Confessions of an NMSU Volleyball Addict

First off, I'd like to say how wonderful it is to have the ability to watch the tournament online. It's great. I actually watched a bit of volleyball yesterday - thanks to my rebate card from Verizon! I checked out the Idaho/Nevada match and then the Utah St/San Jose match. I grabbed dinner and settled down for the Aggie/Fresno match.

Now, I would like to state for the official record that the camera angle leaves so much to be desired. There's a reason most folks don't sit at the end of the court. Perhaps next year, WAC TV can re-assess things and maybe bring in another camera. We don't need close ups of the players - just a better angle.

My set up last night had the WAC TV feed up with the live stats from the UH website in another window because WAC TV didn't show the score. Maybe WAC TV could splurge a little more for some graphics next year as well. I listened to Kyle D a bit but his broadcast was about :90 behind the action I was seeing online.

Saturday night was magical. It was the culmination of an amazing journey for a tremendously talented group of student/athletes and staff of coaches.

Aside from the strange antics of those clad in black and white striped shirts (we're still scratching our heads), it was pretty much a perfect evening. Perfect from the stand point of a nice crowd of 2400+ with many new faces.

The NMSU Women's Volleyball Team is the WAC Champion. Yes, yes, yes, I know and have been told repeatedly by others that it's a share of the title. I don't care about that. They did it. The emotion of Coach Jordan when he took the mic after the game got to all of us. No, Coach, marriage hasn't made you soft. In the many times that we talked on the radio and in person, this was one of the many goals you set for the program and you achieved it.

Now, off to Hawaii.

As much as I hate to admit it, regular season for volleyball ends tomorrow night at the Pan Am when the Lady Aggies take on San Jose State at 7pm. (There are 2 games after the WAC tournament, however.)

The last regular season match is always emotional. Usually it's Senior Night but that won't happen until the 27th. Aside from that fact, tomorrow night might just be a double hanky night.

With a victory tomorrow night, the Lady Aggies get something that Coach Jordan has been after since NMSU joined the WAC in 2005. The title of WAC Champions. Technically speaking, it's a share of the title with Hawaii. I can't explain in words here just what it means to the program and to all of us fans who've been in there cheering and screaming for years. I can't explain at all what it will mean to the team.

I've decided that the volleyball season needs to be longer. A LOT longer.

Let's talk about the past few games. There's not a lot to be said about the Nevada game - aside from the fact that when all hope was lost, this team came back in an amazing way. I've always said I've wanted to be a fly on the wall of the locker room during the break. I think I heard Coach from here. Too bad Kyle D. wasn't that exciting (said tongue in cheek of course!!!)

As far as Fresno State goes, even from just the radio we could tell that Amber Simpson was on FIRE. I'm surprised they didn't have to call out the fire department. Krystal was on fire as well with a season high 21 digs. OK, let's face it - after that first set, the entire team was cookin'.

I just wish there was an easier way to watch the matches. Most of the schools have the technology but you have to buy a season pass to watch one game. Unless I'm missing something, I haven't seen a way to buy single matches.

The place: a hotel room in Springfield, VA
The time: 12:51 AM - Eastern Time

The Story:
Having been one of quite a few in the wedding party to pick up a nasty cold, I was attempting to try and get some sleep before having to wake up EARLY and catch a flight home. I knew the game was on but it started at 11pm my time and staying up was not an option. Plus, the "High Speed Internet" was somewhat of a joke. I figured I'd get a text message in the morning with the results. I figured it would go to 5 games and, in my heart of hearts, I was praying for an Aggie victory.

Then, the phone rang at 12:51am, rousing me out of a semi sleep. "Hello?" I said in my non-voice. When the phone rings that late, it's usually bad news. I *really* dislike having the phone ring at that time. The voice on the other end screamed, "WE SWEPT THEM IN THREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Buhwa? Huh? Squeeze me? Must be a dream.

Tomorrow afternoon at 3pm the rivalry gets a new chapter. The University of Hawaii hits the Pan Am to take on our beloved Lady Aggies. This is THE game.

Granted, UH leads the series 23-1 but all the meetings here at the Pan Am/LC High School have gone to 5 sets. Will tomorrow be the day that record goes to 23-2? It's possible.

The Aggies have looked very strong this year and, with the heavy pre-season schedule they undertook, they are ready for Hawaii. We are currently 7-6 with 3 of those losses coming from high ranked teams. Hawaii is 10-2 with both losses coming from ranked teams. They did beat two ranked teams - Minnesota and Washington. They are currently ranked 7th in the nation while the Aggies aren't ranked at all (which is perfectly fine with me.)

There were quite a few grumbly people out there when the news came out that the Lady Aggies lost to the UT Longhorns. Us diehards, however, were extremely proud of the way they played. We knew that we wouldn't win. As I'd told quite a few folks before the match, as long as the team came out and played hard, we'd be proud. We were very proud of the team. Statistics show that we were affective against them and we were able to hold them a bit. UT's block was absolutely massive and that did some serious psychological damage.

As it's been said in different places online, and reading Coach Elliot's quote in the Sun News, this wasn't about beating UT. It was about getting ready for conference and Hawaii.

The story goes that, back in 1922 the Texas A&M Aggies were struggling in a football game and the coach had worked his way through his bench. Realizing that he might have a personnel problem, he went to the press box and paged a a former football player named E Gill King. He suited up and stood by in case he was needed by his team. The A&M Aggies pulled through and won the game. Thus, the Aggie tradition of The 12th Man was born.

Last night, it's quite possible that the tradition of NMSU Aggie 7th Man was born.

After winning the first two sets, our Lady Aggies struggled and dropped the next 2 sets. During the 5th set, more than once Coach Jordan turned to the stands and waved to us to get up and cheer. Maria Roth did the same as well - "Get Up!!!!" We did and I firmly believe that the Aggie 7th man helped the team pull out the 15-13 win in the last set.

It's hard to explain this 'obsession' I have regarding volleyball. I equal it to watching my Chicago Cubs this year - well, not recently, but you get what I mean. Words can't explain what it's like to be back at the Pan Am, watching volleyball.

To me, it's doesn't matter who the first opponent is. What matters is setting up with the Tailgaters for great food and conversation, having people walk by and stare at us, then walk up and ask what in the world we're doing. What matters is standing in the walk way inside the PAC and yelling "Go Aggies" and seeing smiles from the team. What matters is getting to the seats, seeing familiar faces in the stands and, more importantly, new faces in the crowd (and we did see a lot of new faces). What matters is seeing the expressions on the new players faces when we get really rowdy - and the laughter from the returners as they try to explain that we're harmless.

Even though Mother Nature worked against the Aggie Tailgaters, it was a glorious day last Saturday. It was the day us volleyball fanatics had been waiting for - the chance to see this years team on the court and start to learn the names of the new players.

Having only followed volleyball since 2004, it was great to be able to see the players on the alumni team whom I'd heard about again and again - players like Morgan Reader and Jackie Godber. I have to admit, it was kind of strange (as it is at every alumni match) to see last years seniors on the other side of the net.