NM State Aggies vs Pepperdine Waves Women’s Basketball 11-20-19

I wasn’t able to get the night off for this game.  Gosh darn it, it was also Aggie Sports’ first Pride night and they were handing out rainbow-colored t-shirts.  I would have looked so good wearing one with my ass-less leather chaps.  There was supposed to be a radio call with Jack Nixon filling in, but I never found it.  (Too bad, I was looking forward to hearing him do a Women’s game.)  There was single-camera video coverage without any sound.  (I thought I saw Jack at the press table.)  They didn’t start putting the score on screen until the second half.  I wasn’t able to watch much while at work anyway.

This was a reciprocal engagement, as the Aggies had visited Pepperdine two years ago (12-17-17).  Former Coach Mark Trakh, who’d actually coached both programs, attended the game and cheered on the Aggies.  They’d won by 20, as Brooke Salas was also playing in front of friends and family there in California. 

This time, Pepperdine apparently brought a whole cheering section with them.  They were all in black shirts behind their bench.  The Aggie crowd looked a bit thin.  After losses to UTEP and UNM, enthusiasm may have dimmed.  From what I was able to watch, with little in the way of in-game stats or commentary, the Waves led for most of the game.   

When the game got near the end, I finally sat down and watched.  The Aggies were down by 9 with 30 seconds left.  There were a bunch of timeouts to stop the clock.  The Aggies managed to force 3 turnovers in that time.  Soufia Inossa got 2 steals.  Her and Aaliyah Prince both got layups.  The Aggies had a chance to tie with a near last-second shot, but Gia Pack missed a three.  72-69 Pepperdine was the final. 

With the game over, I looked over the stats.  Gia only had 6 points and three fouls, including a technical.  Our star tonight was freshman Shania Harper with 14 points and 12 rebounds.  I thought she looked like a player.  Next was another freshman, Soufia with 13.  Let the kids play!  Prince had 12, and Amanda Soderqvist was 3 of 5 in three-pointers.  This was a disappointing loss, but I’m encouraged by some of the performances tonight.

Cheer up ladies.  Things will come together for you.

(I wasn't sure what to do this short report other than post it by itself, since it's too long for a recap.  I should have been there anyway to do a full report.)

NM State Aggies vs UNM Lobos Women’s Basketball 11-17-19

I don’t know what’s a worse sign.  Starting off an Aggie post with a picture of a Lobo player, or pulling into the parking lot of the Pan-Am Center and seeing nothing but Lobo fans there.  Take your pick.  What’s frightening was that their chartered bus hadn’t even pulled up yet.  The Lobo fans had even come early.  Ron wanted to make sure to get the giveaway hat (of which, he already gotten one), so we’d come early too.  He was afraid they’d get all of them. 

Outside the ticket office, we met the ever friendly and effusive Aggie Marketing Director, Nicole.  Ron expressed concerned about all the Lobo fans, but Nicole was glad they were coming, because they were buying tickets.  (Not to mention, they charge extra for rivalry games.)  She was a bit bummed over the Aggie Men’s current score against Arizona in Tucson.  They were down 20 at the half.  As busy as she is, I was amazed she was keeping up with the out-of-town game.  (I’d forgotten about the game and had only tuned in for a couple of minutes, right before Ron had picked me up.)

Inside, we received our hats.  (Honestly, I have pile of hats at home.  I gave this one away at work.)  The stunning Emerson was there, but I chatted for a moment with her co-worker, who I recognized as the “Softball PA,” who’s also been doing some Pan-Am games.  I tried to get his name and asked twice.  It was something like, “Seer.”  Crap.  Anyway, I got to tell him he was doing a good job.  He wasn’t doing the announcing today.  They had regular PA Ed for this big rivalry game.

The Lobos were warming up on court, as the Visitor’s section filled up behind their bench.  One of their assistant coaches out there was rather attractive, Laneah Bryan.  I immediately picked out one of the players, Jaedyn de la Cerda, who’d torched the Aggies so badly last year (12-15-18).  She’s also really cute (as seen up at the top). 

Holy crap!  Over at the Lobo bench was Taylor Swift!  Apparently her current album is flopping so bad, she’s decided to switch careers and become a Lobo Assistant Coach under the pseudonym, “Valerie King.”  I hate her even more now!  Still, Ron was right; I did want to go down and meet her.  (To set her straight in her social and political beliefs, of course.)  [Okay, given she was across the court and my vision isn’t that sharp, there’s a possibility that it wasn’t her, but I’m pretty sure it was.  If this, “Valerie King,” is an actual different person, she’s gone to some lengths to do her hair, makeup, and wardrobe just like Tay.]

