October 22, 2002
Texas A&M (12-6, 4-5 Big 12) wraps up the first half of the Big 12 Conference season as the Aggies play host to the Baylor Bears (8-11, 2-7 Big 12) Wednesday. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum...The Aggies, who have lost three of their last four matches, are tied with Colorado for sixth place in the Big 12 after falling to Kansas State in Manhattan on Saturday. The Bears, whose losing streak extended to three with a three-game loss at No. 4 Nebraska on Saturday, are tied with Texas Tech and Oklahoma for eighth place in the league standings.
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
The Aggies return home to the friendly confines of G. Rollie White Coliseum where they are 9-1 this season. A&M's only home loss was a four-game setback to league-leading and fifth-ranked Nebraska on Oct. 6. A&M, which hasn't lost a home match to Baylor since 1992 -- the final year of former Aggie coach Al Givens' A&M tenure -- is outhitting its opponents, .253 to .152, in home contests but is being outhit, 224 to .215, in away matches.
A&M is paced by Melissa Munsch, who leads the team in kills (3.7), aces (0.49), digs (3.22) and points (4.42) per game. The sophomore outside hitter has reached double figures in kills - including a career-high 25 kills at Colorado - in 15 of 18 matches and also leads the team with 11 double-double performances.
Setter Lexy Beers, who posted a career-high 63 assists in the five-game victory over Texas Tech, is ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 12.54 assists per game in conference play only and fifth for the full season with a 12.24 average. With the 5-9 sophomore directing the A&M attack, the Aggies are ranked second to Nebraska in the conference for fewest blocks allowed by an opponent for the full season (1.84).
Junior middle blocker Tara Pulaski, who tied her career high with 20 kills while hitting at a .484 clip against Texas on Oct. 9, leads the Aggies with a .324 hitting percentage for the full season. The California native also leads the squad with 0.99 blocks per game and has twice reached double figures in blocks this season. Her 11 blocks at Missouri still ranks as the most by a Big 12 player in league competition this season.
As a team, A&M is hitting .237 and averaging 15.64 kills, 1.81 aces, 15.8 digs and 2.36 blocks per game for the full season. Opponents are being held to a .177 hitting percentage and are averaging 13.56 kills, 1.1 aces, 14.71 digs and 1.84 blocks per game...In Big 12 matches only, A&M is hitting .218 and averaging 15.63 kills and 15.14 digs per game.
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 school's best record and equal A&M's highest finish. A&M has never finished lower than fourth place (1997, 1998) in the final Big 12 standings.
BAYLOR BEARS
Baylor (8-11, 2-7 Big 12) is mired in a three-match losing skid after getting swept by Kansas, No. 22 Missouri and No. 4 Nebraska...The Bears, who are in a three-way tie with Texas Tech and Oklahoma for eighth place in the Big 12, have been plagued by injuries and are playing without their top player, Stevie Nicholas. The junior outside hitter was leading the Big 12 in kills (5.45), aces (0.95) and points (6.81) per game before suffering a season-ending knee injury (torn medial miniscus) in a four-game loss to Colorado on Sept. 18. With Nicholas out, junior middle blocker Tisha Schwartz has moved to the outside and now leads the league with 5.0 kills and 5.48 points per game in Big 12 matches...As a team, the Bears are hitting .218 for the full season but are being held to a .185 hitting percentage in Big 12 matches only. Opponents are hitting .255 overall, including .276 in league play...In their most recent outing, the Bears were outhit, .472 to .148, by No. 4 Nebraska. For the second consecutive match, Schwartz was the only Baylor player to post double digits in kills with a match-high 16...Baylor was picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 standings according to a preseason poll of the league coaches. Last year, the Bears tied for sixth place and lost to Colorado State, 3-1, in the first round of the NCAA tournament...Brian Hosfeld (Long Beach State '91) is 116-100 in his seventh season at the helm of the Bears.
SERIES RECORD
A&M has won the last five meetings against the Bears and leads the all-time series, 45-7, since 1976. In addition, the Aggies are 19-1 against Baylor in matches played at G. Rollie White Coliseum and 9-3 against the Bears in Big 12 matches...Last year, A&M swept Baylor in both meetings.
NEWS & NOTES
- The Aggies are 96-3 (.970) against unranked opponents in matches played at G. Rollie White Coliseum since Laurie Corbelli became head coach in 1993. The only unranked teams A&M has lost to at home since Corbelli took over are Texas Tech in 1997 and 1998 and Colorado last year. The Aggies are 113-18 (.863) overall in home matches during Corbelli's tenure.
- A&M's Beth Skypala and the Bears' Tisha Schwartz were teammates at Amarillo High School where they led the Lady Sandies to the 1998 Texas 5-A high school state tournament title and a 39-0 season.
- A&M is 1-3 over the last four matches despite totalling both more kills and more digs than its opponents in each of the last four matches. However, the Aggies also have posted more attach errors in each of the four matches, and the five-game win against Texas Tech is the only contest in which the Aggies posted a higher hitting percentage, as well as more blocks than their opponent.
UPCOMING
The Aggies travel to Lincoln, Neb., to face four-time defending Big 12 champion and fourth-ranked Nebraska on Saturday. First serve is at 7 p.m. at Nebraska Coliseum...The match will be televised by NETV in Nebraska, and live scoring and Internet audio will be available at www.huskers.com...Nebraska, who is 9-0 against the Aggies in Lincoln, has won the last six meetings against A&M, including a 30-26, 28-30, 30-26, 30-20 victory in College Station on Oct. 6.