies.  Inspired, Val had to block another shot by WKU a minute later.

 

15’ Shila Rasoul ran into Davis, who was out of the goalie box.  That brought out an immediate yellow card.  10’ Jaiden took a long shot that was caught.  Milana Eyrich also took a long shot that was caught.  Syd caused a turnover at the top of the WKU box right after.  Her shot went high. 

 

7’ Val fell on a loose ball that bounced into the Aggie box.  She laid on the ground for a moment and looked exhausted.  A loose ball was kicked into the stands . . . at Lucia!  Hey, guys!  Watch it!  (She was okay, but I wouldn’t expect her to come back to anymore soccer games here.)  5’ Kennedy Herrera ran over a WKU player to stop an odd man rush at the Aggie goal.  Off a free kick on the wing, Aspen took another shot that just went over the goal. 

 

1’ an out-of-bounds ball was flipped into an Aggie player’s face.  (That’s the second time I’ve seen that this season.  The girls aren’t making friends on out there on the pitch.)  The ref wagged her finger at the rude player and gave her a quick lecture.  The Aggies held on and won 2-1.

 

The Aggies were up 5 to 4 on SOG and 5 to 1 in corners.  They seemed like the better team but had a hard time proving it.  This match really did go back-and-forth a lot.  Valerie Guha did a good job of stopping shots, and likewise, Maddie Davis did a good job of keeping her team in it.  Nice job by Sydnee Johnson and Loma McNeese for cashing in their opportunities tonight.  Still, like I said earlier, this isn’t the same team I saw earlier this season.    

 

Loma was thankfully walking around after the game.  Her ankle was wrapped and might have had a slight limp.  I don’t think she’ll be playing Sunday, but hopefully she’ll be okay later next week.  Meanwhile, I was doing better but limited my postgame snacking when I got home to a handful of grapes and a vow to moderate my pregame eating.   

NM State Aggies vs Incarnate Word Cardinals Volleyball 9-21-24

It was a novel experience for today’s Volleyball match between the Aggies and the Incarnate Word Cardinals.  Dad’s neighbor, Lamae, is apparently a big volleyball fan, so they asked about coming along for the game.  The last time I did something with the two of them, I got Shang-hied for an entire afternoon.  I was a bit skeptical but went along with it to share the sport.

 

I’d kind of suggested going to a game next month, because I suspected that tournament prices would be in effect for this game.  (They were.  I was paying.)  Lamae was an indefatigable fan for the Aggies during the game.  She also asked me lots of questions about volleyball that I couldn’t answer (mostly about the officiating).  Given that she was a high school volleyball player, I’m not quite sure why she wasn’t telling me things.  I told both her and dad about the players and Coach Jordan.  I was glad to have someone to relate their stories to. 

 

The Pan-Am parking lot was full, but this was probably mostly for the battle of the high school marching bands going on at the football stadium.  Inside, the crowd was light.  Again, there weren’t any little girls teams there to cheer on the Aggies.  I had no idea what to expect for this afternoon’s game.  The Aggies were playing their fourth game of the week, including losing two to their in-state rival.  I don’t really know anything about IW, but they’re looking good with a 7-2 record coming into this.

 

Grad Assistant Lia Mosher wasn’t here for the game and Bianca Perez was still missing.  I wonder if they were out sick.  During player introductions, Yasso Amin ran over to where Adam Young was calling the game and handed a souvenir ball to his partner.  They’re across the court and haven’t gotten a good look at them, but it might still be Kelsi Meredith.  Regardless, this was an unexpected gifting.  Yasso’s here trying to make friends.

 

Set 1

Starr Williams got the match going with a kill.  I’ll be noting that a lot today.  There was a delay right after over a rotation issue.  (I was getting questions that I had no answers to about that.)  It was just about quiet enough that I could almost the conversations on court.  Starr put in another kill, but the Aggies were looking flat and IW soon ran up a lead. 

 

At 8-3 IW, the Aggies made some heroic saves but looked disorganized.  Timeout Aggies.  The Coach was calm to this point.  (I’d told dad and Lamae to keep an eye on him for possible eruptions.)  The girls seemed down.  Even the reserves were passive.  8-4 IW, Mari Sharp finally broke the run to side out.  Nicole Briggs and Ashley Herman then teamed up for a block.  However, IW kept adding to their lead.  12-7 IW, Darian Markham made a great off court save, but IW made a smart tip over the blockers to take the point. 

 

14-7 IW, something of a low point for the match, Nicole hit a free ball standing at the net and an IW player jumped up and dunked it on her.  Timeout Aggies.  Mari and Yasso put in a couple of kills, but didn’t threaten the IW lead.  Aleka Darko had started the match, but Kacia Brown came in to serve.  I think this became significant later on. 

 

The effort was still there for the Aggies.  23-13 IW, Mari made a great off court save on the point, though IW had a great kill to finish it.  Ashley made a kill afterward.  There was more weirdness over the rotation.  The Coach argued with the up official and finally sent Darian over to talk to him.  Starr and Yasso had kills, and Nicole and Starr had a block, but IW took the set fairly easily, 25-17.   

 

Set 2: Cardinals 1, Aggies 0

Kacia was in to start this set.  In terrible news for myself, I was forced to participate in Bongo Cam because of the people I was sitting with.  Normally, I avoid the camera.  I don’t want the attention.