When the teams weren’t on court, a couple of staffers took care of the toddler that I think is Coach Atkinson’s son.  They were playing ball with him, I’m guessing under the coach’s instructions.  It’s never too early to start training.  When both teams were practicing, Aaliyah Prince and Lobo Jayla Everett met briefly at halfcourt and slapped hands.  I guess they know each other.  Jaedyn went over and gave the refs a sweet smile and a handshake when they came out. 

Listening over the radio I’d brought, the Aggie Men lost 83-53 to the Wildcats right before this game started.  That game didn’t seem take very long.  Brooke Salas was nowhere to be seen.  I was hoping she was still in town and that the coach might try to sneak her into the game.  Her and Jaedyn had a little personal rivalry going in their last meeting to see who would be the high-scorer.  (Even in the loss, Brooke still had the most points.)  I’m sure Brooke would have been game for a rematch. 

  

Thankfully, there ended up being more Aggie fans than Lobo fans present here.  The Lobo fans were louder though.  The Roadrunner Revue band played the obscure 80’s classic, Word Up.  I wonder how that happened.  Where would they have even heard the song?  I got ready to hear Taylor sing the Anthem, but she blew it off!  I cannot believe how anti-American she’s become.  What has happened to America’s Sweetheart?  Just as well.  If she had sang it, she probably would have taken a knee. 

      

First Half

It all started so well.  Aaliyah Prince made a steal.  She was tripped and took a hard fall, but got the bunny.  Soufia Inoussa hit a three.  I have the words, “Blistering action,” written as an excuse for not being able to take notes while standing.  The Lobo fans were also standing.  We were both waiting for the Lobos to score, but for different reasons.  Gia Pack picked up her first foul.  Nana Sule got a pair of rebounds.  Gia missed a three, but Soufia got the rebound and the basket. 

There were no scoreboard stats, so thank goodness for the radio call.  (What is up with the scoreboard operator this year?)  Gia got an assist to Prince for a layup.  Timeout Lobos.  It was 12-2 Aggies, after only a bit more than two minutes of play. 

Everyone got to sit after about ten minutes.  Ron pegged the turning point of this game to the timeout.  Taylor sany an inspirational little ditty for the team after Coach Bradbury finished yelling at them.  Najala Howell, who I remember from UTEP’s team, was now playing for the Lobos, though she’s not a graduate transfer.  The Lobos also had a broadcaster there for the team.  I’m in no hurry to get back to the coverage.

Nana got three rebounds on one possession, but no points.  Gia missed another three.  Her and Prince came out early after picking up a couple of fouls.  Amanda Soderqvist came in and hit a three right off the bench.  It was 15-2 Aggies with five minutes left in the first quarter.  It was nice of the Lobos to spot the Aggies a double-digit lead while they were getting warmed up.

Then the wheels came off for the Aggies.  Jaedyn got a shot and a foul.  Given all the fouls, Coach Atkinson must have told the team to play hard.  Right after that Micayla Buckner got a technical.  It seemed that a Lobo player had precipitated it, but a double technical wasn’t called.  The Lobos went in the bonus with the next foul.  Jayla hurt her wrist on her shooting hand on the play.  She took the shots anyway, made one, and then came out. 

Prince had to come out again after getting called for making a hard charge.  It was 15-10 Aggies with the Lobos on an 8-point run.  Jaedyn then got two layups and a foul shot to put UNM up 17-16.  With 1:30 left, Gia made an assist to Adrianna Henderson.  Gia wasn’t scoring, but was getting assists and rebounds, so she was still playing hard.  Coach Bradbury screamed to hold for the last shot, but the Lobos fouled and turned it over.  19-17 Aggies after ten minutes.

Second Quarter

Dino Dash was replaced with Dino Free Throws.  They apparently didn’t think this one through.  The contestant couldn’t shoot in the costume and had little chance to succeed.  The Roadrunner Revue played a Taylor Swift song.  It was either a troll or a tribute.  Tay pretended not to notice either way.

Gia missed her first shot and bumped Jaedyn to pick up her second foul.  These two were guarding each other most of the time, though Gia was taller.  Amanda came in for her.  Prince was also still out.  Without Gia, the Lobos got a couple of offensive rebounds and got a basket.  They were trying, but missing on several three-point attempts. 

UNM took the lead, 24-20.  Prince came back in and got a steal and a layup.  It was 26-20 Lobos with under five minutes.  During a timeout, the Lobo fans were trying to cheer over our Cheerleaders.  Lobo Corina Carter nearly got a steal out of the timeout.  Prince fouled her and went back to the bench.  Jaedyn was fouled to put the Lobos into the bonus again. 

