What's going on this weekend? Well, unless you've been under a rock -
the Lady Aggies are on the road to Houston to play #6 Texas and Houston. Game notes available at the link.
Kyle Doperalski will have the play by play tomorrow when they play Texas at 4:30pm MDT. You can tune in on Sunday as well but the game will be tape delayed and will start at noon. Both games can be heard on AM 570, with Gametracker available on the nmstatesports.com website. Just click on Aggie Fans then Livestats.
I'll be following the action and posting the usual updates.
When the Lady Aggies return, they'll be back in the Pan Am on Tuesday night to take on the Lobos at 7pm. Attention Sideout Members - there will be a get together after the match.
Next week is an exciting one - off to Nebraska - but I don't want to get too ahead of myself. OK, yes I do but I'll wait until after this weekends events.
Sidenote: I'm now blogging for the
Bleed Crimson website. Jordan Bostic has her diary over there as well so you're able to get the inside scoop and my usual ramblings as well!
I have had to, unfortunately, disallow anonymous postings as someone has decided to target my journal and post comments posing as people I actually know.
To the person who's posting - thanks for leaving your IP addy. I already knew who you were.
Congratulations Lindsey Yon!
WAC Volleyball Player of the Week Announced New Mexico State outside hitter Lindsey Yon has been named the Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Aug. 27. This is the first WAC Player of the Week of the season and the first career honor for the junior.
The San Antonio, Texas, (Texas A&M) native, led New Mexico State in kills as the Aggies began the 2007 season 4-0. At the NAU Invitational, she was named tournament MVP for the first time ever in her career. She led the Aggies in kills with 14 in the championship match against Northern Arizona to help New Mexico State to its first tournament title of the season. Yon also had a team high for the weekend 18 kills in match two of the tournament against UC Davis. She ended the season with 44 kills and 18 digs, while only playing in 10 games. She also hit .310 in the three matches in which she played.
Other nominees included: Arlee Tamietti of Boise State led the Broncos in several categories, leading Boise State to their best start since 2000 ... Lauren Berger of Fresno State led the Bulldogs with 19 kills and 10 total blocks ... Haley Larsen of Idaho had 47 kills and 23 digs in three matches last week ... Jennifer Senftleben of San Jose State had 60 kills as the Spartans went 2-1 last week ... Amanda Nielson of Utah State was named to the Four Points University Plaza Wildcat all-tournament team after leading the Aggies to a third place finish, finishing the tournament with 43 kills and 23 digs.
NMSU Volleyball Wins Four in a Row to Start Season LAS CRUCES, N.M.-The New Mexico State volleyball team (4-0) was led by sophomore Kelli Goodan to sweep Texas Southern (0-5) in three games by scores of 30-11, 30-17 and 30-14 at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M. on Aug. 26.
Goodan (Des Moines, N.M.) led all players with 11 kills and hit .529 in the home opener. She also had one dig and one block assist.
Head coach Michael Jordan was pleased with how Goodan and other young players did in the match against Texas Southern.
“She played well,” Jordan said. “She tried to do a little too much early but then she settled in and played well.”
Freshman Whitney Phillips also did very well as she had nine kills on 12 attempts to hit .667 on the night. She also had four service aces, but that did not top freshman Brynja Rodgers (Iowa City, Iowa) who had five aces. Rodgers also led all players with 21 assists on the night.
“We did have good legs (tonight) considering we woke up at 4:30 this morning and played all weekend,” Jordan said. “Playing your first home match gives a lot of adrenaline and we played a lot of fresh legs from kids we who didn’t play so much this weekend.”
Freshman Alex Steinmetz (Las Cruces, Las Cruces HS) also saw plenty of playing time and picked up eight kills and two digs.
The Aggie volleyball team will head to Houston for a tournament there on Saturday, Sept. 1 and Sunday, Sept. 2. They will take on No. 4 Texas in the first match at 4:30 p.m. (MDT) and round out the weekend against Houston on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. (MDT).
That was an amazing 1st game. The Lady Aggies got the come from behind win!!
Game 1
NMSU 30
NAU 27
STATS
ATTACK/GAME - NMSU
Game K E TA Pct
1 21 11 50 .200
ATTACK/GAME - NAU
Game K E TA Pct
1 14 6 46 .174
****
Another come from behind win in Game 2!
Game 2
NMSU 30
NAU 23
STATS:
NMSU
Game K E TA Pct
2 18 2 35 .457
NAU
Game K E TA Pct
2 18 6 36 .333
2 18 6 36 .333
*****
AWESOMENESS!!!
Game 3
NMSU 30
NAU 20
STATS:
NMSU
Game K E TA Pct
3 18 3 29 .517
NAU
Game K E TA Pct
3 12 7 31 .161
All tourney team from NMSU: Kim Oguh, Krystal Torres - Best Libero and Lindsey Yon as the MVP.
Post Game with Coach Jordan:
NAU fought very hard, they attacked well out of the back row. It took a little bit to make the adjustments that were needed.