 

It was all Yasso to begin with.  She had three kills early.  Darian had a crowd-pleasing pancake save on one of them.  5-4 Aggies, Starr tooled a block.  IW was still in it.  They tied it, after double teaming Yasso on a block.  Mari put in a tip over the blockers.  Ash got a nice set from Claudia Rossi for a kill.  Mari tooled a block and Nicole made a block to make it 11-7 Aggies.  Timeout IW.

 

The Aggies came back with more.  Yasso had a touch kill and Kacia and Ash had kills.  IW challenged the call at 17-11.  With the IW team in front of us, we got to watch one of their girls show off her dance moves to a Spice Girls song.  The call was reversed for them, 16-12 Aggies.  No problem.  Mari and Ash piled on kills.  20-14 Aggies, Mari flew in from the back court on a set from Nellie Reese for a kill.  Yasso then blasted a kill that rebounded high into the north end stands.  Timeout IW.

 

It was a good timeout for them.  IW started a four-point run that included a block on Starr.  21-18 and timeout Aggies.  They went right back to Starr out of the break, and she put in a kill.  Yasso and Ashley added kills.  Finally, Yasso ended it on a touch kill, 25-19 Aggies.

  

Set 3: Aggies 1, Cardinals 1

I went to the bathroom and missed Dance Cam.  Whew!  Nicole issued a power slap to begin the set.  Yasso followed with a kill and teamed up with Kacia for a block.  4-1 Aggies, Darian aced.  Kacia and Ash followed with kills.  6-4 Aggies, Yasso was double teamed and blocked and the same thing happened on the next point.  8-5 Aggies, she got revenge with an ace here.  Ashley had a kill.  Mari had two kills.  “Boom!” Starr had a big kill.  Nicole had a kill from middle.  Finally, Yasso and Kacia teamed for a block at 15-10 Aggies going into the Media timeout.

 

The crowd went crazy in the break.  The Cheerleaders were tossing mini-footballs into the stands.  They tossed a bunch.  Lemae got one and was pretty happy.  Kacia, Yasso, and Mari all had kills coming out of the break.  However, IW was catching up.  Mari mis-fired at 18-15 Aggies, and the Coach took a timeout. 

 

I think the Coach’s advice in the huddle was, “Feed Starr the ball.”  She won the next two points and IW took a timeout.  A block by Starr and Kacia brought the Aggies to set point.  Yasso finished it on a touch kill to end a long rally, 25-22 Aggies.

 

Set 4: Aggies 2, Cardinals 1

They kept feeding Starr the ball and she scored the Aggies’ first three points of the set.  IW was actually ahead though, until a pair of fouls put them behind, 5-4 Aggies.  Yasso put a kill into the IW blockers.  7-4 Aggies, there was a long rally.  Mari made a great one-handed off-court save on the point.  It ended in an IW net violation.  Timeout IW.  At this point, I think they had run out of gas.

 

What happened ended up being a 11-point run by the Aggies with Claudia on serve.  The Aggies did it several different ways.  Darian made a save on a point that Yasso finished on a tip.  Kacia had a kill.  Ash tooled a block and Yasso had another tip.  IW finally sided out at, 14-5 Aggies.  The Coach nearly challenged a touch call but hesitated.  I could hear Yasso on the other side of the court tell him, “It’s okay.  We’ll side out.”  They did.  It happened on an out serve.

 

The onslaught continued with Starr getting two more kills, Mari getting a kill, and Yasso painting the backline for a kill.  21-11 Aggies, IW had four touches on the point and took a timeout.  Back to play, Kacia and Yasso teamed up for a block.  Darian dropped in a short serve that IW returned into the net, 23-11 Aggies.

 

IW was not done yet.  The next point was a long rally.  IW made a great off court save and blocked Starr to get the point.  They blocked her again, and then Starr fired out two points later.  The Aggies took a timeout, but IW ended up making a five-point run.  Kacia finally broke it with a kill to get to match point.  Ash finished it with a kill, 25-17 and 3-1 Aggies.  That was kind of a stumbling finish but give IW credit for not rolling over.

 

Incarnate Word’s Risa Sena led all scorers with 19 kills and Kyla Malone had 10.  Yasso Amin led the Aggies with 17 kills and that was with IW double teaming her much of the time.  Starr Williams had 13 and made them pay for all that attention to Yasso.  Mari Sharp had 11 kills.  Yasso and Sena both had 5 blocks.  Your stat of the match is how close the stats were in this match.    

         

The serving and setting game worked well with Nellie Reese and Claudia Rossi.  They were giving the hitters good looks and were capable of long serving runs.  Claudia’s lefty hitting particularly seemed to be causing real trouble. 

 

I kept expecting to see Maggie Lightheart (our sweetheart) enter the game along with some other players, but the Coach seemed to be sticking to a very specific roster of players.  I was worried Maggie might be unhappy about the lack of playing time, but she was happy and bouncy in the post-match huddle.  (I was unhappy to not see her play.) 

 

For better or worse, Coach Jordan seems to have pared down his starting rotation.  He’s found a group that can work well together and consistently.  This is a good thing, so why do I say, “worse.”  This unit gives the Aggies the best chance to win, but it may not be good enough to compete with the conference leaders.  It’ll probably depend on how well they work together and if there are any more big injuries.  They’ve got a few extra parts, but they’d be a step back.