28-20 Lobos with under four minutes left.  Soufia took a shot.  The ball hung on the rim for a moment and then fell off.  Amanda hit another three.  Ahlise Hurst answered with the first Lobo three.  31-23 Lobos with under two minutes left.  Shania Harper got a steal.  Soufia missed the layup off it, but made a jumper.  Hurst made another three. 

The Sundancers were escorting a troop of kids in for halftime on one end of the court.  Lobo Antonia Anderson got a block.  At the buzzer, Jaedyn drained her first three at the buzzer.  She stood there for a second to admire it.  It was 40-25 Lobos at the half.  Aggies fans were like, “What the F just happened?”  Lobos fans answered, “You just got schooled.”       

Halftime

Taylor Swift did not perform at halftime.  That b*tch!  What a snub to myself and Aggie fans and even the crummy Lobo fans here.  The band even knows a couple of her songs.  Does she really think she’s fooling anybody with this whole, “Assistant Coach,” bit?  It’s unlikely she could perform live without embarrassing herself anyway.  (Sniff.  I’m still disappointed.)  The little kids did something out on court.  Whatever.

When I left to go to the bathroom (and to see if anyone was selling Lobo gear in the concourse to change into), I saw Volleyball Coach Mike Jordan sitting by the aisle.  I couldn’t resist congratulating him on his great season and wishing him luck in the WAC Tournament.  I also asked about Cat Kelly and her injury.  He didn’t sound hopeful.  I said something nice about Brigette Lowe filling in for her and the coach was noncommittal.  When I came back, I told Ron about seeing him.  He went to go pay his respects as well.

PA Ed and Pistol Pete were chatting on the sidelines.  Two icons.  The video board showed a clip from Ferris Buhler’s Day Off, where he was singing the Beatles’ Twist and Shout at the parade.  The Revue then played, Hey (or whatever that song is called).  The section of Lobo fans were cheering along with it.

Third Quarter

Gia got an assist to Adenike Aderinto to start.  The Aggies went to a high pressure defense.  Soufia knocked a ball away and Prince got a layup.  40-32 Lobos with 8 minutes left.  The Lobo fans were standing again, waiting for the first UNM score.  On the radio, Adam mentioned that Prince had 11 points in 9 minutes of play.

The Lobos got a steal and a layup.  Gia made her first shot of the game.  There was a Lobo turnover.  It was the fourth travel call of the game on Bride Kennedy-Hope.  The coach sat her down.  Nike broke up a home run throw across the court.  Gia earned two free throws on a very hard foul.  She made them.  The Lobos made another turnover.  Taylor Swift became very upset and started yelling at the team, like she thinks she’s an actual coach. 

Nike got a bank shot under the basket to make it 44-37 with four minutes left.  After over 10 fouls in the first half, the Aggies had their first foul of the second halfway through the quarter.  The coach must have told them to chill on the overly physical play.  The Revue played another Taylor Swift song.  They were taunting her. 

Jaedyn got her first points of the half out of the timeout.  Gia was hammered again driving the lane and got two more free throws.  Gia then hit a three, but Anderson got two jumpers in the meantime.  52-42 Lobos, 2:30 left.  Gia was fouled again and made the free throws, but the Lobos kept scoring.  Give Gia a Purple Heart, as she took yet another trip to the nail.  She made 8 free throws in a row for the quarter.

Harper out-boxed the Lobos for a rebound.  Coach Bradbury bumped one of the refs complaining, but she didn’t call him for it.  Amanda hit another three to make it 59-49 with 30 seconds left.  Prince was fouled and made her shots.  There was Hurst again with a three at the buzzer.  62-51 Lobos.

Fourth Quarter

One of the Cheerleader girls started salsa dancing while being held up by one of the guys.  It was a brave maneuver.  Hurst picked up where she left off with another three to start the fourth.  Prince hit a jumper coming back, but Jaedyn then put in a three.  Hurst made another three.  The Lobo fans were going wild.  Timeout Aggies. 

Hurst hit another three for her fourth in a row.  She must be living right.  74-53 Lobos.  Gia hit a jumper.  Hurst finally missed, but the Lobos stuck it in on a putback.  Gia hit a three.  This would be great if it were still the first quarter.  The officials stopped play to check the time, as if anyone wanted this one to go any longer. 