Coach says he never gets accustomed to fighting back as they did tonight. However, he did say that he felt the team was lightyears ahead of where they were in their other matches this weekend. Everyone is getting more comfortable on the court and with each other.
Coach also said the All Tourney team from NMSU was right where he thought they would be.
WAY TO GO AGGIES!!!!
Gametime in Arizona!
NMSU (2-0) vs. NAU (2-0)
Coach's Pre Game:
Review of UC Davis game: 2 and 3 were extra tough and UC played very hard.
He felt the team served better.
The centers - Gintant and Rogers are good. Gintant had the spring to prepare with the team. She's running the team for the first time so there are going to be some issues, some mistakes. She's playing well but isn't as athletic as Jackie Choi. Rogers is talented physically and is ahead of the game with her volleyball IQ for a freshman.
The is the team's 3rd match in 24 hours. Coach said they're tired and will probably be utilizing more players earlier. They're going to have their hands full tonight.
The gameplan, Coach said, was goign to be about the same. He said that if NAU gets lucky at slowing the middles, they'll be looking to Anna Callis on the outside to bring it home.
A note on Lindsey Yon - she went for a ball with another teammate and hit her head on Gintant's elbow. She sat out for a few points, got the all clear and got back into the game.
Game 1
NMSU 30
UC Davis 21
Stats:
NMSU:Game K E TA Pct
1 18 5 33 .394
UC DavisGame K E TA Pct
1 12 8 32 .125
*****
Note: Lindsay Yon went down hard in Game 2. No word yet on if she's hurt.
Game 2
UC Davis 31
NMSU 29
UC scored the last 5 points for the come behind win.
Stats
NMSUGame K E TA Pct
2 17 9 37 .216
UC DavisGame K E TA Pct
2 16 5 39 .282
*****
Game 3 notes: Lindsey is back on the court. Whew!
Wow. 7 game points
Game 3
NMSU 37
UC Davis 35
Stats
NMSU
Game K E TA Pct
3 24 13 58 .190
UC Davis
Game K E TA Pct
3 18 9 50 .180
*****
I had to scoot out for a little bit but glad to see our Ladies picked up the 4th game
NMSU 30
UC Davis 20
Once again, nmstatesports has the stats up but I can't read them to save my life.
******
*&****
Ladies are back on the court this evening vs. tournament host NAU. Pregame on AM 570 is 7:45pm, tip off at 8pm.
NMSU Aggies vs. UC Davis Aggies
Coach Jordan Pre-Game show:
Coach said he was happy with the team attacks, that there was good balance and we were tough to stop. He was suprised on the service and blocking aspects of the team. This is something they need to work on.
Kim Oguh lead the way with 15 kills and Coach said that she played great but needs to block a little better. She was great offensively and the setters did a good job on getting her the ball.
Alyssa Gintant had, according to Coach, good set location good and her playing calling was good. He's pretty happy with her performance but, as with the rest of the team, she needs to serve ball tougher although he said she has jambed finger that's bugging her a little bit.
A look at UC Davis - Coach said that they are in a good conference but their records last year doesn't show the talent they have. They were in the matches and took a lot of them to 5 games. He thinks they probably won't attack from the backrow as much as Albany did last night. UC played 5 last night and might be hurting a little this morning.
What do we need to work on? Serving and Blocking. There were 4 aces but had 11 service errors.
****
Gametime on the way!
WAC Volleyball Tournament Tickets Now On Sale Tickets for the 2007 WAC Tournament are now on sale the Western Athletic Conference office announced on Friday, Aug 24.
The tournament, which is scheduled for Nov. 15-17, will be held at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M. for the first time ever. The tournament was in Reno, Nev. for five-straight years prior to now.
The will be an “Early Bird” promotion (20% off regular price) on all-session tickets until Sept. 30, 2007. Ticket prices for that promotion are $20 for adults and $16 for senior citizens (age 65 and up), while tickets for children (age 18 and under) will be $8 for an all-session pass. All-session passes include eight matches; four sessions.
The regular price for all-session tickets and single-session tickets will go into effect beginning Oct. 1, 2007. At that time all-session tickets will cost $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for children. Single-session tickets will also be available for $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and $4 for children.
Fans can purchase tickets for the tournament by calling 1-866-672-8524 or calling the Pan American Center Ticket Office at 505-646-1420. Single-session tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com; however, there is an additional service charge for Ticketmaster online sales. Single-session passes are also available by calling 915-544-8444 or 505-532-2060. Pan American ticket office hours are Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
For match times fans should go to www.wacsports.com.
NMSU Volleyball Picks Up Sweep in Season Opener FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.-The New Mexico State volleyball team (1-0) opened up the 2007 season with a 3-0 (30-27, 30-22, 30-26) sweep over Albany (0-1) at the Hilton Garden Inn NAU Invitational at the Rolle Activity Center in Flagstaff, Ariz. on Friday, August 24.
