September 24, 2002
No. 20 Texas A&M (9-2, 1-1 Big 12) completes its two-match road swing Wednesday as the Aggies go up against a streaking Missouri Tiger team (11-1, 1-0). First serve is at 7 p.m at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo...Live scoring updates will be available on the Internet at www.AggieAthletics.com...While the Aggies had their four-match winning streak snapped on Saturday with a 3-2 setback at Colorado to even their Big 12 record at 1-1, Missouri has won its last nine matches, including a 3-1 victory at No. 24 Texas in its most recent outing.
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (9-2, 1-1 BIG 12)
The Aggies slipped three spots to No. 20 in this week's USA Today/AVCA Top 25 Poll following a 1-1 week. A&M opened conference play by sweeping Kansas in College Station, but the Aggies suffered a 3-2 setback to then-unranked Colorado in Boulder on Saturday...Sophomore setter Lexy Beers, who set a career-high with 60 assists against Colorado, leads the Big 12 with 13.12 assists per game in league matches only. Her top targets are outside hitters Melissa Munsch and Laura Jones, who are averaging a team-leading 5.25 and 4.38 kills per game, respectively, in Big 12 play...Three starters are hitting above .300 for the full season, led by Jones, a freshman outside hitter who is hitting .354. Senior middle blocker A.D. Achilefu is hitting .344, and junior middle blocker Tara Pulaski is hitting at a .302 clip...Sophomore outside hitter Melissa Munsch, who has posted double figures in kills in the last seven matches- - including a career-high 25 against Colorado - leads the Aggies in kill average (3.83), dig average (3.33) and points per game (4.71) and also leads the team with six double-doubles...As a team, A&M is hitting .260 and averaging 15.79 kills, 2.16 aces, 16.23 digs and 2.16 blocks per game for the full season. In Big 12 matches only, the Aggies are second in the league with a .271 hitting percentage, 15.0 assists and 16.38 kills per game...Opponents are hitting .171 and averaging 13.47 kills, 1.0 aces, 15.12 digs and 1.70 blocks per game for the full season and are hitting .205 and averaging 14.38 kills, 1.50 aces, 12.38 digs and 2.25 blocks per game in conference games...A&M, picked to finish second in the league according to a preseason poll of the conference coaches, placed second with a 16-4 mark last year to tie the 1999 Aggies for the best record and equal A&M's highest finish.
MISSOURI TIGERS (11-1, 1-0 Big 12)
Missouri ran its winning streak to nine with a Big 12 opening victory at No. 24 Texas on Wednesday. The Tigers, who were idle over the weekend, had four players in double figures in kills, led by Mary Lauren Smith who pounded 19 kills while hitting at a .600 clip...Freshman setter Lindsey Hunter leads the Big 12 with 14.68 assists per game. Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year, 5-10 outside hitter Shen Danru, is hitting .305 and leads the Tigers with 4.2 kills and 3.05 digs per game. Smith, a 6-1 junior outside hitter, is second on the squad with 3.92 kills per game, and senior middle blocker Christi Myers is averaging 3.87 kills and leads the team with a .391 hitting percentage and 1.03 blocks per game...As a team, the Tigers are hitting .308 and lead the league with 17.55 kills and 15.93 assists per game. Missouri also is averaging 2.28 aces, 15.65 digs and 2.53 blocks per game...Opponents are being held to a .183 hitting percentage and are averaging 13.75 kills, 12.38 assists, 0.82 aces, 13.88 digs and 2.21 blocks per game...Texas was the first Top 25 team Missouri has faced this season... Missouri is 3-0 in home matches this season...The Tigers, who are listed 26th in this week's USA Today/AVCA Top 25 Poll, were picked to finish tied for third with Colorado in the Big 12 according to a preseason poll of the league coaches. Last year, Missouri placed fifth in the league with a 10-10 mark...Head coach Susan Kreklow (Southwest Missouri State '84) is 55-19 in her third season at the helm of the Tigers.