Jaedyn had another three.  At some point, you just have to admire the show.  Prince had a steal and a layup.  Amanda hit another three.  I think the Aggies have found an outside shooter.  79-63 Lobos, four minutes left.  Soufia passed to Nike under the basket for two.  Hey, I’m on the last page of the notebook I started with this fall.  Good timing.  Late, we had the unlikely combo of Prince passing to Amanda for a layup on a fast break.  The crowd and the band cheered that one.  Hurst made another three.  Why not?  Gia missed a last-second three to end the game.  86-67 Lobos final.

What’s really scary is that the Lobos are without their best player, Aisia Robertson.  They lost her going into the Mountain West Tournament and for the NIT Tournament last season.  I’d wondered what happened to them, as they were eliminated in both in the first round.  She may be back when the Aggies visit Albuquerque next month. 

 

Jaedyn de la Cerda finished with 26 points.  She played up to the Lobo fans in the stands as the team was leaving.  I’m told she’s just a bench player, scoring in single-digits for the games where the Lobos aren’t playing the Aggies.  Jaedyn is clearly on a mission whenever she plays NMSU for some reason.  Ahlise Hurst had 22 points off of 7 three-pointers and a free throw.  Whew!  That’s some damage.  I missed a couple of baskets on the scorecard today, but can you blame me?

Coach Atkinson was oddly low key in the postgame interview.  The Lobos have absolutely had her team’s number during her tenure.  Adam Young on the radio thought this was probably the best team the Women would be facing all year.  (They also went on to destroy UTEP a couple of days later.) 

Gia Pack led the Aggies with 18 points.  They were all in the second half, which was essentially garbage time by that point.  8 were off of free throws.  It’s good she got her shot back from losing it against UTEP, but it was too little, too late.  Aaliyah Prince had 17, which wasn’t far off from the minutes she played.  I think the Aggies might have at least made it close if those two had been playing more, but all the fouls in the first half ruined that.  Losing Gia and Prince at the same time, killed the offense.  Amanda Soderqvist was a bright spot with 14 points on 4 threes.  

I tried to get Taylor Swift’s autograph in the Lobo locker room, but was forcibly removed.  “All right for you!  We are never, ever getting back together, Tay!”  While being ejected, I pointed at Jaedyn and tossed her my number.  Miming a phone with my hand, I mouthed out, “Call me, maybe?”  Awkwardly, I ran into the Aggie team outside of the locker room, who saw the whole event.  “What!” I said and stormed off.

Well I never!  What a terrible experience!  Outside, me and Ron (who was pretending he didn’t know me) saw the charter bus for the Lobo fans waiting them.  Even with all of the fouls and points, the game took under two hours.  I had hoped to see the end of the NASCAR Championship race.  Our first stop for dinner was nearby Raising Canes, but it was closed for some sort of accident cleanup inside.  We settled on 5 Guys, but by the time we got to my apartment, Kyle Busch had already won.  I didn’t even turn the TV on.  Shoot, we could have gone anywhere for dinner, if I wasn’t going get to see the race.  Disappointment abounds.  

NM State Aggies vs UMKC Roo’s Volleyball 11-16-19

I saw a great official promotional picture of all of the seniors that I couldn't find later.

This is from a fan picture from a player's twitter.

Spoilers.  It all ends in tears. 

Welcome to the third cross-up in Aggie Volleyball’s scheduling this season.  This was the second time Aggie Football would be playing next door during a volleyball match (9-14-19).  Not to mention, the game on Thursday was moved to accommodate Men’s Basketball.  I kind of understand the basketball one (there didn’t seem like another way of doing it), but the times for the other two could have moved to at least not having them going on at the same time.  I feel like the volleyball program was being a little disrespected.  Hopefully, Coach Jordan doesn’t feel the same way. 

Speaking of minor annoyances, Ron neglected to tell me that he wasn’t going to be picking me up, but would meet me there.  Good thing I called beforehand.  I left early since I was concerned that there would be an issue with parking because of the football game, since they share some of the same parking lot.  Thankfully, they kept the Pan-Am Center parking lot open for volleyball fans. 

I had plenty of time to watch practice as I sat with Aggie fan, Mike.  We were also joined early by another fan couple, who usually arrive just when the game starts.  They thought there was a hat giveaway today.  (It was on Sunday at Women’s Basketball.)  Danny wasn’t here.  He went to watch Western NM play in Silver City.  Spoilers.  He was going to miss a good one.

The Roos were on court warming up.  Down the south tunnel, we could hear this insane howling.  That was how the Aggies welcomed the Roos before they came on court.  They were enthusiastic today.  They’d need it.  While the Aggies had beaten the Roos in Kansas City (10-17-19), it had been a dogfight.  UMKC was #2 in the conference at 12-3.  When the Roos finished practicing, the girls made a circle around their shortest player and she ran around and bounced off them.         