The Aggies were led by senior Kim Oguh (El Paso, Hanks HS) who bolted down 15 kills and a .444 hitting percentage, while junior libero Krystal Torres (Las Cruces, Mayfield HS) led the defense with 15 digs on the night.
“The matches were close the whole time and they really put the pressure on us,” head coach Mike Jordan said. “We have to serve the ball better so that the games won’t be as close as they were today.”
The Aggies had 11 service errors and only four aces, with transfer Lindsey Yon (San Antonio, Texas) coming up with half the aces. Yon also had 12 kills, eight digs and hit .400 against the Great Danes.
“Lindsey played well and she really received the ball well for us,” Jordan said. “It won’t be long before other teams know who she is and really respect her.”
The Aggies started game one a little shaky and had to make a comeback. At one point NMSU was down seven points and didn’t get the lead until the score was 21-20. Junior Amber Simpson led the way as she hit 1.000 percent with four kills.
In game seemed like it was going to be close again, but NMSU began to pull away after Lindsey came up with a monster kill to give her team some momentum. Oguh had six kills in game two, followed closely by Simpson who had four kills.
NMSU was down late in game three, before senior Anna Callis (Corpus Christi, Texas) gave the Aggies the lift they needed when she got a kill to give her team a 23-22 lead. NMSU wouldn’t look back as the won 30-26.
The Aggies take on UC Davis in game two of the tournament with game time set for 11:00 a.m. (MDT) and they take on host team Northern Arizona at 8:00 p.m. (MDT) to conclude the tournament. Both matches will be broadcast on the radio at KSNM AM 570 with Kyle Doperalski giving the play-by-play action. Aggie fans can also get live stats and a recap of the game with box scores at www.nmstatesports.com.
Game 1 -
NMSU 30
Albany 27
NMSUGm K E TA Pct
1 19 3 31 .516
AlbanyGm K E TA Pct
1 17 7 37 .270
*****
Game 2
NMSU 30
Albany 22
NMSUGm K E TA Pct
2 18 9 39 .231
AlbanyGm K E TA Pct
2 8 4 29 .138
*****
Game 3
NMSU 30
Albany 25
Stats on the way as soon as nmstatesports makes that page a little more readable!
OK...audio is better now thankfully!!! Wow - this one is a little closer than I thought it would be. Media time out and it's 25-25 in the first game.
I'm listening to the NMSU vs NAU game right now on AM 570. Let's put it this way. I can barely hear Kyle. I don't know if he's too close to the court or what but the audio is terrible. The metalic buzz is driving me crazy
More to come - but for now, the starting line up:
Callis OH; Oguh MD; Gintant S; Yon OH; Altermatt OH; Simpson MH; Torres L.
NMSU Ready for Season Opening Tournament ACROSS THE NET The New Mexico State volleyball team will open up the 2007 season playing four games in three days. They begin with the Hilton Garden Inn NAU Invitational for three games before returning to Las Cruces, N.M. for a home match at the Pan American Center.
The Aggies will take on Albany on Friday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m., UC Davis on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 10:00 a.m. and Northern Arizona at 7:00 p.m. to wrap-up the two-day tournament. After the tournament, the Aggies play their first home match of the season at the Pan American Center against Texas Southern at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 26.
All four games will be aired on KSNM AM-570 with Kyle Doperalski giving the play-by-play action. Former Aggie volleyball player Jackie Choi will be helping Kyle at the home matches as the analyst.
Fans will also be able to follow the matches with live stats at www.nmstatesports.com. A recap and box score of the game will be available at the conclusion of each match. About NMSU The Aggies begin their 2007 campaign in Flagstaff, Ariz. after they finished 33-4 in 2006. The Aggies are returning 10 players from last season’s team including seniors Briana Akrie (Aurora, Colo.), Jordan Bostic (El Paso, Franklin HS), Anna Callis (Corpus Christi, Texas) and Kim Oguh (El Paso, Hanks HS). Oguh, along with returning junior Amber Simpson (Quincy, Ill.) were named AVCA all-Americans (Honorable Mention) in 2006.
NMSU was picked second in preseason WAC coaches’ poll, while Oguh and Simpson were both named to the preseason all-WAC team. Both players were all-WAC and all-WAC Tournament selections in 2006.
The Aggies have brought in two new setters to the squad in junior transfer Alyssa Gintant (Iowa State) and freshman Brynja Rodgers (Iowa City, Iowa) to replace the departed Jackie Choi. Both will see playing time in 2007 and should make an instant impact on the team.
About Albany
Albany opens up their 2007 season against New Mexico State after they went 19-13 in 2006 and won the America East Conference title. The Great Danes are lead by head coach Kelly Sheffield, who has picked up 118 wins in six years with the team.
Albany’s top returnees include senior Ashley Crenshaw who averaged 3.02 kills per game and junior Kamisha Kellam who put up 2.25 kill per game and 1.35 blocks per game.
