October 12, 2004
The 20th-ranked Texas A&M volleyball team returns to G. Rollie White Coliseum Wednesday to play host to Oklahoma. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.
The Aggies (8-5 overall, 4-3 Big 12), who have won the last 22 matches against the Sooners, slipped five spots to No. 20 in the national rankings and to sixth place in the Big 12 Conference after falling to Missouri, 3-1, in Columbia on Saturday.
The Sooners, who opened the season with eight straight wins, have suffered seven consecutive losses to fall to 8-7, 0-7 and are in last place in the Big 12. Oklahoma lost its first four matches of the Big 12 season by 3-1 scores, but the last three losses have been in sweeps, including a 3-0 loss at No. 5 Nebraska in the Sooners' most recent outing.
Junior outside hitter Laura Jones leads the Aggies with 4.45 kills and 5.16 points per game for the full season. Senior Melissa Munsch, who was moved from the middle to the left side, leads the Aggies with 1.61 blocks and 3.34 digs per game and is second on the squad with 3.55 kills and 4.89
Sophomore middle blocker Christi Hahn, who made the second start of her career at Missouri, sports a team-leading .360 hitting percentage, but as a team the Aggies have struggled on offense, getting outhit, .241 to .183, over the last five matches.
The Sooners, however, are hitting .159 in conference matches only and rank last in the Big 12 with a .284 opponent hitting percentage. Sophomore outside hitter Joanna Schmitt leads Oklahoma with 3.56 kills per Big 12 game, but she is being held to a .098 hitting efficiency.
A&M has dominated Oklahoma and is 25-1 in the all-time series, including 8-0 in College Station. None of the players on the two teams' current rosters were born when the Sooners' picked up their only victory against A&M on Sept. 15, 1979, at the North Texas State Tournament in Denton, Texas.
A&M concludes its two-match home stand Saturday, as the Aggies take on undefeated and ninth-ranked Texas in another State Farm Lone Star Showdown. Match time has been changed to 3 p.m. at G. Rollie.
Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma promotions: Junior high school students will be admitted for free; five pairs of Pat Green tickets will be given out to 12th Man Team rewards members; A&M volleyball team photos will be handed out; and the Aggie Dance Team will perform.