November 02, 2002
Carol Price set a career high in kills for the second consecutive match while leading Texas A&M to a 30-24, 28-30, 30-25, 19-30, 15-5 victory over Colorado in front of 977 fans at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
Price, a junior right-side hitter from Fenton, Mich., posted a match-high 23 kills while hitting .568, surpassing her personal bests of 17 kills and a .552 hitting percentage set against Oklahoma in the Aggies' previous match. Meanwhile, sophomore setter Lexy Beers (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) posted a career-high 73 assists - ranking ninth in the A&M all-time single match records - as Texas A&M recorded a season-high 82 kills against the Buffaloes.
Colorado held its first and only lead of Game 1 at 6-5 following an A&M attack error, but a Buffs kill error and an ace by A&M's Melissa Munsch (Columbus, Texas) marked the start of a four-point run by the Aggies which gave A&M a lead it would not lose. The Aggies held a 22-18 advantage when they once again reeled off four consecutive points to take their biggest lead of the game. A kill by Colorado's Monique Gerlach ended the rally, and the Buffs proceeded to outscore A&M 4-1 to get within 27-23 but could not get any closer. Laura Jones (Arlington, Texas) put down a kill for the Aggies and then teamed with Tara Pulaski (Encinitas, Calif.) for a block to put A&M serving for the game. Elizabeth Gower and Meghan Barkman blocked Jones' attack to prolong the game, but then Barkman's attack sailed wide to end the game.
There were 12 ties and seven lead changes in the second game, but A&M could never get ahead by more than one point the three times it held the lead. The Aggies took the lead for the last time at 26-25 following a block by Munsch and A.D. Achilefu (Houston, Texas). The teams then exchanged points, and Colorado tied the score for the final time on a Kim Tasky kill. The Buffs took the lead for good at 28-27 when Barkman and Tasky blocked Achilefu's attack, and a ball handling error by Jones gave Colorado a two-point cushion. Jones responded with a kill, but Tasky answered with the game-winning kill to tie the back-and-forth match at a game apiece.
Colorado held a 19-15 lead in the third game when A&M rallied for six points, three courtesy of Price kills and the other three on Buffalo attack errors. Colorado tied the score twice but never regained the lead. With A&M up 26-25, the Aggies finished out the game with four consecutive points, with Munsch registering a kill from the back row for the final blow.
Colorado (11-12, 5-8 Big 12) dominated the fourth game, outscoring A&M 20-3 to start the frame. The Aggies could get no closer than 10 points, and with the Buffs up, 29-19, Barkman posted a kill to send the match to the deciding fifth game.
The momentum quickly shifted in the final game as the Aggies held a narrow 4-2 lead before reeling off six unanswered points. Three consecutive kills by Colorado got the Buffs within 10-5 to force A&M to call a timeout. A&M came back by scoring five straight points - the last two on Price kills - to end the match.
In addition to Price, four other Aggies reached double figures in kills. Munsch finished with 19 kills and a team-high 17 digs, and Jones (17 kills, 11 digs) and Achilefu (10 kills, 15 digs) also posted double-doubles. Pulaski added 11 kills and a team-high five blocks.
Gerlach's 21 kills led a group of four Buffs to reach double figures in kills, including Gower who posted a triple double with 11 kills, 49 assists and 12 digs. Barkman, who had a match-high seven blocks, also added 11 kills, and Maragda Santillana finished with 12 kills.
As a team, A&M outhit Colorado, .262 to .228, posting 82 kills to the Buffs' 68. Colorado, however, led in blocks, 11-7.
A&M (15-7, 7-6 Big 12) returns to action Wednesday when the Aggies take a trek down Highway 6 to face the Baylor Bears. Match time is 7 p.m. at the Ferrell Center in Waco.