About UC Davis
UC Davis, which is also nicknamed the Aggies, had a rough season in 2006 going 4-24, while playing three teams that were in the top-25 at one point during the season. Steve Walker who is in his second season with the team coaches the Aggies.
Key returnees for UC Davis include junior Chantal Paschetta, who led the team in 2006 with 300 kills (3.23 kpg) and 1,085 hitting attempts. Also retuning is senior setter Katelyn Astruc. She led the team in assists with 965 and service aces with 25. Sophomore Britt Erickson was also a big part of the team last year tallying 244 kills.
About Northern Arizona Host team,
Northern Arizona went 8-18 in 2006, while going 4-12 in the Big Sky Conference. Leading the Lumberjacks with 434 kills in 2006 and returning to the team in 2007 is outside hitter Kim Babcock. Right behind Babcock in 2006 was Kailee Savage with 340 kills. Both players are now seniors and should be leaders for the Lumberjacks.
The NAU volleyball team defeated the Legends Alumni team in three games by scores of 30-22, 30-26 and 36-34 in an exhibition match at the Rolle Activity Center on Saturday, Aug. 18. The victory was retribution for NAU, who lost in a tight, five-game match to the alumni a year ago. Senior Kim Babcock led the Lumberjacks with a match-high 21 kills, and junior libero Brittany Stowers recorded match-high 15 digs.
About Texas Southern
Texas Southern head coach Dwalah Fisher returns to coach the Lady Tigers for her 14th season with the team. She has a 117-241 overall record, while finishing 7-19 in 2006 and going 4-4 in the South Western Athletic Conference. Fisher is returning 11 letter winners from last season’s team including three starters.
Tourney Time!
The NMSU volleyball team did great in regular season tournaments in 2006 winning all three tournaments they played in. First the Aggies won the UTEP/Sun Bowl Invitational after defeating Texas Tech in five games (23-30, 31-29, 27-30, 30-22, 15-10) and tournament host UTEP in three games (30-20, 30-18, 30-18) on Saturday, Aug. 26 2006 in El Paso, Texas. Before that, NMSU defeated Eastern Michigan in three games (30-21, 30-17, 30-22) and Sacramento State in four games (30-24, 15-30, 30-21, 37-35).
NMSU then hosted the 2006 Hilton Las Cruces Classic and beat all four other teams that they took on. The Aggies beat Wyoming in the opening match 3-1 (30-25, 22-30, 30-14, 30-24) and were led by middle hitter Amber Simpson, who recorded a career-high 21 kills while she also posted a match high six blocks. NMSU then swept Idaho State before a thrilling five-game match in which the Aggies won 3-2 (28-30, 30-23, 30-32, 30-27, 17-15) against San Diego. Middle hitter Kim Oguh came up with a season-high 16 kills in that match. NMSU wrapped up the tournament with a three-game sweep of Akron (30-20, 30-13, 30-15).
The Aggies captured their third tournament title at the Jackrabbit Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 16 in Brooking, S.D. after they defeated North Dakota in three games (30-28, 30-18, 30-17). Simpson and Oguh recorded 13 and 12 kills respectively in the match. Before beating North Dakota, the Aggies recorded a pair of sweeps against Lamar and South Dakota State to improve to 13-0 on the season. The Aggies disposed of Lamar, 30-19, 30-18, 30-17, in their opening match of the Jackrabbit Invitational, Friday, Sept. 15, 2006. In the nightcap, NMSU defeated tournament host SDSU, 30-9, 30-16, 30-25.
Honor the Best
NMSU volleyball players racked up the honors in 2006. Amber Simpson was named to the Sun Bowl Invitational all-tournament team along with former Aggie Alice Borden who was named tournament most valuable player.
Simpson was then named the most valuable player of the 2006 Hilton Las Cruces Classic and was joined by Kim Oguh who was named to the all-tournament team.
Simpson was named tournament most valuable player at the Jackrabbit Invitational and was accompanied by Jackie Choi and Kim Oguh, who were named to the all-tournament team.
Simpson was named Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 11, while Borden was named Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 16. Both players were named to the 2006 all-WAC first team along with Choi and Oguh. Kystal Torres was named to the second team, while head coach Mike Jordan was the 2006 WAC Coach of the Year. Choi, Oguh and Simpson were also named to the 2006 WAC all-tournament team.
In 2007, Oguh and Simpson are both part of the preseason all-WAC team that was voted on by all the coaches in the conference.
Coaches Quotes
On the NMSU volleyball team “We got the best depth we’ve ever had and that’s great for our team. Training camp went well and we got some position battles worked out.”
On the upcoming tournament “The tournament will have some good competition, especially to open up the season. There will be some crazy moments out there for everybody because it’s the first matches teams will play. This is a good opportunity to play other teams and see where we really stand.”