Today being Senior Day, the girls were wearing commemorative black sweatshirts.  I was wearing black too, because I didn’t want to say, “Goodbye,” to Analyssa Acosta, Ashley Anselmo, Brigette Lowe, or beautiful Megan Hart.  (The other three are lovely too, of course.)  Brielle Sterns was out on court hitting the ball.  That’s definitely a good sign for next season.  Autumn Gentry was also taking swings.  I didn’t realize she’s also listed as a hitter.  The girls were having fun.  Ashley pegged their student assistant with a kill on his rear end when he had his back turned.  Cat Kelly was wearing sweats today, but she wasn’t wearing a cast or limping, so I counted that as a good thing.  A nearby fan asked about her injury.  She’s his favorite. 

The bass over the speakers was turned up to the max.  I was vibrating in my seat with the music.  A good-looking crowd showed up today (1,100 attendance).  I don’t think they lost anything to football.  (I don’t know if football lost anything to volleyball.)  Before the team introduction, I could see Annie peeking through the curtains in the east tunnel, waiting for their cue, like she always does.  Ah, I’m missing her already.  She got a big cheer from her family when she was introduced as a starter.  During the team intro video, both teams were watching it.  Megan was staring and starting wiping tears off on her shoulder.  Then I got choked up, darn it.  Let’s just start playing.

Set 1

Julianna Salanoa put down a big slap for the first point.  There were no problems with sentimentality after the match started.  The crowd was very vocal at the beginning.  Natalie Mikels unfortunately out-served on the next point.  2-2, Jules fired a fastball for another kill.  Kiley Tonge came in early to serve.  The Double Touch fan was back, yelling for the call.  At 3-2 Aggies, he got his wish with a DT call on the Roos.  5-3, the Roos had a net serve. 

6-3 Aggies, Savannah Davison got her first kill.  It’s good to get her going early.  7-3, Meg and Ash combined on a block.  The next point was waved off by the refs for some reason.  When they replayed the point, Julianna got an ace.  9-4, Megan got her first kill.  11-5, Brigette was starting in place of Cat today and got her first kill here.  Roo libero, Maddie Renn, made a great dig on the play, but gave it back on a touch, as Brig’s swing was going out.  12-5 Aggies, Sav put in an ace.  13-6, Meg went crosscourt and hit the sideline. 

Things were looking good to this point, but the Roos started coming back.  13-8, Roo Alicia Harrington dunked on an overpass.  13-10, there was a DT call on the Aggies.  The DT guy was mad, as it looked like the Roos had done it first on the point.  Timeout Aggies.  13-11, there was a carry call on the Aggies.  13-12, Melanie Brecka had an overpass kill for the Roos.  15-13, Ty Lukes blew an easy overpass kill attempt for the Roos.  The Aggie got lucky there.

16-13 Aggies, Sav put down a kill.  16-15, the Roos took this point, but it looked like they’d touched it.  The coach was mad and argued even after the next point.  18-15, Nat and Sav passed the ball back-and-forth and Sav put in a kill.  19-15, the Roos took a timeout.  During the break, the refs had a serious discussion, while Coach Jordan continued working on the down official.

20-16 Aggies, Ash got the kill after a long rally.  The Roos had a couple of good saves on the point.  21-18, Renn put in an ace.  23-19, timeout Roos.  Brigette and the coach spoke before play started.  She seemed to be looking for some more instruction or advice.  24-20, Jules rolled a kill down the net.  25-21, Jules won the set for the Aggies with a kill.  She’d had a massive swing earlier that bounced way off court.  Harrington (I think) made a great save to keep the point going.

Set 2: Aggies 1, Roos 0

A wasp started flying around the up official.  He swatted at it with a towel.  They don’t warn you about these kind of situations in the rule book.  Brigette was still chatting with the coach for more advice.  Lia Mosher and Megan chest bumped before play.  I guess that sort of took the place of Sav and Cat doing their booty bump at the start of a set.

Jules again started the set with a kill.  The wasp started bothering the girls briefly.  The coach yelled at it and it left.  3-1, the Roos jumped out to an early lead.  They had a block on this point.  3-2 Roos, Meg put in a tip.  4-3 Roos, Megan and Lia combined on a block.  4-4, Brig got a kill on a touch.  5-4 Roos, Sav had a net serve.  5-5, Meg hammered one to tie it.  6-5 Aggies, Jules and Brig combined on a block.  7-7, Lia tied it again with a kill.