 

The match went two hours.  I’d been telling dad about my sub-90-minute ones this week and last.  He wasn’t sure he could tolerate being seated there for long periods of time.  He was okay with it today.  Both him and Lemae really enjoyed it, so I was glad for that. 

 

We got Little Caesar’s Pizza afterword.  Yeah, I know that’s not the best, but it was quick.  Lemae was campaigning for Sonic next door, so I feel like we dodged a bullet.  (Their ice cream and drinks are great, but you can get much better food anywhere else.)  Lemae thanked dad for the fun afternoon (although I’d paid for everything).  Now I get to nervously await seeing if I’m going to be taking them to the rest of Aggie Volleyball and Women’s Basketball this season.     

 

Let’s not talk about the Aggie Football team that was playing tonight.  Meanwhile, the Chihuahuas had some ninth-inning drama, but still won their tenth game in a row!  I was also fighting bad reception the whole time, which unnecessarily added to the tension.

NM State Aggies vs Southern Jaguars Volleyball 9-20-24

I’m here in the Pan-Am Center again.  I’m sure the Aggies are thinking, “What?  Another game?”  Even the staff seemed unprepared.  There were only a couple programs out and no posters on the courtesy table.  There was a clear bag giveaway that I missed out on. 

 

This was actually the second game of the game here.  The Southern Jaguars and Incarnate Word played this afternoon.  I declined to go due to the matchup, which I thought would be uncompetitive.  I instead went for lunch at Freddy’s and had a Grilled Cheeseburger.  I made the right choice and a delicious one at that, though I was nursing a bellyache for the rest of the day from stuffing myself.  (IW won 3-0.)

 

With a 1-10 record for Southern, I didn’t think this game would be much different, but I have to show up for Aggie games.  Southern is another HBCU.  They’re best known for playing Grambling in the Bayou Classic Football game.  (Aggie Volleyball has also played Grambling, 9-4-18) Well actually, it’s the halftime show where their bands are battling that’s the classic part.  If Southern had brought the “Human Jukebox" to battle the Aggie Pride of New Mexico Band, the Aggies might have been in trouble.

 

I just missed Maggie Lightheart (our sweetheart) going up the steps to go to the bathroom.  I would have congratulated her on her performance yesterday.  The team seemed a bit subdued in practice.  Two losses in the same week to your in-state rival has to be demoralizing.  Tatyana Battle and Lia Mosher on the coaching staff were in sweats for apparently “Casual Day” this evening.  The SU coach came over to Coach Jordan smiling and dancing.  They had a little chat before the match and shared a hug.  I think they’re friends.  There were no little girls teams tonight, so the crowd was a bit light.

 

Set 1

Libero Darian Markham shouted, “Let’s go!” to the team on court at the beginning of the match.  At least she was up for the game.  The Aggies got ahead early thanks to some SU errors.  4-1 Aggies, Yasso Amin and Aleka Darko teamed up on a block.  Yasso added a kill and Ashley Herman and Aleka came together for a block.  8-2 Aggies, SU took a timeout.  Out of the break, Ashley had another kill.  Claudia Rossi had rotated in and the lefty went on serve for a six-point run.  After the side out, Aleka had a kill, 12-3 Aggies.  Claudia had nice save on the point.  SU did come back with a nice block on Aleka on the next point.

 

The SU server broke out a high-toss Brazilian jump serve.  Mari did get a kill on the point, though.  14-6 Aggies, there was a bad set on the Aggie side and an accidental touch on an out ball.  The Coach was barking at the players.  Nicole Briggs muscled a kill through a couple of blockers.  She then came back with Mari for a block.  Mari then poured in a couple of kills.  Makayla Martinez served up an ace.  At 21-7 Aggies, after another kill by Nicole, SU took a timeout.  Aleka made a solo block and Yasso had three more kills, including the set-winning overpass kill, 25-9 Aggies.   

 

Set 2: Aggies 1, Jaguars 0

That was pretty clinical.  The teams changed ends.  An assistant coach or injured player on SU was wearing sunglasses and headphones in the huddle.  I don’t know what to make of that.  (Didn’t want to be recognized with the team?  Witness protection?)

 

There was a long rally on the first point.  Darian made a pancake save and Mari finished it with a kill.  The Aggies went up big again.  At 8-1 Aggies, SU took a timeout.  Starr Williams had two kills with Alecka and Yasso also getting kills over the run.  I could hear them on the other end of the court, but now in front of me, I could hear the SU reserves singing out all the time regardless of the score. 

 

Yasso took over with a couple more kills with Nicole and Ashley making a block.  12-4 Aggies, SU’s setter got in a dump shot.  The next point was a little confused.  Ashley hit a kill, but didn’t celebrate.  It looked like four touches on the Aggie side, but it was not called.  The SU coach was about to make a challenge, but Coach Jordan said there were four touches and the refs agreed without a review.

 

15-5 Aggies, one of the SU players went crashing into a sideline table.  She was shaken up for a minute but was okay.  (Those are metal sheets on the sides of the tables.)  In spite of the score, these girls were playing hard.  Mari put in two more kills.  SU took a timeout at 19-8 Aggies.  Coach took the setters aside to talk to them.  Injured Peyton Castillo was in the huddle, but I suddenly noticed Bianca Perez wasn’t with the team this evening.  We’ll see if she comes back tomorrow. 