On the leaders of the team “We have leadership on the team by position, for instance, Kim Oguh seems to be the leader for the front line, while Jordan Bostic and Briana Akrie lead the back line. Alyssa Gintant, our transfer setter is really getting comfortable out there with the team too.”
Printable Stats at the link, bottom of the page
NMSU Volleyball Impressed Head Coach Mike Jordan in Saturday's Scrimmage (Match Stats link at the bottom of the article)
The New Mexico State Volleyball team played well in the inter-squad Crimson and White scrimmage on Saturday, August 18 with the Crimson winning 2-1.
Junior Lindsey Yon (San Antonio, Texas) led the way for the Aggies with 14 kills while playing on the crimson team and six more kills while playing on the white team. The players switched teams sporadically to experiment with different lineups.
“Lindsey is a great volleyball player, and when she gets stronger and healthier she’s only going to get better,” head coach Mike Jordan said. “I was very impressed with what I saw from all of our outside hitters.”
Yon is recovering from an arm injury and should continue to play this season as long as she stays healthy. Sophomore Krista Altermatt (El Dorado Hills, Calif.), who also plays at the outside hitter position, did well with nine kills and 16 digs.
Returning all-Americans, senior Kim Oguh (El Paso, Texas) and junior Amber Simpson (Quincy, Ill.) put in some quality playing time as they had seven and nine kills respectively.
“Kim and Amber are very good and everybody knows that, so we really tried not to over use them today, but they still did very well,” Jordan said.
Junior transfer setter, Alyssa Gintant (Libertyville, Ill.) led the way for NMSU in assists with 34 and was followed by freshman setter Brynja Rodgers (Iowa City, Iowa).
The Aggies open the 2007 season in Flagstaff, Ariz. at the Hilton Garden Inn NAU Invitational on Friday, Aug. 24 with the first match against Albany, before taking on UC-Davis and Northern Arizona on day two of the tournament.
Fans can keep up with all the 2007 NMSU volleyball action at www.nmstatesports.com. Live stats and a schedule are also available at the website.
*****
I was impressed as well. There are a lot of new faces to learn and to get to know but they 'gelled'. One thing I did notice was that there are a couple of jump servers this time around. Lindsey was one. Jump serving isn't something we've seen a lot of at NMSU.
The Pan Am was rockin' as usual...thanks in part to a full staff of cheerleaders and the band that showed up later on. Always nice to have them there!
*****
News: From now until the end of September, you can get your WAC Tournament session pass at the Pan Am Box office. You can save 20%. I'll be heading down there this week. We need to set the Pan Am on fire (figuratively, of course). Maria Roth told us that this is a rotation schedule now - not a bidding process - so that means it'll be about 8 or 9 years until we get the tourney again. We need to show the WAC that this is the ONLY place to have the tourney!
SIDEOUT NEWS: There won't be a Sideout gathering after the Texas Southern game. If you're in the Sideout Club, you'll be getting an email this week on the Sideout schedule and so on.
Tuesday, Oct 30 is the match against UTEP. There will be a bus (or 2 or 3) heading down to UTEP so keep your eyes open for an email on that as well.
PS: The crowd was 987 tonight!
Such a lover-ly evening!
The 2nd Annual First Dinner was tonight at the Encanto Hotel in Las Cruces. Let me just say right off that the service was wonderful - and the food wasn't that bad at all! Not your typical hotel fare that features rubber chicken and weird vegetables.
If you've ever been in the Encanto - formerly the Las Cruces Hilton - in the ballrooms/meeting rooms in the back, you know how big they are. This dinner took over all 3 of those rooms and was packed. It was definitely a much bigger crowd than last year which is a perfect tribute to Coach Jordan and the staff.
All the usual suspects were there in their finest...well at least the team was dressed up to almost non-recognition. Jackie Choi was there - by the way, congratulations Jackie on your recent wedding! Missing was Stevi Adams who, along with the rest of the NMSU alumni are at another event. At least that answered my question on why it was a scrimmage and not the usual alum match.
The Tailgate table was in rare form and the planners of the night had the good sense to put us in the back of the room. My apologies in advance to Debby Baker and her hubby. We had the pleasure of having them at our table. I have a feeling that she'll be making some phone calls to security after tonight.
After dinner was served, we heard from Maria Roth who gave us the scoop on some up and coming events. Then, of course, it was time for Coach to get up and do his 'thang'. I joked with him earlier about the fact that he actually owned a jacket. I don't think I've ever seen him wear one. And, it wasn't crimson, either.
Coach introduced us to each class - and wow, is there some amazing talent on this team! Then - it came time for the seniors. I don't know if David McCollum from the Bulletin got any pictures but Coach got a little teary eyed when he was talking about the 4 members of the senior class. And with good reason. They have been amazing to say the least.
I won't go into all the details except to say that if you missed it, shame on you! You have no excuse whatsoever to miss tomorrow night's scrimmage.
Thanks to everyone who showed up at the dinner tonight. It was a lot of fun to say the least and I know I'm not the only one who's thrilled to have volleyball back again!