SERIES RECORD
The Aggies lead the all-time series against Missouri, 13-2, including a 5-1 mark in matches played in Columbia and an 11-1 record against the Tigers since Big 12 play began in 1996...A&M won both meetings last year to extend its winning streak against the Tigers to three. The 16th-ranked Aggies opened the Big 12 season at Missouri last year and downed the Tigers in five games. Freshman middle blocker Melissa Munsch, drawing the first start of her young career, posted 20 kills to lead a group of five Aggies who posted double figures in kills. Christi Myers led the Tigers with 18 kills and 11 blocks... Missouri took the first game, 30-28, when the teams met in College Station, but then-No. 17 A&M rallied to win the next three...Missouri's lone Big 12 victory over the Aggies was the 2000 conference opener as the Tigers stunned No. 19 A&M with a sweep in Columbia.
- Texas A&M vs. Missouri: A&M leads, 13-2
At College Station: A&M leads, 6-0
At Columbia: A&M leads, 5-1
At Neutral sites: A&M leads, 2-1
Texas A&M's all-time results vs. Missouri: Oct. 15, 1981 N W 9-15, 15-9, 15-10 Sept. 16, 1983 N L 13-15, 9-15, 12-15 Sept. 27, 1986 N W 15-9, 15-10, 16-14 Oct. 11, 1996 H W 15-4, 15-9, 15-4 Nov. 2, 1996 A W 15-5, 15-6, 15-7 Oct. 10, 1997 A W 15-11, 15-10, 15-10 Nov. 2, 1997 H W 15-3, 15-5, 15-5 Nov. 5, 1998 H W 15-10, 15-11, 15-5 Nov. 27, 1998 A W 15-11, 15-8, 8-15, 15-6 Sept. 22, 1999 H W 15-0, 15-8, 15-6 Oct. 30, 1999 A W 15-6, 15-4, 15-10 Sept. 13, 2000 A L 12-15, 8-15, 8-15 Oct. 21, 2000 H W 16-14, 15-13, 15-3 Sept. 22, 2001 A W 30-28, 27-30, 23-30, 30-23, 15-13 Oct. 20, 2001 H W 28-30, 30-21, 33-31, 30-20
NOTES AND TIDBITS
- Sophomore outside hitter Melissa Munsch has posted double figures in kills in seven consecutive matches and in all but tw
- matches for the season. In addition, she has reached double digits in digs in eight of 11 matches and has recorded a team-best six double-doubles. Munsch leads the team with 3.83 kills, 3.33 digs and 4.71 points per game.
- The Aggies are 1-2 in away matches, having swept Southwest Texas State in San Marcos, but dropping a four-game match at No. 16 Wisconsin and the five-game match at Colorado...Last year A&M was 10-3 at away games.
- A&M had led its opponent in aces in every match this season until Colorad
- out-aced the Aggies, 10-7, on Saturday...For the season, A&M is averaging 2.16 aces per game, having tallied 96 aces t
- opponents' 43...The school season record is 2.13 aces per game set in 1984, and the record for total aces is 328 set in 1983...Jump servers Melissa Munsch and Laura Jones lead the team with 27 and 24 aces, respectively.
- The Aggies have won 16 consecutive matches played at G. Rollie White Coliseum dating t
- last season. Texas A&M, which is 7-0 in home contests this season, has not dropped a home contest since No. 2 Nebraska downed the Aggies, 3-1, on Oct. 14, 2001.
- The Aggies are 112-17 (.869) in home matches since Laurie Corbelli became head coach in 1993. A&M is 94-3 (.969) against unranked opponents and 18-14 (.563) against Top 25 opponents at home during that span. The only unranked teams A&M has lost t
- at home since Corbelli took over are Texas Tech in 1997 and 1998 and Colorad
- last year.
UPCOMING
Texas A&M returns home Friday to play host to the Iowa State Cyclones. Match time is 6 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum, where the Aggies are 7-0 this season and riding a 16-match winning streak...It is an early match time so that fans can also have an opportunity to see the No. 8 Aggie soccer team, as they also open Big 12 play against the Cyclones at the Aggie Soccer Complex at 7:30 p.m...The first 250 fans will receive a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A sandwich,