October 01, 2002
No. 25 Texas A&M (10-3, 2-2 Big 12) will be looking for its first Big 12 road victory of the season as the Aggies travel to take on the Oklahoma Sooners (4-8, 2-2 Big 12), Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Norman, Okla. First serve is at 7 p.m at the McCasland Field House (formerly the OU Field House)...A&M and OU are in a five-way tie for fourth place with Colorado, Kansas State and Texas in the Big 12 standings...Both A&M and OU ended two-match losing skids in their most recent outings as the Aggies swept Iowa State in College Station and the Sooners downed Baylor in four games in Norman to even their league records at 2-2.
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
The Aggies narrowly extended their streak to 110 consecutive appearances in the Top 25 after falling five spots to No. 25 in this week's USA Today/AVCA Top 25 Poll...A&M is coming off a 1-1 week in which the Aggies lost their second consecutive match by falling at Missouri in four games and then returned home to sweep Iowa State to end their losing skid and extend their home winning streak to 17...Junior middle blocker Tara Pulaski tied her career high and the team's season high with 11 blocks against Missouri and is currently ranked second in the conference in Big 12 matches only with 1.5 blocks per game...The Aggies, who were held to a Big 12 season-low .194 hitting percentage against the Tigers, held Iowa State to a -.016 hitting percentage, a season low by an A&M opponent...In Big 12 matches only, A&M is ranked second in the league for hitting percentage by opponents (.169), kills by opponents (14.20) and blocks by opponents (1.93)...Sophomore setter Lexy Beers, who set a career-high with 60 assists against Colorado, is ranked fourth in the Big 12 with a 12.08 assist average for the full season and 12.4 assists per game in conference games only. Her top targets are outside hitters Melissa Munsch and Laura Jones, who are averaging a team-leading 4.33 and 3.85 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 .336. Pulaski is hitting .312, and senior middle blocker A.D. Achilefu is hitting at a .303 clip...Munsch, who has posted double figures in kills in the last nine matches- - including a career-high 25 against Colorado - leads the Aggies in kill average (3.76), dig average (3.39), aces (0.63) and points per game (4.63) and also leads the team with eight double-doubles...As a team, A&M is hitting .252 and averaging 15.52 kills, 2.08 aces, 16.08 digs and 2.49 blocks per game for the full season. In Big 12 matches only, the Aggies are hitting .238 and averaging 15.2 kills, 13.87 assists, 1.33 aces, 15.2 digs and 3.03 blocks per game.
OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Oklahoma snapped a six-match losing streak against Baylor by defeating the Bears, 35-33, 30-24, 27-30, 31-29 in Norman on Saturday. With the victory, the Sooners improved to 4-8 overall and moved into a five-way tie for fourth place in the Big 12 with a 2-2 mark...Four players reached double figures in kills, led by senior 6-4 outside hitter Megan O'Connell's 18. Sophomore middle blocker Candice Woods put down 17 kills while hitting at a .500 clip. The Sooners posted 14 aces and outhit Baylor, .247 to .200, despite getting outblocked 14-8...For the season, OU is being outhit, .197 to .165. In addition to hitting percentage, the Sooners are rated last in the league in assists (11.39), kills (12.76) and digs (13.18) per game...O'Connell leads the team with a .284 hitting percentage and 3.34 kills per game, and Woods leads the Sooners with 1.16 blocks per game...Kalani Mahi (Graceland College '87) is 14-59 in his third year at the helm of the Sooners.
SERIES RECORD
The Aggies sport a 21-1 all-time record against the Sooners and have won the last 18 meetings. In addition, A&M is 12-0 against OU in Big 12 matches and has not dropped a game to the Sooners in the last 11 meetings...None of the Aggies on the current roster were born when OU captured its only victory against A&M, Sept. 15, 1979, at the North Texas State Tournament in Denton, Texas.
UPCOMING
Texas A&M puts its 17-match home win streak on the line as No. 5 Nebraska comes to College Station on Sunday, Oct. 6. Match time is 2 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum. Admission is $2 for high school students, as well as anyone with a ticket stub from the Texas A&M-Texas Tech football game. In addition, UCS player cards will be provided to the first 1,000 fans.