You can tell this set was highly contested.  9-7 Aggies, Nat put in an ace on the sideline.  It looked out, but we’ll take it.  10-7, Brigette got an overpass kill.  11-8, another DT call on the Roos.  12-9, Jules smacked a kill.  12-10, the Aggies got a block, but lost the point.  The Coach started yelling at them.  Unlike Thursday, Coach Jordan did not have a detached attitude towards losing this match.  13-10, Sav got a kill.  Annie had a great dig on the point.  13-12, the Roos took the point.  The Aggies nearly saved it playing it off the net and with a shoulder dig. 

13-13, timeout Aggies after a Megan attack error.  The crowd got really quiet.  I should finally mention that the Cheerleaders weren’t present for the game.  They were all at football.  There also weren’t any of the usual hijinks, promos, and giveaways (except for one later) in the breaks.  You know what; Cheerleaders aren’t optional at games in the Pan-Am Center.  Somebody needs to lead the cheering!  The crowd needs some help.

15-13 Aggies, Brigette came up with a big kill to get the crowd and the reserves going.  17-14, Brig again.  Timeout Roos.  18-15, Brig again with a kill!  She was on fire.  19-17, after shooting wide on the last point, Jules came up with a kill here.  Put away the party hats though, the Roos came back.  After a three-point run, UMKC was up 20-17.  The Aggies took a timeout after losing a long rally.  An odd obscure Queen song played in the break.  Weird.

21-19 Roos, a foul on the Aggies.  21-20 Roos, Sav made a kill out of a busted play.  21-21, Sav tied it.  22-21, the Roos took the lead on a kill that went off Jules.  The coach yelled at her vigorously as she came off.  He must want this one badly to be yelling at sweet Julianna.  23-22 Roos, Meg got a kill.  This got the crowd back into it.  23-23, a Roo swing barely went out.  Kiley had a great save on the point.  Sav then made a serve, but the play was whistled dead late for a Roo timeout.  Gamesmanship?  (Or were the refs not paying attention?)  24-23, Megan with a huge kill.  25-23, Lia with a big block won Set 2 for the Aggies.  The crowd virtually willed it with their roaring and clapping. 

Set 3: Aggies 2, Roos 0

As I got up to go to the bathroom at halftime, I found Ron.  Since he’d come late, he was up high in the lower bowl.  I changed seats, but really didn’t appreciate the change in view.  I gotta be closer to see the girls better.  Also from this perch, I suddenly noticed a co-worker and his two little girls in the south grandstand.  Actually, they were all alone in the section.  Maybe they just came in or the action on the court kept me from noticing them.  I’d told him about the game and that he should come.  I felt bad though.  His girls wanted to see Cheerleaders and I told him they’d be here. 

[Edit: On Monday, I found out that wasn’t him at all.  He’d apologized because he’d wanted to go, but wasn’t able to.  I told him that he has a twin in town, who also has two little girls.  It was just a weird coincidence and my poor eyesight deceiving me.]    

The Roos jumped out to a 2-0 lead.  They got another overpass kill.  3-2 Roos, UMKC was called for being out-of-rotation.  5-2 Roos, Lukes got another overpass kill.  The Aggies weren’t receiving and passing well, maybe because Cat wasn’t there.  Ron was grumpy about it and turning into the coach, but with a beard.  5-3, Sav got a kill with a huge rebound that went off court.  6-3, the Roos won this point.  Megan dove on a great save into the sideline table (but don’t do that, dear).  6-4, she came back with a kill on the line.

6-5 Roos, Lia made a massive kill that bounced into the stands.  7-5, Sav had a net serve.  8-7, Brig got another kill on a touch.  8-8, the Roos had an out-swing to tie it.  9-8 Aggies, timeout Roos as they were called for being in the net.  The only giveaway today was for Raising Canes coupons.  Marketing Director Nicole made a trek through the stands in the booster section to hand them out.  10-8, Brigette went crosscourt with another kill.  12-10, the Roos served long. 

14-11 Aggies, Jules muscled one in for a kill.  14-12, Kiley had a long serve, but it looked in.  The crowd booed.  15-12, Jules again with a kill.  The crowd was cheering.  15-14, Brecka got yet another overpass kill.  16-14, Meg was blocked, but came back with the kill.  16-16, Roo Alex Ratzlaff tied it with an ace.  17-16 Roos, the Aggies initially saved the point off the net, but then lost it.  Timeout Aggies.  I could hear the coach from the other side of the court from the top of the lower bowl.  Thankfully, it was a short talk.

