October 08, 2003
No. 24 Texas A&M recorded its first sweep in Big 12 Conference play this season with a 30-21, 30-25, 30-21 victory over Texas Tech in front of 1,673 tonight at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
Laura Jones and Melissa Munsch led the Aggies with 13 and 10 kills, respectively, as A&M posted 52 kills to the Red Raiders' 33. In addition, Munsch tied her career high with a .500 hitting percentage to pace the Aggies to a .261 hitting percentage.
Jones and Munsch also led A&M defensively at the net, posting five and four blocks respectively as the Aggies outblocked Tech, 11 to 5.5. Beth Skypala was solid in the back row with a match-high 17 digs to lead the Aggies to a 56-37 dig advantage.
A&M held Tech to a .102 hitting percentage for the match, the lowest hitting percentage by an A&M Big 12 opponent this season and the lowest overall since the Aggies held Marquette to a .071 hitting efficiency in the season opener.
Kelly Johnson, who entered the match leading the conference in kills per game, was the only Red Raider to reach double figures in kills with 14. Johnson, however, was held to a .184 hitting percentage.
A&M took a 2-1 lead in the opening game and never trailed for the rest of the frame. The Aggies built their biggest lead at 20-10 after scoring three consecutive points. Tech got within six at 24-18 after a block by Johnson and Raven Garrett, but the Red Raiders could get no closer.
Leading 27-21, the Aggies went on their fifth three-point scoring run of the game to close out the 30-21 win.
The Aggies outhit Tech, .302 to .135 in the first game and then bettered their numbers by outhitting the Red Raiders .316 to .132 in the second game.
Johnson opened the Game 2 with a kill, but A&M answered with six consecutive points. The Red Raiders could not get closer than three points for the remainder of the game.
A&M was ahead, 26-22, after a Tech kill. The teams then traded out points for the remainder of the game with Kendra Felder finishing the game with one of her nine kills of the match.
A&M's hitting percentage fell to .147 in the final game, but Tech hit a match-low .047 as the Aggies closed out the sweep. A&M was leading, 21-15, when the Aggies outscored the Red Raiders, 6-1, to take their biggest lead of the game. Tech got within 28-21 when Carrie Moreira recorded a kill and teamed with Munsch for a block to give the Aggies the victory.
The Aggies ended a two-match skid to improve to 11-5 overall and even their Big 12 record at 3-3. Tech suffered its eighth consecutive loss and falls to 8-8, 0-7.
A&M returns to action Saturday as the Aggies face Iowa State in Ames. First serve is at 7 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum.