I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas!
First off, I really didn't think I'd have a lot to write about after the season ended - and I didn't think that many folks would be stopping by to read my blog. Wow, was I wrong.
A few posts down, in the comments, I'd included a website where I had an email contact. You guys found it and sent in some email. I'm impressed!! So, let me answer them.
1.
Are the volleyball fans at NMSU really that 'crazy'? Do you seriously tailgate?Yes we are and yes we do. We always had a good showing at our tailgates and they grew steadily during the season. The game vs. UNM we had some other folks set up their own tailgate. This season was just the tip of the iceburg. Next year, I envision catered events with fine china and waiters in tuxedos.
2.
What was Coach Jordan's opinion of the season?I've not talked to Coach since the season ended so I can't answer that. From the articles in the LC Sun News, I would say, overall, he was happy. Improvements are always needed - no matter what program you're talking about.
3.
When you look at other programs, like Hawaii for example, you always hear about injuries. Were we lucky or do we have a great conditioning program?I'm going to say that we have a wonderful conditioning program. If you've never seen the facilities our athletes have at the Fulton Center, you're missing out. It's amazing what is available now and the perfect explaination as to why our athletes are in such top condition.
4.
Why don't we jump serve more?You are asking the wrong person. It's a question I'd love to ask Mike if I had a chance.
5.
What's the line up going to be like next year?Again, that's a Mike question. If you go to nmstatesports.com, click on volleyball and then click on the roster, you'll get an idea of who's doing what. I don't know who will be the Libero next year, nor do I know who'll take over as setter. I'm going to guess that Angelle will step into Jackie's shoes.
6.
What's your thought on the depth of the team next year?Again, another Mike question. Man, if I still had the radio show, these would be perfect questions. Maybe after the first of the year, I'll email him and see if he'd be willing to answer these. I'll take a look at things and see what I can come up with. (You're from Volleytalk, aren't you?)
7.
I noticed that Coach's Mom reads your blog. Does Coach?He told me on Senior Night that he doesn't. But that's ok - he's got more important things to think about, ya know?
If you have a question for me, feel free to email me -
nmsuvb@yahoo.com .
The final AVCA poll came out on Wednesday.
The
NMSU Lady Aggies finished 23rd for the season. It's a 2 spot drop from the last poll. The only other WAC team in the poll is, of course, Hawaii, and they moved from 11 to 9 for the final poll.
The accolades keep rolling in:
Oguh and Simpson Named All-Americans Junior middle hitter Kim Oguh and sophomore middle hitter Amber Simpson earned American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America honors, the organization announced. This is the first time in school history New Mexico State has had multiple honorees.
In other news - the NCAA Volleyball Final is tomorrow night, 7pm Las Cruces time between Nebraska and Stanford.
Wonderful article about Jackie Choi at NMStateSports.com
"Choi Set a Standard with the Aggies"Jackie graduates this Saturday. Congratulations, Jackie! Best of luck in everything you do!
From:
http://lcsun-news.com:80/sports/ci_4800982Aggies earn all-region honorsLAS CRUCES — Four members of the No. 21 New Mexico State volleyball team were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region Team on Thursday.
Junior middle hitter Kim Oguh and sophomore middle hitter Amber Simpson were voted to the west region team while senior outside hitter Alice Borden and senior setter Jackie Choi were honorable mention selections.
Oguh and Simpson are now eligible for all-America honors. This is the second consecutive year Oguh was on the all-region team after she was an all-American honorable mention last season.
Borden led the Aggies in kills with 495 this season, which is second on the single-season list. She also became just the 10th Aggie in school history to record 1,000 career kills. Borden also earned first team all-Western Athletic Conference honors.
In her final seasons at New Mexico State, Choi left her mark on the record books. She owns the single-season assists record with 1,517 and finished with 4,010 assists in three seasons, which is third on the career list.
Oguh, who was only one of three athletes that had previously earned all-region honors, was a forced in the middle this year with a team-high 175 total blocks. That performance along with her .377 hitting percentage is third on the season-single list.