 

Starr and Aleka combined for a block to get to 20-8 and Starr put in a kill on the next point.  21-10 Aggies, SU won the point, as the Aggies had a breakdown in court coverage.  The Coach rubbed his face with both hands.  The next point was long rally that Aleka ended with a kill.  Yasso then made a sweet kill and Maggie came in for the first time.  She got knocked on her rear trying to make dig.  Nicole finished the set with a kill, 25-12 Aggies.      

 

Set 3: Aggies 2, Jaguars 0

Pedro, the dancing baby raccoon, came on for Dance Cam.  He’s a crowd-pleaser (at least with me).  Makayla came in as the Aggie libero.  Her and Yasso had a chat on court before play.  SU put in an ace on the first point right past Makayla.  I’m sure the Coach started second-guessing himself.  That feeling would come up a few more times in this set.

 

SU might have gotten ahead quickly but served into the net twice early.  Mia Fox came in for the first time.  Yasso went into the Press Table for a dig.  She came back with a block with Mia at 3-3.  6-4 Aggies, Mia got a sweet kill on a nice set by Claudia. 

 

Morgan Stewart came in.  The family seated in front of me started applauding for her.  I then noticed the mom looked like Morgan, so I’m guessing that was her mom, dad, and brother.  I wonder if my friend, Ron, Morgan’s biggest fan, would have introduced himself to them.  (I think Maggie’s family was also nearby.  She also resembles her mom.)  The fam probably wasn’t pleased that Morgan let a kill drop in on the backline right after she came in.  The Coach was yelling at her.

 

7-6 Aggies, Mia got another kill, though there was an awesome off-court save by SU on the play.  Ash, Mari, and Aleka all put in kills to put the Aggies into the lead.  12-10 Aggies, the Coach challenged an out shot by Yasso for a touch.  It seemed like a stretch.  The Reserves were dancing in the break and got embarrassed when they were put on camera.  (Is Ashley now too cool to dance?)  The call was upheld. 

 

Mia was blocked on the next point, but Starr put in a kill right after.  Claudia put in an ace on service that dropped into the corner of the court.  The line judge had to get out of the way of it and ruled it out.  The Coach challenged that one and won.  15-11 Aggies, Media timeout.

 

Mia and Yasso teamed up for a block out of the break.  I noticed that SU was aiming their serves at Maggie, who was in, just like UNM was doing yesterday.  She was still digging them.  Her and Mia both collected kills.  21-13 Aggies, I’m not sure I understood this strategy; both setters, Nelle Reese and Claudia, were both in.  I don’t think the Aggies were out of subs.  Mia made her second serve attempt in the set and put it into the net again.  Starr came in for Claudia on the next point, an Aleka kill, to restore order.

 

23-14 Aggies, Maggie got another kill.  Makayla made a great save on the play.  Bella Castro came in to serve but put it into the net.  Suddenly, the Aggies had no setters in.  Bella attempted a set on the point, but it didn’t work out very well.  Nelle came in right after.  The Coach grabbed Bella’s hand and gave her a talk coming out of the game. 

 

SU put in an ace that fell in at Morgan’s feet.  Her mom exclaimed, “Oh, Morgan!”   The Aggies got to match point on a long rally.  Starr made an off court save over the Press Table and Aleka finished it with a kill.  Maggie put the next serve into the net.  (I wasn’t close enough to hear if her family said something.)  However, SU also put the next serve into the net.  Aggies win 25-18 and 3-0.

 

The team huddled up on court, but Yasso stepped out and waved to the crowd, “Thank you all for coming!”  That was entirely appropriate tonight.  It was the friends, family, and hardcore fans out for this one.  Meanwhile, Coach Jordan had a serious talk with the SU Coach.  I’m guessing he was apologizing for whatever happened with the rotation there in Set 3.  It had looked like the Aggies weren’t taking the game seriously at the end. 

 

Nobody was doing player stats on the scoreboard, so I had to wait to get the stats.  Yasso Amin had 9 kills.  Mari Sharp had 7 kills and Starr Williams had 6.  Aleka Darko did well with 4 blocks and added 7 kills.  Rilen Garcia and Kacia Brown didn’t play tonight.  I would have expected them to come in at some point, unless they’re hurt.  I was glad to see Mia Fox get playing time in Set 3.  She’s got the height and build, but she really needs the play time to blossom (like Maggie Lightheart).  Your stat of the match is hitting %: Aggies .337, Tigers -.069.    

 

Like yesterday, at least this was quick.  Did the match go maybe an hour and 15 minutes?  I got home in time to see the end of the CW’s premiere of their Xfinity NASCAR coverage.  (Dale Earnhardt Jr. was driving in the race.)  They followed that with a good college football game.  I had poor reception on the radio but could hear just enough to listen to the Chihuahuas ninth win in a row.  Tomorrow, one more Volleyball game for the Aggies this week. 