Tailgating starts at 5pm in the north parking lot. Just look for the blue awning. Bring a chair and some munchies. Adult beverages are allowed as long as you are able to 'disguise' said beverage. The scrimmage starts at 6:30pm and afterwards there will be a Sideout Club Meeting in the Barbara Hubbard room in the Pan Am. Not a sideout member? No problemo! You can sign up tomorrow evening. Have any questions about the Sideout? I've linked info below in my blog.
Like I thought -
Jordan not concerned about missing first Top 25 pollNew Mexico State University spent all but three weeks amongst the Top 25 volleyball teams in the country last year.
So when NMSU was left out of the CSTV/American Volleyball Coaches Association Preseason Top 25 poll on Tuesday, Aggies coach Mike Jordan was hardly concerned.
"It's certainly not anywhere near the top of my priority list," Jordan said. "I think there are five or six teams that are hands down above the rest and after that, anyone can beat anyone on a given day. We are capable of beating a Top 10 team or losing to a Top 40 team."
For the record, the Aggies are a Top 28 team, receiving 104 votes.
Jordan said voters are not always familiar with what a particular team has coming back, taking into account the impact of players lost. It's true the Aggies lost setter Jackie Choi and front line player Alice Borden from last year's team, but the Aggies have what Jordan called one of his deepest teams in his 10 years.
Also, the Aggies 2007 schedule includes a match against Nebraska (No. 1) or Duke (No. 18), as well as Texas (No. 4), and Western Athletic Conference matches against No. 10 Hawaii. The Aggies also play Louisville, which received 157 votes but fell short of the Top 25.
"We are playing some of the best teams in the country so if we get a win here and there, we will be up there," Jordan said.
Volleyball fans will get their first look at the Aggies in the Crimson versus White scrimmage on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the Pan American Center. Jason Groves can be reached at jgroves@lcsun-news.com
The poll is out. You can see the
entire poll at the AVCA websiteGo take a look. I'll wait. Wow, that was a quick visit. Where are we? We're 28th with 104 votes. 28th. Excuse me? I'm pretty shocked to say the least. Where did Long Beach and Santa Clara come from? (2 programs I'm going to go check out when I finish this entry.)
It's no surprise that Nebraska is on top, nor is it a suprise that Hawaii is ranked 10. The discussion hasn't really started over at the Volleytalk boards so it'll be interesting to see what they say. One person has already stated that Florida and UCLA are too low, USC is too high.
I'll be interested in seeing what Coach Jordan has to say.
The AVCA Pre-Season Poll will be released today sometime. Check back for where we landed.
I'm going to venture a guess here. I'm going to say 20 or 21?
Quite a bit of news to share today - you can tell the season is close because our local paper has had articles almost every day.
First off, the PreSeason All WAC was announced. "New Mexico State placed two players on the preseason team, senior Kim Oguh and junior Amber Simpson. Both were first team all-WAC selections last season." To say the least, I'm very disappointed that Krystal Torres was not selected.
Next:
Head coach feels good about 2007 volleyball senior classNew Mexico State volleyball coach Mike Jordan says this year's senior class could be the most talented group in his 10 years.
He compared Briana Akrie, Jordan Bostic, Anna Callis and Kim Oguh to his group in 2003 that won a Sun Belt Title and appeared in the NCAA Tournament. The four current seniors won a Sun Belt title as freshman in 2004, and now hope to leave Las Cruces with a Western Athletic Conference title.
"We want to live up to the expectations on the court and justify being a great class," said Bostic, who should start at the defensive specialist position.
The Aggies were picked to finish second to Hawaii in the WAC this year after a second-place finish last year.
"Personally, I expect to win the WAC," Akrie said. "That is a huge goal of mine."
Akrie will battle with junior Krystal Torres for time at the libero position, but earning her position is nothing new for her.
"Every year it's a battle," she said. "I think that's the best way to have a team. The only way to get better is going 100 percent all the time to get that spot."
Such competition should come as no surprise for a team hoping to return to the NCAA's for the third time in the last four years.
"One of the things that I want from the upperclassmen is that they help the younger players," Jordan said. "It really speeds up the learning curve."
Lindsey Yon and Alyssa Gintant are two transfers that should play right away and freshman outside hitter Whitney Phillips should also contribute.
After two years at Iowa State, Gintant should handle the majority of the setting duties. She said Jordan recruited her out of high school, but she joins the Aggies just in time, as a replacement fore Jackie Choi.
Gintant should have no problem racking up assists with Oguh and junior middle hitter Amber Simpson, who both received honorable mention All-America honors last year.
"I'm very excited, especially to work with two All-American hitters in the middle," Gintant said. "It's going to be fun to work with them."
In the first week of practice, Bostic said the transfers and freshmen have learned quickly.
"We try to convey to them the expectations that we have for the season and for each other," Bostic said. "It's just exciting to see them come in and fit in right away. They figure everything out so quickly and are so talented."