18-16 Roos, Megan was denied on an overpass.  That was a bad sign.  19-16, the crowd started yelling on a confused play that ended with a foul on the Aggies.  20-16, DT call on the Aggies.  Ron started saying, “We’re going to lose this set.”  Why did I move up here with him?  21-16, Ratzlaff (that’s an alien drink on the show Farscape, by the way) served another ace.  Jordan George came in after Kiley missed a dig. 

21-17 Roos, Sav got a kill.  21-18, Megan with a kill.  22-18, the Roos made their third attempt at a dump play in the match and it finally worked.  22-19, Lia with a kill.  22-20, DT on the Roos.  23-20, Annie with an out-serve.  23-21, the Roos out-served.  There was a lot of pressure here.  23-22, Nat aced, regardless of the pressure.  Timeout Roos.  24-23, the Roos out-served on set point.  Halle Razo came in to serve.  25-23, the Roos finally took it.  The crowd went quiet again.     

Set 4: Aggies 2, Roos 1

A couple of little boys were playing on the band stage in the grandstand.  One of them started doing The Worm.  There wasn’t even a fan-cam today to capture it.  The Aggie coaches took a long time going over their rotation.  Coach Jordan was only able to get a quick word in with the team before the ref interrupted to start play.

1-1, Sav got a kill for the first Aggie point of the set.  2-1 Roos, Jules served into the net, but I thought I saw it drop over.  3-2 Roos, Sav with another kill.  The Roos took the next point.  Ron said, “Without Cat they can’t return it.”  4-4, the Aggies got this point on an overrule.  5-4 Roos, Sav had a net serve.  She wasn’t having a good day at the service line.  5-5, Lia smashed a kill with authority. 

The Aggies got ahead.  7-5 Aggies, Jules and Brig combined on a block.  8-5, Brigette with a kill.  Timeout Roos.  9-5, Annie had an ace off the tape.  10-8, the Roos made a great save off the net to take this point.  11-8, Brigette with a kill.  12-18, Brigette with another kill.  I am so proud of her.  13-10, the Roos had an out-serve to break up their run.  Halle came in.  13-11, the Aggies were called for being in the net.  Boo!  14-11, Ashley’s swing was out, but the Roos were called for a foul.

15-12 Aggies, Lia with another kill.  16-13, Sav got the kill.  Megan was blocked on the point, but Annie was there behind her to dig it out.  16-15, the Roos made a comeback.  You could see Savannah was exhausted on this point.  She barely moved to try to dig a kill.  16-16, Sav had a mishit that tied it for the Roos.  17-16 Aggies, the Roos out-served.  17-17, the Aggies made a campfire around a Roo kill with someone out of position.  Coach Jordan was screaming at the girls afterward.  Sav did make a dig off court to keep the point going.             

18-17 Aggies, Megan with a kill.  18-18, Nat out-served.  The Roos retook the lead.  20-18 Roos, another UMKC overpass kill.  The Aggies looked like they were moving in mud.  Timeout Aggies.  20-20, the Aggies got one more second wind.  Ashley dunked one.  Timeout Roos.  21-20 Aggies, Halle was in to serve and aced.  23-20, Jules authored a kill with punctuation. 

(I was really reaching on that last one.  I apologize.)

23-21 Aggies, Sav had an attack error.  Halle made a tremendous pancake save on the point to keep it going.  23-22, timeout Aggies.  24-23, Julianna with another kill.  Kiley was about to come in, but the coach waved her off and let Jules serve for the match.  (I hope Kiley isn’t in the coach’s doghouse and he just wanted to go with the hot hand.)  The crowd was standing and cheering awash in nervous anticipation.  It was another long, high-tension rally.  There were two fist saves to keep the point going.  Finally, Ashley and Lia combined on a block to end it.  The crowd erupted as the reserves stormed the court.  The Aggies took Set 4, 25-23, and the match, 3-1.

I’m drained.  I was mentally reliving it, while writing about that last point.  What a moment!  Okay, now that it’s happened, I can finally say that the Aggies finished the WAC regular season undefeated.  (I was afraid of jinxing it.)  The team went 16-0 in conference as part of a 17-0 winning streak.  It’s not like they were playing a bunch of cream puffs either.  GCU still has a great record, and Utah Valley and UMKC had the answer to the Aggies, but weren’t able to overcome them.  We’re not perfect yet in conference with the tournament upcoming, but we can see it from here. 