NM State Aggies vs UNM Lobos Volleyball 9-19-24

I don’t think UNM will be ducking the Aggies anymore.  They couldn’t have picked a better time with Ryleigh Whitekettle not playing.  On Tuesday, in front of 1,300 fans in Albuquerque, the Lobos beat the Aggies, 3-1.  It was the first time they’d beaten the Aggies since 2016, though there’s been a three-year pause in the rivalry.  The new Lobo coach at the time didn’t want to play the Aggies in order to build up the program, or so I’d heard.  Coach Jordan went from understanding, to irritable, to completely dismissive from the denial over the years.  This might have been a good strategy on the Lobo coach’s part.

 

My stomach was already a bit grumpy heading over to the match.  I’d had a chili cheese dog from Legend Burger a couple of hours before.  It was great, but that was my first meal of the day and might have not gone over well on an empty stomach.  I’d also had a boba tea with it.  It was some sort of chocolate/black tea combination with whipped cream (though it was supposed to have banana flavored whipped cream on it).  It was surprisingly delicious.  I hadn’t meant to get it, but I saw the sign for it as I was walking by the store with my hot dog and couldn’t resist.  I think it cost more than the foot-long dog.

 

Grad Assistant Lia Mosher was looking particularly glamorous tonight.  Her long, blonde was immaculately styled.  She was having a chat with the ball girls.  Assistant Coach Whitis also talked to the girls (I think one of them might be his daughter?).  Lia then spoke to the main blockers on the Aggies.  The Aggies did lead in blocking on Tuesday.  Lia then stood out on court to act as a target for serving practice. 

 

In person and on the printed roster stats, the Lobos didn’t look that big and tall, but they were doing well this season.  Coach Jordan may have given UNM some bulletin board material on the Aggie Coach’s Show on Monday with some off hand comments.  (And he was aware of it.) 

 

I was reading the match preview and learned that Bianca Perez was out for the season, along with Peyton Castillo and Ryleigh.  On the plus side, Yasso Amin, won the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week award with three double-digit kill games last week.  In the Aggie reserves, I noticed Morgan Stewart had straightened out her hair and put it in a ponytail.  (I wonder if Ron would have liked the look, as he is her biggest fan, probably literally.)  Rilen Garcia knew the ball girls and gave them hugs before they took their stations.  On court, the Hot Line Judge was back.  Aleka Darko was starting, perhaps to help with the team’s blocking.  After player introductions, Coach Jordan and the Lobo coach seemed cordial enough shaking hands. 

 

There was a good crowd present (not 1,300).  There were several girls youth teams, along with maybe a young Christian organization.  A fellow I’d met last game said “Hello.”  I found out he ran the Aggies’ weight room.  I told him I’d met Shiyazh Pete, who he would have known.  I’d noticed that Shiyazh’s hands were blistered.  I assume that was from weightlifting.          

 

Set 1

The Aggies went up quick.  Starr Williams tooled a block and made a tip over a pair of blockers.  Yasso fired an ace.  Nicole Briggs had a dunk in the middle and a kill.  The Aggies were up 7-2.  Then the Lobos started a comeback.  They got an ace at 7-4 Aggies.  8-5 Aggies, Aleka seemed to have a kill, but it was waved off, maybe on a net violation.  On the next point, Yasso fired out.  She smiled apologetically at the coach on the sidelines.

 

10-6 Aggies, this point was a long rally.  Makayla Martinez made a Superman dig and Nicole finished it with a kill.  However, after a block went wide, it was 10 all and the Aggies called a timeout.  The up official started yelling at one of the ball girls for some reason.  Then he chewed out some other guy, who probably worked for NMSU, who then returned to his seat.  I’d never seen this official before.  What the hell was all that about?     

 

Young girls teams were still coming into the game at this point.  (They should have come earlier.  They didn’t get to see much.)  Mari Sharp saved a point on a mis-dig and the Lobos had four touches on their side to tie it at 12.  From there, the Lobos started pulling away.  17-13 Lobos, after a bad dig, the Coach called another timeout.  In the break, there was high-pitched wailing for a t-shirt toss. 

 

Mari got a kill out of the timeout.  Three “small” players populated the Aggie backcourt briefly in an odd rotation choice.  Aleka and Ashley Herman had kills.  (Ash was also blocked soon after on another point.)  After Yasso went “Boom!” as called by PA Ed Carnathan, on an overpass to make it, 21-19 Lobos, UNM called a timeout.  I noticed Tess Fuqua, Ryleigh, and Peyton all sitting on the bench together calling to Tess’ mom seated behind them.  It’s like a big family. 

 

22-19 Lobos, UNM had an awesome one-handed save off court (I wished I’d gotten the player’s number) and won the point on a block.  On the next point, the Aggies were in a state of confusion, as two players collided.  Starr was blocked on the next point and the Lobos took the set right after, 25-19.

 

Set 2: Lobos 1, Aggies 0

The teams changed ends.  The Lobo girls were completely jacked up.  They were cheering for most of the break.  There didn’t seem to be many Lobo fans present.  I guess only their Women’s Basketball team travels well.  (Ugh.  What a nightmare this game would have been if there had been a couple of busloads of Lobo fans present.) 

 

Flex Cam was active during the break.  The Hot Marketing Girl had a hand-held camera in the stands.  After taking shots of a baby flexing, she ran past me (saying, “Excuse me.”) to go some cowboys, who were calling to her.  One of the guys was bulgingly jacked (a bicep bigger than my calf).  If she wasn’t impressed, I, at least, was.

