September 19, 2003
The Texas A&M volleyball team plays a non-conference match against the University of Houston Sunday at 2 p.m. at Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston.
The Aggies are 7-3 for the season and riding a two-match losing skid after dropping a three-game match to No. 1 USC in College Station last weekend and a five-game match at No. 8 Nebraska on Wednesday. A&M has not dropped three consecutive matches since the 1998 season.
The Cougars are 2-8 overall and have lost seven consecutive matches entering a contest against Mississippi on Friday. Houston lost to cross-town rival Rice in three games on Tuesday.
The Aggies, who entered the week ranked 10th in the nation in assists per game and 13th in kills per game, are led by sophomore Laura Jones (Arlington, Texas). The 6-3 outside hitter had 23 kills against the Huskers and is averaging a team-best 4.81 kills per game for the season while hitting at a .296 clip.
Junior middle blocker Melissa Munsch (Columbus, Texas) leads A&M in blocks with 1.46 stuffs per game and is second on the squad with 3.49 kills per game. Senior outside hitter Beth Skypala (Amarillo, Texas), who had a career-high 17 kills and a match-high 21 digs at Nebraska, leads the Aggies with 3.39 digs per game.
Freshman outside hitter Kelly McAnelly leads the Cougars with 3.97 kills per game but is being held to a .147 hitting percentage. Sophomore libero Jaci Gonzalez leads the squad in digs (4.62), and junior middle hitter Loure Dews is averaging a team-best 1.11 blocks per game.
As a team, A&M is hitting .250 and averaging 16.54 kills, 15.22 assists, 16.35 digs and 2.55 blocks per game.
Houston is being held to a .185 hitting percentage and is averaging 15.02 kills, 15.62 digs and 2.29 blocks entering the match against the Lady Rebels.
A&M is 31-29 against Houston since 1976 and has won the last nine meetings against the former-Southwest Conference foe. The teams last met in 2001 with the Aggies prevailing in five games at Hofheinz, where the Aggies are 12-10 all-time against the Cougars.
A&M returns home and resumes Big 12 action on Wednesday, Sept. 24 as the Aggies host Colorado. The match, which will be televised live by College Sports Television, begins at 8 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum.