November 17, 2000
No. 23 Texas A&M makes its final trip of the regular season as the Aggies take on Texas Tech in Lubbock on Saturday. First serve is at 7 p.m at the United Spirit Arena.
The Aggies are 17-7 overall and 12-5 in Big 12 Conference play where they are tied for third with Missouri, one game behind Kansas State. A&M has won its last two matches, including a 15-3, 15-2, 15-4 thumping of the Baylor Bears in the Aggies' most recent outing.
Texas Tech, 22-7 overall and 10-7 in the Big 12, is coming off a disheartening 7-15, 15-10, 4-15, 15-12, 12-15 loss at Colorado on Wednesday. With the setback, the Red Raiders dropped into a tie with the Buffaloes for fifth place in the standings, two games behind both A&M and Missouri.
Junior outside hitter Erin Gibson, who entered the week ranked seventh in the nation in dig average, leads the Aggies with 4.33 kills and 4.37 digs per game. Junior setter Jenna Moscovic is ranked 18th in the country with 13.75 assists per game. Middle blockers Tara Pulaski, a redshirt freshman, and Heather Marshall, a senior, lead the A&M starters in hitting efficiency and blocks. Pulaski is hitting a team-best .337 and is second on the team with 1.05 blocks per game. Marshall, who posts a .316 hitting percentage, is averaging 1.41 blocks per game.
A&M, which entered the week leading the Big 12 and ranked second in the nation in kills and assists and rated fourth in digs, is on school-record pace with 18.98 kills, 17.14 assists and 20.10 digs per game for the full season. As a team, the Aggies are outhitting their opponents, .269 to .199. However, the Aggies have struggled on the road, where they are 5-5 ?" including losses to then-unranked Missouri, Kansas State and Colorado ?" and are narrowly outhitting their opponents, .226 to .211.
Tech, who is outhitting its opponents, .246 to .191, has proven difficult to beat at home as the Red Raiders sport a 10-2 mark in matches played at the United Spirit Arena. Their only two losses were a five-game setback to Colorado and a four-game loss to No. 1 Nebraska. Tech, who is 1-4 against Top 25 opponents this season, has pulled off significant home victories against Missouri and Kansas State, who both appear in this week's Top 25 Poll.
Senior 6-7 outside hitter Colleen Smith leads the Red Raider attack with 4.68 kills per game, while senior middle blocker Janelle Jones is hitting a team-best .331. Junior setter Skydra Orzen ranks third in the Big 12 with 14.32 assists per game. Sophomore Melissa McGehee is the leader in digs with 3.72 per game, and defensive specialist Heather Hughes-Justice leads the Big 12 and is listed in the top three in the nation with 0.67 aces per game.
A&M leads the all-time series against the Red Raiders, 36-21, since 1976, including 7-2 since Big 12 play began in 1996. Both of A&M's Big 12 losses against Tech occurred in College Station, as A&M has not lost in Lubbock since 1994.
Earlier this season, the then-22nd-ranked Aggies defeated Tech, 15-6, 15-12, 15-11, at G. Rollie White Coliseum. The Aggies dominated at the net, outblocking the Red Raiders 17-4 behind a nine block performance by Marshall. The 17 blocks set an A&M record for blocks in a three-game Big 12 match, and the win gave coach Laurie Corbelli her 180th victory to tie the all-time Aggie record for most wins. Gibson led A&M with 16 kills and 18 digs, and Michelle Cole and Marshall added 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Smith led the Red Raiders with 18 kills but was held to a .118 hitting percentage. For the match, the Aggies out-hit Tech .279 to .103.
Texas A&M concludes the regular season next week with two crucial home matches. On Wednesday, Nov. 22, the Aggies play host to Kansas State and then they complete the regular season against rival Texas on Saturday, Nov. 25. A&M's three seniors, Christy Clark, Claire Harvey and Marshall, will be making their final appearance of the regular season at G. Rollie and will be recognized prior to the match. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. for both matches.