 

Maggie Lightheart (our sweetheart) was in to start this set.  Kacia Brown would rotate in, as well.  The Aggies went down a quick 4-0 to begin the set and Coach Jordan took a timeout.  The Aggies got aced on the next point.  Darian Markham had tried to dodge the serve, but it grazed her. 

 

Finally, the Aggies started scoring.  Mari and Starr had kills.  Maggie had a solo block that got the crowd and the reserves cheering.  Still, the Aggies were several points behind.  13-9 Lobos, Nicole bear-pawed a kill.  The Aggies challenged the next point for a possible Yasso kill on a touch.  Some little girls started cheering, “Let’s go Aggies!” around the arena during the review.  The call was reversed to make it, 13-10 Lobos. 

 

Kacia aced on the next point to get the Aggies within two points, but then served out.  The Coach hid his face behind a sheet of paper on the bench.  It was all Maggie right after, as she got a kill, got a kill of a block, and then got another kill.  PA Ed, who was calling the plays, may have accidently left the mic on and whispered, “She’s on fire.” 

 

But the Aggies just weren’t catching all the way up.  “Boom!” was Ed’s call, as Nicole got a kill at 18-15 Lobos.  Mari added a kill and Kacia had a big block.  The team was fired up, as the Lobos took a timeout only leading by one.  Maggie rotated out for three “smalls” in the backcourt again. 

 

After going down two more points, the Aggies called a timeout.  Some Frat guys were dancing to Katy Perry’s California Gurls across the court.  Maggie came back in but was blocked on a swing.  Nicole pounded an angry kill at 24-22 Lobos, but that was all.  The Lobos took Set 2, 25-21.   

 

Set 3: Lobos 2, Aggies 0

The teams changed ends again.  Coach Jordan was off to the side making up his rotation for the set by himself.  The team huddled up and Lia gave them a passionate talk.  (She looked very coach-like there.)  Then, injured freshman who hasn’t even played this season, Tess, addressed the team.  How assertive!  They listened to her.  What a girl! 

 

Meanwhile, the crowd was up and dancing for Dance Cam.  In spite of the score, everyone seemed to be having a good time.  (Was there $1 beer at the concessions?)  Back on the bench with Ryleigh and Peyton, Tess called to her mom for a bag of chips, which she shared with her teammates.  (Tess’ hair looks like dark, liquid gold spilling over her shoulders.  It’s a real distraction during the match.)

 

Maggie was back starting.  (This was one positive of the match.  We got to see plenty of Maggie.)  Starr started off with a big kill.  Unfortunately, the Aggies soon fell well behind.  (The motivational speeches weren’t working tonight.)  At 6-1 Lobos, the Aggies took a timeout.  Starr got the second Aggie point on a kill after a long rally.  Starr came out and was worked on at the bench by the trainer.

 

Mia Fox rotated in.  She was blocked at 9-2 Lobos.  The Lobos followed that with an ace.  Timeout Aggies.  Claudia Rossi had been rotated in on the previous point as the second setter.  Before play restarted, she seemed to be having an argument with the Coach on the court.  Mia was blocked again.  She’s got the height for a middle blocker, but the freshman needs more experience.  Maggie rotated out after touching a ball that was going out.  The Coach stopped her as she went by.  He held her hand and talked to her for a moment.  He didn’t seem angry.

 

Starr came back in and got a kill at 17-6 Lobos.  The crowd cheered and was still into it.  A couple of points later, Starr dunked an overpass.  Morgan had come in and made a couple of good digs on the play.  Nicole and Starr teamed up for a block and Starr got a kill on a touch.

 

Still, the Aggies were far behind.  20-9 Lobos, Maggie was blocked on a shot.  The Coach said some instructions to her on court.  Starr put in another kill.  22-12 Lobos, Yasso knocked down a defender on a swing.  It was returned, but Yasso was set again and got the kill.  Yasso would get another kill, but Starr would be blocked to lead to match point.  Kaylee Peterson came in as libero at some point late.  The Lobos took it 25-13 and 3-0.

 

I said that the Lobos didn’t seem tall, but they were blocking well in the match with 15 to just 4 for the Aggies.  Lauryn Payne paced the Lobos with 9 kills.  Starr Williams led the Aggies with 9 kills and Nicole Briggs had 7.  I’m sure Maggie appreciated getting all of that serve receive practice tonight.  She was aimed at constantly for two sets.  She did well there. 

 

The Aggies took off right after the match and went up the stairs to the locker room.  This awkwardly left Lia and Assistant Coach Tatyana Battle to handle the girls teams that had went to the court for the team’s autographs.  Lia was taking pictures with them.  (I didn’t see the team come back if they did.)  Meanwhile, the Lobos were dancing on the court but compared to the exultations they’d been doing during the match, it was a muted celebration.     

Can we take away any encouragement from this match?  Yes.  The crowd stayed for the whole debacle and were enthusiastic all the way through.  (Yes, they were Aggie fans, not Lobo fans.)  That’s about it.  I appreciate that the Aggies at least lost quickly and efficiently in 90 minutes, so I could get back home early and listen to the Chihuahuas game.  They won their eighth game in a row tonight.  The last three games, they’ve won in extra innings after coming back from several runs down late.  It’s too little, too for the season, but it’s been fun to listen to.     