Simpson is one of three sophomore on the all-region team after leading the Aggies with a .387 hitting percentage. She not only was first in the WAC in hitting percentage but the Quincy, Ill., native also set the NMSU single-season record. Following her WAC Freshman of the Year season, Simpson was a First Team All-WAC and WAC All-Tournament team honoree.
End of the Year.
First, I'll talk about the actual cold-hard facts/statistics.
As I look over the final stats for the year, there are a few that pop out. The most impressive is attendance. We played all games, minus 2, at Las Cruces High School. The gym capacity (judging from the Hawaii game) is 2800.
We had a total o f 31, 111 see the team play at home this year. Our biggest attendance was the last game - at the Pan Am - where we had 3397 come to see our Seniors.
That's dang impressive considering 10 years ago you couldn't get 200 people to a match.
Our Record33-4. There isn't a whole heck of a lot you can say about that record. And look at who we beat:
Sacramento State - 3-1
San Diego (Ranked 14 in the last poll) 3-2
Hawaii (Ranked #11 in the last poll and currently in the Elite 8) 3-2
Nevada (Nice revenge) 3-0
Not to mention the win vs. Texas in the spring.
We ended the season with a 17-0 winning streak at home.
AVCAWhat a great year, poll wise. We were ranked consistantly in AVCA's Top 25, with our highest ranking at 19 on 11/17. (The final poll comes out on 12/20.)
AwardsCoach Jordan recieved WAC Coach of the Year for the 2nd year in a row. All-Conference First Team included Alice Borden, Jackie Choi, Kim Oguh, and Amber Simpson. On the Second Team was Krystal Torres.
There were many other tournament honors for our players - those I still have to track down.
The PlayersFrom the seniors on down to the freshmen, I feel we had a solid team.
We saw Kelli Goodan and Krista Altermatt on the court a lot and producing quite well. We didn't get to see Nicole Holguin too much so she's still a bit of a mystery!
Jackie, Tanya and Alice had quite a senior year. Jackie ended with 1517 sets, 142 kills and .317 %. Tanya with 255 kills, 273 digs and 857 TA. Alice ended with 495 kills, 1139 TA and .263%.
Speaking as a fan...I think this was the most exciting year for our team. The record, the win over Hawaii, the trip to the NCAA's, the awards - everything made it a great year to be a fan.
We got spoiled at LCHS. Going back to the Pan Am was an eye opener. I remember last year when we had to play our last game at LCHS. It was culture shock and a lot of us weren't too happy with being there. Now, the shoe is on the other foot. I kind of missed LCHS. Don't get me wrong - I'm glad to be back at the Pan Am.
This was my first year in the SideOut Club. I can't believe I didn't join last year - I don't know why I didn't. It was great to have that more one on one with the team and the staff. Getting to hear Mike talk about the team and our opponents was a
huge bonus.
I know there were a lot of newbies at the games. Many times, there were people around me asking questions about this call or that play. I only hope it continues to grow.
One of the most exciting things for me was tailgating. I can't tell you how many folks were shocked to hear we tailgated and that we had a pretty good crowd. I think we averaged around 10-15 folks per match. At one game we had Amber Simpson's parents and grandparents join us. Krystal Torres' mom was always there as well. I hope that continues as well.
Now that we're in the 'off season' ... Let me clarify that. The fans are in the off season, not the team. I was corrected on that a few times when we had Mike and Jackie Choi stop by the show last year. There is no off season.
So let me just thank the entire NMSU Volleyball program for an amazing year. Mike was right - it was going to be the best year yet and it was. Next year? It'll be just as great. We've got some big shoes to fill but I think they'll do just fine.
Now - what to write about until next season?
My brain has a theory.
If I don't write an 'end of the season' post, then the season isn't really over - is it?
Yes, unfortunately, the season is over and now I have to find something to bide my time until next...what...August I guess. Unless they need a chaperone for Italy that is.
In the meantime, I'm working on my 'end of the season' post. It's kind of in depth so hang in there.