Fans can come see the team in action in the Crimson-White scrimmage on Aug. 18 at 6:30 p.m., before the Aggies hit the road for the Northern Arizona Invitational Aug. 24. Their first home match is Aug. 26 against Texas Southern. The Aggies schedule also includes road matches at Texas, Houston Louisville, and potentially Nebraska or Duke.
"The last three years have gone fast," Oguh said. "We've just tried to improve with each passing year and we certainly want to finish strong. Each year we've accomplished something different and this year we want to add to that. As seniors we want to be leaders and work hard."
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Oguh and Simpson were selected to preseason All-WAC team on Friday.
Both players were also AVCA All-Americans in 2006, as well as first team all-WAC selections.Ê
Oguh, a two time all-American selection, was a constant threat to opposing teams in 2006 as she ranked second on the team in hitting percentage (.377) and third in kills (374). She was also dominant on defense as she led the team in total blocks (175) and blocks per game (1.39). Oguh ranked third in conference in blocks.Ê
Simpson, who was named WAC freshman of the year in 2005 and was a first team all-WAC selection in 2006, will be back in the middle for the Aggies in 2007 and should give opponents some trouble. She led the team and the WAC in hitting percentage (.387) last season, while ranking second on the team in kills (397), kills per game (3.15), total blocks (156) and blocks per game (1.24).Ê
Simpson was only the fourth player in Aggie volleyball history to be named an All-American.Ê
High hopes surround Aggie volleyballNew Mexico State volleyball coach Mike Jordan calls this year's version of the New Mexico State volleyball team his most athletic and deepest ever as he enters his 10th year.
"I like what I see with this group," said Jordan after Thursday's practice, the team's second day of practice in preparation for the 2007 season. "We have a good mixture of veteran players and some young players that could help us right away."
The Aggies won 33 games last year and qualified for their third NCAA Tournament in the past four years. Gone are the likes of outside hitters Tanya Allen and Alice Borden and setter Jackie Choi.
But back are middle blockers Kim Oguh and Amber Simpson, outside hitter Anna Callis and defensive specialists Briana Akrie, Krystal Torres and Jordan Bostic.
"We know what to expect and we have a lot of confidence in what we can do," said the junior Simpson. "The program continues to get better and we continue to attract good athletes and better players."
Part of the depth that Jordan loves comes in the form of setters Alyssa Gintant and Brynja Rodgers and outside hitters Lindsey Yon, Whitney Phillips and Kelli Goodan.
Gintant and Rodgers will see time at setter and could be on the court at the same time. Gintant is a transfer from Iowa State and Rodgers is a freshman from Iowa City, Iowa. Yon is a junior transfer from Texas A&M, Phillips is a freshman from Scottsdale, Ariz. and Goodan is a sophomore Des Moines, N.M.
"Whitney has done some good things for us, Lindsey is a good player and Kelli can help us out on the right or left side," Jordan said. "It'll take some time for the younger players to develop, but the potential is there."
Gintant spent the spring practicing with the team and said that time helped her tremendously.
"I'm able to communicate better and I know what to expect," she said. "The fact that we have a lot of returnees and good, young players helps. Everyone picks up on things fast."
The Aggies were picked to finish second in the Western Athletic Conference behind perennial power Hawaii. The Aggies will host the WAC Tournament for the first time Nov. 15-17.
New Mexico State plays its toughest non-conference schedule in Jordan's 10 years. The Aggies play Texas, Hawaii, Nebraska, Utah and Louisville among others.
Jordan said Texas and Utah will return games to NMSU in the future. The veteran head coach also said that if NMSU has an NCAA Tournament-type season, the school will likely make a bid to host matches in this year's NCAA Tournament.
"I like our schedule," Gintant said. "We like to play tough teams and we feel like we can compete."
Added Jordan: "We have the athleticism to compete against a lot of teams, we just have to execute and play smart."
The Aggies open the season on Aug. 24 against Albany in the Northern Arizona Tournament.
A few things to remind you all about:
1. Season tickets!
Get them now by stopping by the Pan Am Ticket office or calling them at 646-5151.
2. Side out Club!
$75 for a single membership, $125 for a couple and $200 for a family membership (family of 4). Here's what ya do: Make out your check to AAF - Sideout Club, send it in to: NMSU/Sideout Club, PO Box 30001, MSC 3145, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001.
3. Aggie Volleyball First Serve Banquet and Fundraiser!
Friday, August 17 at 6pm at the Hotel Encanto De Las Cruces. (Social hour at 6pm, dinner at 7pm)
Tickets - $45/individual; Table sponsor - $450 (10 people/8 tickets for guests, 2 student/athletes, coaches or staff)
More information: 646-5151 (AAF)
A few articles to share today. I'll bold the statements I like :)
From Thursday's Sun News:
Aggies gunning for No. 1 spotNew Mexico State volleyball coach Mike Jordan was happy with the Aggies' No. 2 ranking in the Western Athletic Conference volleyball coaches poll. But even he concedes it's not where he wants his team to be.