NM State Aggies vs Arizona Wildcats Volleyball 9-14-24

I got up too late to watch the first game of the day between Abilene Christian and Texas Southern.  (I’m being nice.  Somebody might need to pay me to watch that game actually.  AC won 3-0).  There was already a big crowd out front of the Pan-Am Center around the entrance.  The Aggies were bringing in the heavy duty support today for their match against Arizona.  They were bussing in the little girl players from the area high schools and junior highs. 

 

My usual spot was taken inside.  I was expecting that, so I sat off to the side.  That attractive female line judge was working the game.  I was already impressed with the officiating.  Grad Assistant Lia Mosher was introducing the ball girls to the head ref and then giving them their instructions.  I’d seen Assistant Coach Tatyana Battle doing that a couple of years ago. 

 

There was at least one high school team sitting right behind the Aggie reserves.  The girls from there were walking by me during the game and, distressingly, some of them were injured.  I was actually sitting by their moms above them.  Coach Jordan went over to the girls before the match.  He started off all gruff, but was soon smiling and laughing with them.  I really kind of wish I could have heard what he was saying.

 

Set 1

Starr Williams got it started with a kill on a touch.  Nicole Briggs followed that with a slap from the middle.  Starr went off court for a save on the next point.  An early AZ challenge overruled her kill to make 2-1 Aggies.  Starr had to come out to have her leg re-bandaged and there was some confusion on the rotation of the subs afterward.

 

There were alternating service errors, as usual.  (As I’ve said, they’re contagious.)  5-4 Aggies, Mari Sharp hit an overpass that just went over the net and dropped in untouched.  That was luck, but with skill, Ashley Herman muscled a kill through a block and Kacia Brown made a solo block.  Ash had a solo block to make it, 7-5 Aggies.  AZ had four touches on the next point, but the Aggies gave it back on a service error.

 

Starr tooled a block, Yasso Amin got a kill, and Starr got a kill off a touch.  AZ was called for four touches again and AZ took a timeout, down 12-8.  PA Ed Carnathan sounded a little subdued today early, but rallied later to be in full voice.  Back to the action, Makayla Martinez was in and made a flying dig.  (The girl is all hustle.)  Nicole finished it with a tip kill.  14-8 Aggies, AZ hit the hot line judge with an attack error.  Okay, now it’s personal.

 

AZ came back with a four-point run, which included Darian Markham taking one to the face.  Timeout Aggies, up 14-12.  You knew there was going to be cacophony from the little girls for any souvenir toss.  They predictably went wild for the t-shirts.  AZ continued their run and tied it.  Setter, Claudia Rossi, was pulled for Rilen Garcia.  The Coach started with six setters at the beginning of the season, but doesn’t seem happy with any of them.  The Aggies went behind and the Aggies took another timeout. 

 

Right out of the break, Nicole was blocked.  She got visibly mad.  I can see why the Coach is a little intimidated by her.  Yasso responded with a kill to break the seven-point run.  The Aggies looked completely confused on the next point, but AZ fired out.  Coach Jordan was incredulous watching from the bench.  I’m sure he was rolling his eyes. 

 

Kills by Ash and Kacia got the Aggies back into the lead briefly, but AZ took a 21-20 lead.  There was an actual collision on court between Aggie players.  It looked bad.  The Coach calmly told them from the sideline to settle down.  Starr made a kill to tie it and another later, but AZ finally pulled away and took the set, 25-22.

 

Set 2: Wildcats 1, Aggies 0

Once again, there was an early challenge.  Coach Jordan seemed to be listening to Nicole standing with the reserves, who called for it.  She was mad again.  It was overturned, 3-2 Aggies.  A couple of plays later, Starr was hurt.  She limped right off the court to the trainer.  (The trainer was busy.)  There was a delay, while the Coach was trying to figure out a sub for her.  Maggie Lightheart (our sweetheart) was jumping up and down behind the reserves, “Pick me!  Pick me!”  (Okay, she probably wasn’t saying that, but she was jumping up and down.)  The Coach did put her in. 

 

Yasso went to work with four kills (Rilen had a nice backset on one) and Mari put in two kills.  11-6 Aggies and timeout AZ.  There was pandemonium from the little girls for a hat toss into the stands.  That also included some members of the Aggie Soccer team.  Shila Rasoul got one and her teammate, Xitlaly Hernandez, was mad. 

 

Another challenged call gave the Aggies a 12-6 lead.  Starr came back in a couple of points later and received a round of applause.  AZ came back with a point off a challenge and an ace to make it, 15-14 Aggies.  Yasso tooled a block and fired an ace serve that grazed an AZ player trying to get out of the way. 

 

AZ stayed in it.  At 21-20 Aggies, they took a timeout.  Starr tooled a block, but AZ tied it up after a service error.  The Aggies took another timeout.  AZ took the lead, 23-22, after blocking Yasso.  Nelle tied it up on a dump shot.  From there, two AZ errors gave the Aggies the set, 25-23.

 

Set 3: Aggies 1, Wildcats 1

During the five-minute half, the Borderland Cheer group of little bitty kids came out and performed.  They were on the Aggie side of the court and the players all knelt down to watch.  The Aggies looked bad to start play in the set.  3-1 AZ, a ball dropped untouched while the Aggies ran around in confusion.  The Coach face-palmed. 