Let’s look at some of the numbers.  For the Roos, Alicia Harrington’s 18 and Melanie Brecka’s 16 led everyone in kills.  The teams were even in kills at 57.  I’ve seen the Aggies out-kill opponents in losses, so this was a rarity.  All those overpasses gave the Roos a lot of free points.  The difference was that the Roos had more attack errors.  Blocks were 7 to 5 for the Aggies, not a huge difference.  The Aggies also had 6 aces to 8 errors, which was very good.  This match still could have gone either way.            

How did the Aggies win this one?  It was Senior Day.  They weren’t going to lose.  (I hope that’s not too technical for you.)  From watching the coach, I don’t think he was going to let them lose.  Megan Hart and Savannah Davison had 13 kills each.  Julianna Salanoa and Brigette Lowe had 11.  I don’t know her career stats, but that had to have been Brigette’s best game.  She was going to make the most of her last game on her home court.  (I said all she needed was more playing time.)

Senior Day Ceremonies

Prepare your hankies.  It’s about to get wet people. 

A good number of the crowd stayed.  Ron and I moved down to watch the ceremony, but should have switched sides to the booster section, as that was where they were facing.  The UMKC seniors were all acknowledged and received a round of applause.  They had a lot of seniors and will need to completely reload, but they’ll be in another conference next year.  

The girls, Analyssa, Ashley, Brigette, and Megan, were all smiles and tears as they were introduced on court with their accomplishments.  The team watched from the floor.  I could see Savannah was wiping away tears continuously.  Brigette’s list included getting the championship-winning kill last year.  Megan lost it while they read off her long list of awards.  She already has a degree and is working on her masters. 

Coach Jordan then talked about each of them.  He described Annie as, “The story of the year,” with her four-year perseverance to become a starter.  He told the reserves watching that she’s proof of what hard work gets you. 

Ashley was a risky reclamation projection.  The coach doesn’t seem want transfers from what I’ve seen, but he saw a great prospect in her.  He called Ashley, “Easy to coach.”  (Certainly, dealing with his coaching isn’t easy.)  He said he only wished he could have been the first to recruit her so he could have had two more years with her.  (Awww.)  

The coach listed Brigette’s injuries with a broken pinky finger and then shoulder surgery.  She’d lost some of her raw power, but had been able to play effectively.  He’d whispered in her ear earlier in the week in practice that Cat wouldn’t be able to go and that she’d be starting.  Brig reportedly replied, “Huh?” 

Coach Jordan said Megan had come to the program about as wide as a sideline and had had to battle back from a serious leg injury suffered in only her second practice session.  He thought the world of her and her unlimited future and didn’t know why she’d choose to come back next year as a graduate assistant. 

(Jdh417 goes, “Yay!”  I can see assistant Meg now.  She’s got her hair up, wearing high heels, a skirt, and a blouse with little glasses perched on her nose.  Sigh.  So beautiful.  If she’s able to teach the team how they can all be 6’5”, this is going to be great.)

The coach starting getting choked up and immediately handed the mic off to the players.  He’s still their coach, they’ve still got games to play, but this is where it hits him that his seniors are about to leave the nest.  Annie was so upbeat, until she thanked her teammates and then lost it.  Ashley choked up in gratitude to the coach for letting her have this second chance.

“Hello, everyone?” Brigette started out to a round of laughter.  What a sweetheart.  She’d written hers out, “To keep it short and to not get too emotional.”  Megan came on and sounded so mature and professional.  She thanked her coaches, including Coach Wallis, now at UTEP.  This received a round of boos.  Both her and Ashley specially thanked the team trainer, Marcella.  She must be doing a very good job.  And then, Megan lost it thanking the team.  She quickly handed off the mic.  They’re great girls.  Go Aggies!  Get that championship!         

I’m getting emotional again just writing this.  Ron and I went across the street to Dominos for their excellent Chicken Bacon Ranch sandwich.  (Not their pizza, there’s plenty of better places for pizza.)  Aggie Football did beat their FCS opponent, Incarnate Word, 41-28, eventually.  The game took forever and the Aggies lost out on three or four sure touchdowns for silly reasons. 

At the restaurant, one of their TV’s was on another college football game.  There was a big game between Baylor and Oklahoma coming up next.  We impulsively went over to his dad and brother’s house to watch it.  That was an excellent game with OK coming back from a big deficit at halftime to win it (even though we were rooting for Baylor).  Ron’s dad had predicted that.  Of note, a Taylor Swift commercial was playing during the game at Dominos.  I said I was finished with Tay, but Ron insisted I wasn’t.  “If Taylor walked in right now, you’d be all over her.”  Strangely, that happened on Sunday.  More details next time.