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.