Jordan's team placed second in the coaches poll to Hawaii in the conference. The Rainbow Wahine finished first in the WAC last season and are clearly the team to beat again this year in the conference. NMSU finished in second place in 2006 and hopes that this is the year the team claims the top spot.
"Anytime you're in a conference, in any sport, you have to be prepared to beat the best team," Jordan said. "If you can do that, then you're good enough to beat everyone else. Hawaii's got a target on its back. We want to be No. 1."
The Aggies hope to build off the program's recent success. NMSU went 33-4 last season and the team has been to the NCAA Tournament three of the last four years. The past two seasons, Jordan has captured WAC Coach of the Year honors as the Aggies have climbed the conference ladder.
The team returns impact players Kim Oguh, Amber Simpson, Jordan Bostic, Briana Akrie and Krystal Torres.
Newcommers who could make a difference on the court include Iowa State transfer Alyssa Gintant, who is expected to take over as the team's starting setter; Texas A&M transfer Lindsey Yon, who will compete at outside hitter; and possible freshmen contributors Whitney Phillips and Bryn Rodgers. Jordan also said that local product Alex Steinmetz would get an opportunity to compete for time.
"I definitely think that they will all have a positive impact," senior outside hitter Anna Callis said. "All are very competitive, have good work ethics and are similar to what coach Jordan expects from his players. They'll all be a good fit."
With the reinforcements, the Aggies are hopeful to advance in postseason play. NMSU lost to Colorado last year in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"When we have team meetings, that's always one of our top priorities, to get to the NCAA's and advance." Oguh said. "I don't expect that to change. We're ready to play."
Still, the team will have to get past the Rainbow Wahine, a program that has gone to nine consecutive NCAA regionals and recorded eight of the nine first-place votes in the coaches poll. The two teams split their two regular-season matches last season, with NMSU winning in Las Cruces 3-2 and Hawaii sweeping the Aggies in Honolulu. The loss was one of just two that NMSU suffered within the WAC last season.
The Rainbow Wahine also knocked off the Aggies 3-1 during the WAC Tournament last year.
"Hawaii is a great team and they have been for a number of years," Oguh said. "They're the ones to beat. I think we're a lot stronger than last year and we're excited."
Jordan agrees.
"We're a good team," Jordan said. "To set our sights on anyone else wouldn't make any sense."*****
Aggie Volleyball Picked Second by WAC Coaches LAS CRUCES, N.M-Coming off its most successful season in school history, the New Mexico State volleyball team was picked second in Western Athletic Conference coaches’ poll the conference office announced on Monday, July 30.
NMSU volleyball head coach Michael Jordan is very optimistic about his team in 2007, as it received 55 total points, behind defending WAC champion Hawai’i. The Rainbow Wahine received 64 points, including eight of nine first-place votes, while San Jose State got the other first place vote. The Spartans tied for third with Idaho with 44 points each.
“Preseason polls usually don’t mean much to coaches, but I am happy that we were picked second,” Jordan said. “Each coach knows their team better than anyone else and the way I know my team, I think we can win it if everyone stays healthy.”Nevada was picked fifth in the poll with 36 points, while Boise State was picked sixth with 30 and Utah State picked seventh with 22 points. Fresno State was chosen eighth with 20 points and Louisiana Tech rounded out the poll with nine points and was picked ninth.
“I really believe that we can win the conference, although it’s not going to be easy because there are a few really good teams in our league,” Jordan said.
NMSU finished the 2006 campaign with a 33-4 record and placed second in the WAC. The team advanced to the NCAA tournament with its first ever at-large bid, entering the tournament for the third time in the last four years.
In 2006, the Aggies had first-team All-WAC and one second-team All-WAC honoree while Jordan earned his second consecutive WAC Coach of the Year award and fourth straight overall.
The Aggies are returning a handful of players who made a big impact in the 2006 season including AVCA All-American honorable mention selections, Kim Oguh (El Paso, Hanks HS) and Amber Simpson (Quincy, Ill.). Also returning are defensive specialists Jordan Bostic (El Paso, Franklin HS), Briana Akrie (Aurora, Colo.) and Krystal Torres (Las Cruces, Mayfield HS), all who have started at the libero position at some point in the past three seasons.
“We have lots of players coming back from last year’s team and I think they’re better than they were a year ago,” Jordan said. “When you return that much talent and experience, it makes you feel good about your chances.”
NMSU looks to prove itself as the Aggies have a tough schedule that includes the likes of teams such as nationally ranked Hawai’i and the defending national champion Nebraska. The non-conference schedule also includes Texas and Utah, who are sure to give the Aggies a challenge.
The 2007 WAC season concludes in Las Cruces as the Aggies will host the 2007 WAC Volleyball tournament. This is the first time in school history that NMSU will host a volleyball tournament.