 

The players were making some plays, but were not working well together.  At 6-3 AZ, the Coach took a timeout and sat the starters on the bench for a talk.  Back to play, Nicole came up with a big block that got the Aggies within one.  Makayla gave the Aggies a 10-9 lead with an ace serve painting the backline.  Unfortunately, two Aggie out shots gave AZ back the lead and the Coach took another timeout. 

Starr and Nelle collided on a point after.  It was like this was the Aggies’ first match of the season.  Yasso tied it at 13 on a kill.  At 19-15 AZ, the Coach challenged a touch call.  It seemed questionable, but he was out of timeouts.  It was overruled, 18-16 AZ.  Ashley came out and was accidentally poked in the throat by one of the reserves.  It was that kind of set.  Yasso and Starr each had a couple of more kills, but AZ took it, 25-20.

 

Set 4: Wildcats 2, Aggies 1

Coach Jordan gave the team a long talk in the break.  AZ took the first two points, but two of their players hit each other going for a dig.  There were some nerves there, too.  The set stayed close.  There was a challenge on an out-of-bounds call by the Aggies that was made by the hot line judge.  It was upheld.  A couple of points later, Starr hit her on a kill.  I’m sure that was an accident.

 

On the next point, Darian ran into a little ball boy going for a ball out-of-bounds.  He was accidentally interfering.  Yasso ran over and asked if he was okay and fist-bumped him.  AZ would have won the point, but even their reserves asked for a replay, which happened.  The Aggies won the do-over with a kill by Nicole.  At 10-5 Aggies, AZ took a timeout.

 

Yasso came up with a couple of kills, along with one by Mari.  Mia Fox, who had come in for this set, had her first kill, but looked a bit panicked on the next point.  Still, AZ had come back and took a 15-14 lead and the Aggies took a timeout.  Mari tied it with a kill.  Nicole got the Aggies back in the lead with a block and she charged around the court. 

 

There were four more service errors, two for each side.  The pressure was mounting.  At 21-20 AZ, the Aggies took another timeout.  The high school girls below me danced to Jump in the Line.  Even the cameraman was smiling while watching them have fun.  Ash put in one final kill.  Mia again looked lost on court.  I’m not sure why the freshman was out there at this point.  Arizona took the set, 25-22, and the match, 3-1.  The Coach did challenge the last play, but even the Soccer girls left before the decision. 

 

There was no reaction from the crowd.  Even Arizona was muted in victory.  This match was like trench warfare.  The Aggies came over to the high school team in a grim procession.  However, the younger girls’ enthusiasm soon cheered up the Aggies, as they signed autographs for the girls.               

    

Arizona was led by Jaelyn Hodge with 20 kills and Kiari Robey with 15.  The Aggies were led by Yasso Amin and Mari Sharp, both with 15, and Starr Williams with 12.  I’m not going to say that the Aggies would have won for sure if Ryleigh Whitekettle had been playing, but I’m pretty sure Arizona was a lot less intimidated by the Aggies without her.  (I’ll attempt to stop whining over Ryleigh’s injury for the rest of the season.)  Your stat of the match was blocking.  AZ dominated 11 to 4.

 

I was going to go to Burger King for an early dinner, but made a quick detour to Chik-fil-a when I noticed that they didn’t look too busy.  They weren’t and I was quickly served inside.  Right after I started eating, a bus pulled up.  An Arizona Assistant Coach came in and I think the team had ordered online and were just stopping to pick up the meal.  I was wearing an Aggie shirt and hat, so I went over and congratulated her on a good game.  She thanked me.

 

Surprisingly, this wasn’t my only encounter at the restaurant.  I saw a large man walk by the window and easily recognized him.  Shiyazh Pete from the Football team walked in.  I hailed him and Shiyazh came over.  He recognized me from Ron and I sitting with him at a Softball game (2-24-23).  He said that felt like a million years ago.

 

Unfortunately, he was injured and not with the team on the road this weekend.  Shiyazh was hoping to get back playing in October.  We talked a bit about Volleyball.  He didn’t know about the game going on.  Eventually, I thought to ask him about the Football team.  He said they weren’t discouraged about the loss to Liberty last week.  We both expressed admiration for the Soccer team this season.   

 

At home, suffering from some slight lemonade poisoning (don’t get the large lemonade at Chik-fil-a, it’s too much), I started writing and listened to the late Aggie Football game against Fresno State.  The Aggies weren’t just shutout, they were massacred on top of it.  The Bulldogs stared their backup quarterback in the second half and still blew through the Aggie defense.  I tapped out.  (I was also listening to a baseball game and watching the Canelo fight.  I won’t be covering that in separate post.) 

 

The pregame had talked about Fresno State going to reconstitute the PAC-12 and wondered if the Aggies might get an offer to move to the Mountain West, which was being raided for teams.  AD Moccia wasn’t looking to move, but was listening.  This was before the game, though.  The Aggies will have to work hard to get any sort of offer after this game. 

 

A bit of a disappointing day, but it was cool to reconnect with Shiyazh.  Well, more Volleyball next week.  Shiyazh said he’d try to come out for the girls’ game against the Lobos and told me to find him.  There should be a good crowd, but he’ll be easy to pick out.