November 30, 2002
Texas A&M concluded the regular season with a 25-30, 31-29, 30-24, 30-26 victory over Iowa State this afternoon in front of 539 at Hilton Coliseum.
With the victory, A&M improves to 20-9 overall to reach the 20-victory milestone for the eighth consecutive year and the ninth time in coach Laurie Corbelli's 10-year A&M career. The Aggies also improved to 12-8 in the Big 12 to finish fifth in the league standings.
Iowa State ends its season 10-21 overall and 1-19 in the Big 12.
The Aggies got off to a sluggish start as Iowa State won the opening game, the first game the Cyclones had taken a game off the Aggies in 15 meetings. A&M was up, 12-11, when the Cyclones scored three unanswered points to take the lead. The Aggies managed to tie the score four times throughout the remainder of the game but were unable to regain the lead.
With the score knotted at 19, A&M was called for a blocking error which gave Iowa State a lead it would not relinquish. The Cyclones held a narrow 23-22 edge when they went on a four-point run. A&M could never get closer than three points and were trailing, 28-25, when Iowa State closed out the game courtesy of an A&M service error and a kill by the Cyclones' Brittany Dalager.
The Aggies led throughout the second game and had built a seemingly comfortable 22-13 advantage. The Cyclones, however, scored five consecutive points to get back into the game. The Aggies were serving for game point at 29-25 when Iowa State posted a kill and then blocked three straight A&M attacks to tie the score. A&M answered with back-to-back kills by A.D. Achilefu and Laura Jones to end the game and tie the match at 1-1.
A&M held a 15-11 advantage in the third frame when the Aggies rallied for five unanswered points. The Cyclones, however, outscored A&M, 7-1, to cut the lead to 21-18. Iowa State got within a point at 23-22 following an A&M attack error, but the Aggies then outscored the Cyclones, 6-1. With A&M serving for game point, Mandi Harms tallied a kill for Iowa State, but Jones answered with a kill for the Aggies to give A&M the win.
A&M equaled its largest lead of the fourth game at 22-16 before the Cyclones rallied and got back within one point at 24-23. Kills by Tara Pulaski and Melissa Munsch gave the Aggies a three-point cushion. A&M held onto a 28-26 advantage when an Iowa State attack sailed out of bounds and a Munsch dig fell untouched for a match-ending kill.
The Aggies outhit Iowa State, .206 to .151 for the match, posting 66 kills to the Cyclones' 59. A&M also posted 87 digs and 10 blocks, while Iowa State tallied 73 digs and nine blocks. The Cyclones led in aces, 6-5.
Achilefu led the Aggies with a season-high 18 kills. The senior also tied her season high with a match-high 20 digs and added a match-high six blocks. Munsch also recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 13 digs. Pulaski and Jones reached double figures in kills with 12 apiece.
Brittany Dalager led the Cyclones with 19 kills and 20 digs.
The Aggies now await the announcement of the 64-team NCAA championship bracket to be aired at 8 p.m. Sunday on ESPNews. A&M, which advanced to the NCAA regional finals for the second time in school history last year, is expected to receive its 10th consecutive at-large berth into the tournament.