September 23, 2003
The No. 25 Texas A&M volleyball team (8-3, 0-1 Big 12) opens its Big 12 Conference home slate Wednesday against the Colorado Buffaloes (9-3, 1-1 Big 12). First serve is at 8 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum. The match, originally scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, will be aired live by College Sports Television (CSTV) with Chris Marlowe and Heather Cox calling the action. CSTV can be found on Direct TV channel 610.
Texas A&M (8-3, 0-1) will be looking for its first Big 12 victory of the season after opening conference play with a 3-2 loss at No. 8 Nebraska last Wednesday. A&M played a non-conference match at Houston on Sunday, overcoming early scoring deficits in three of four games to win its 10th consecutive match against the Aggies' former Southwest Conference foe.
A&M IN BIG 12 HOME OPENERS: A&M has won its first Big 12 home match of the season every year since the league began in 1996. In addition, all seven of the victories have been in three-game sweeps...The last time the Aggies dropped a conference home opener was in 1992 as a member of the now-defunct Southwest Conference. The Aggies fell to No. 9 Texas in three games under former head coach Al Givens.
AGGIES LEAD THE BIG 12: A&M enters the week leading the Big 12 in assists (15.46) and digs (16.63) per game. The Aggies are second to Colorado with 16.83 kills per game.
KEEPING UP WITH JONES: Sophomore outside hitter Laura Jones, who earned all-tournament honors in all three tournaments that A&M participated in this season - including MVP honors at the Duke Invitational - has led the Aggies in kills in nine of 11 matches. She has posted double-figure kill performances in all but one match (seven kills in two games against Centenary) and has recorded 20-plus kills four times, including a career-high 29 against Southwest Missouri State. Jones also added a career-high 23 digs against the Bears to post the first 20-20 performance of her career...The Arlington, Texas, native leads A&M with 4.68 kills and 5.25 assists per game, as well as six double-doubles.
WILLING TO ASSIST: A&M has been experimenting with a 6-2 offense this season and leads the Big 12 with 15.46 assists per game. Lexy Beers, a 5-9 junior, and Kari Kelley, a 6-0 sophomore, have been sharing the setting duties. Each has seen action in 10 of 11 matches, with Kelley earning the starting nod in seven matches...Beers is averaging 8.60 assists per game, and Kelley is averaging 8.50.
MUNSCH TIME: Junior middle blocker Melissa Munsch tied the A&M single-match record with 12 block assists against Southwest Missouri State. In addition, Munsch's career-high 14 total blocks against the Bears ranks second in the A&M records...Munsch also added 24 kills and 12 digs against SMS to posted the first triple-double of her career and A&M's first triple-double since former All-American setter Jenna Moscovic tallied her nation-leading fifth triple-double of the season with 13 kills, 55 assists and 11 digs in a five-game match at Kansas State on Nov. 17, 2001...Munsch is the team leader in blocks per game (1.49) and last week was ranked 13th in the national statistics with a .1.57 average.
CAREER CHART CHASERS: Junior setter Lexy Beers had 21 assists against Houston to give her 1,845 for her career and move into seventh place in the A&M career records...Senior middle blocker Tara Pulaski needs 10 block assists to give her 272 in her career and move her into 10th place in the A&M career records. She currently has a .309 career hitting percentage, which ranks fourth in the A&M career annals.
CAREER MATCHES VS. COLORADO: Several Aggies have had career performances in past matches against the Buffaloes...Last year in College Station, then-junior right-side hitter Carol Price was unstoppable as she had personal bests of 23 kills, 23.5 points and a then-career-high .568 hitting percentage to lead A&M to a five-game victory. Setter Lexy Beers also notched a career high with 73 assists, ranking ninth in the A&M all-time single match records...At Colorado last year, then-sophomore outside hitter Melissa Munsch had personal bests with 25 kills and 30 points, but the Aggies fell in five games. As a freshman middle blocker in 2001, Munsch set a then-career high and a Big 12-record 13 total blocks in Boulder in a three-match victory against the Buffs.
JOLLIE ROLLIE: The Aggies are 121-20 (.858) at G. Rollie White Coliseum since Laurie Corbelli became head coach of the Aggies in 1993. Seventeen of the home losses have been to ranked opponents. Colorado and Texas Tech, who has won twice at G. Rollie, are the only unranked teams to win in College Station during Corbelli's tenure.
NO. 9 IN ATTENDANCE: Texas A&M is ranked ninth in the nation for attendance with a 1,767 average...A crowd of 2,846 came to watch A&M battle No. 1 USC on Sept. 13, marking the third largest home crowd in A&M history.
A LOOK AT COLORADO
Colorado is 9-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12 after defeating Texas Tech in four games and then falling to Kansas in three games in Lawrence...The Buffaloes are led by senior 5-11 middle blocker Monique Gerlach, who is averaging 3.88 kills and hitting at a .347 clip. Sophomore middle blocker Allie Griffin, who posted a team-high 16 kills in the loss at Kansas, is averaging 3.07 kills per game and leads CU in blocks with a 1.07 average, while junior setter Allison Barnes sports a team-best 11.51 assist average...The Buffaloes, who finished tied for seventh in the Big 12 last season, were picked to finish seventh this year according to a poll of the league coaches...Pi'i Aiu is 122-70 in his seventh season as the head coach at Colorado.
SERIES RECORDS
Texas A&M leads the all-time series against Colorado, 11-4, including a 6-1 mark in matches played at G. Rollie White Coliseum. The Buffaloes, however, are 3-2 overall against the Aggies in the past five matches...Both matches last year went five games with each team winning on its home floor. On Sept. 21 in Boulder, Melissa Munsch recorded a career-high 25 kills and a match-high 17 digs but it wasn't enough as the 17th-ranked Aggies fell to Colorado, 23-30, 30-22, 30-28, 28-30, 15-11. Monique Gerlach led Colorado with 19 kills and six blocks as the Buffs outblocked A&M, 12-6...Carol Price was unstoppable in the match in College Station (Nov. 2), posting career highs and match highs of 23 kills and a .568 hitting percentage as A&M defeated Colorado, 30-24, 28-30, 30-25, 19-30, 15-5. Setter Lexy Beers also had a personal best with 73 assists -- ranking ninth in the A&M all-time single match records - as the Aggies posted season highs with 82 kills and 77 assists. Gerlach led the Buffs with 21 kills...Colorado's only victory in College Station was in 2001 as the unranked Buffs overcame a two-game deficit to upset No. 16 A&M in five games.
A&M CRACKS TOP 25
Texas A&M broke into the USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll for the first time this season, coming in at No. 25 in the poll released Monday by the AVCA. The Aggies, who have been receiving points in every poll this season and were listed 26th last week, moved up one spot after falling at No. 8 Nebraska in five games and defeating Houston in four games on the road. The Top-25 ranking is the team's first since a No. 25 ranking on Oct. 7, 2002, which capped a historic run of 111 consecutive weeks in the Top 25...Three teams represent the Big 12 in the Top 25: No. 7 Nebraska, No. 9 Kansas State and the Aggies. Missouri is receiving points and is listed 28th...The Aggies are 1-2 against ranked teams this season with their 3-1 victory over then-No. 16 Louisville, a 3-0 loss to No. 1 USC and a 3-2 loss at No. 8 Nebraska...A&M also is receiving votes in the Volleyball Magazine Top 20 Poll and is listed 29th.
UPCOMING
The Aggies conclude a two-match home stand on Friday as they play host to the Missouri Tigers. First serve is at 7 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum. A&M and Missouri were picked to tie for fourth in the Big 12 Conference according to a preseason poll of the league coaches.