September 28, 2001
The No. 16 Texas A&M volleyball team hits the road this weekend to face the Iowa State Cyclones Sunday at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. First serve is at 2 p.m.
The Aggies are 9-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12. They enter the contest riding a three-match winning streak after defeating Baylor, 30-19, 30-25, 30-23, at G. Rollie White Coliseum on Wednesday.
Iowa State is 3-5 and 0-3 in the Big 12 after opening the conference season with a four-game loss to Kansas and then getting swept by both No. 25 Texas and No. 1 Nebraska.
A&M setter Jenna Moscovic, this week's Big 12 Player of the Week, leads A&M with a .384 hitting percentage and 13.09 assists per game. Outside hitters Erin Lechler and Michelle Cole are the leaders in kills per game with 3.74 and 3.15, respectively. In addition, Cole is the team leader with 3.91 digs per game. Middle blocker and jump server A.D. Achilefu is averaging a team-high 0.81 blocks and 0.61 aces per game.
As a team, the Aggies our outhitting their opponents, .260 to .174. In addition, A&M is averaging 17.51 kills, 17.69 digs and 2.14 blocks per game. Opponents are being held to 12.69 kills, 14.06 digs and 2.59 blocks per game.
Iowa State, who has finished in last place in the Big 12 for four consecutive years, is mired in a four-match losing skid. The Cyclones are being held to a .136 hitting percentage, including a .092 hitting efficiency in league games only.
Junior outside hitter Mandi Harms leads ISU with 3.32 kills per game. Sophomore middle blocker Julie Mitchell leads the team with 1.29 blocks per game as the Cyclones are outblocking their opponents, 2.54 to 2.43.
A&M holds a 12-1 advantage in the all-time series against ISU and has won the last 11 meetings. The Aggies have not dropped a game to the Cyclones since Iowa State last defeated A&M in 1989. Last year A&M defeated ISU, 15-5, 15-1, 15-9, in College Station and 15-3, 15-12, 15-3 in Ames.
The Aggies return home to host the Colorado Buffaloes, Wednesday at 7 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum