Texas A&M
UT ARLINGTON
No. 15 Texas A&M Advances to NCAA Second Round
Nov 30, 2001 | Volleyball
November 30, 2001
Texas A&M senior outside hitter Erin Lechler posted match-highs of 14 kills and five blocks to lead the 15th-ranked Aggies to a 30-16, 30-17, 30-17 victory over Texas-Arlington at G. Rollie White Coliseum in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.
A&M improves to 24-5 and advances to the second round to face rival Texas Saturday at 7 p.m. in College Station.
The Mavericks, who had won 17 of their final 18 matches of the regular season and were making their first NCAA appearance since 1990, finish the season at 22-12.
A&M led throughout the opening game with the exception of a 1-0 lead by the Mavericks to start the match. The Aggies held a 13-10 advantage when, with senior outside hitter Michelle Cole at the service line, A&M erupted for 11 unanswered points. With A&M leading, 29-16, Cole finished off the game with a kill. Lechler posted eight kills in the game and hit .583 as A&M out-hit UTA, .326 to -0.26.
A&M never trailed in Game 2 and put the game out of reach early by jumping out to a 15-4 lead. The Aggies hit at a blistering .563 in the frame as freshman midldle blocker Melissa Munsch and senior outside hitter Brandi Mount combined for nine kills and no errors in 10 attempts. while A&M cruised to a 30-17 win.
Junior middle blocker A.D. Achilefu and sophomore middle blocker Carol Price both came off the bench in the final game to help the Aggies complete the sweep. The pair combined for eight kills and only one error in 10 attempts, and Price tallied a career-high three blocks in the game as A&M went on to win, 30-17.
The Aggies hit .384 and posted 57 kills and 53 digs while holding UTA to a .048 hitting percentage, 25 kills and 38 digs in the match.
Caley Smith led UTA with eight kills, but was held to a .077 hitting efficiency.
The Aggies, who are making their ninth consecutive NCAA appearance and 13th overall, meet Big 12 rival Texas on Saturday. The Aggies are riding a four-match winning streak against the Longhorns; however Texas is 2-0 against A&M in NCAA action, having eliminated the Aggies in the second round in both 1985 and 1993.
