September 16, 2004
The 12th-ranked Texas A&M volleyball team opens its home portion of the Big 12 Conference schedule Friday with a Top 25 billing against No. 24 Kansas. First serve is at 6 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
The Aggies opened conference play with a 3-1 victory at Iowa State on Wednesday to improve to 5-2 overall. Kansas, which is ranked for the first time since the Top 25 Poll began in 1982, is 8-0 after sweeping Missouri-Kansas City on Tuesday. The Jayhawks will be playing their first league match of the season.
Last year A&M remained undefeated against the Jayhawks in College Station, improving to 9-0 all-time in home matches against Kansas with a narrow 3-2 victory. The Jayhawks, however, got their revenge with a 3-0 sweep against the Aggies in Lawrence. It was Kansas' only win against A&M in 17 meetings.
Both teams, along with Colorado, tied for third in the league standings last year with a 13-7 mark.
Melissa Munsch leads the Aggies with a .406 hitting percentage and 2.0 blocks per game. The senior middle blocker is second on the squad with 3.91 kills, 3.23 digs and 5.27 points per game and needs three kills to move into seventh in the A&M all-time career records with 1,178.
Kansas, which leads the Big 12 in both blocks and aces per game, is led by Josi Lima's 3.81 kills per game and Ashley Michaels' 2.07 blocks per game.
Kansas represents the first of three consecutive ranked opponents for the Aggies, who hit the road next week to face defending Big 12 champion and 16th-ranked Kansas State in Manhattan on Wednesday and No. 8 Nebraska Saturday in Lincoln.