October 29, 2004
No. 15 Texas A&M (13-5, 9-3 Big 12) looks to extend its season-long five-match winning streak when the Aggies take on Oklahoma (10-10, 2-10 Big 12) Saturday in Norman. First serve is at 7 p.m. at McCasland Field House. (Complete release is in pdf format.)
The Aggies, who have won the last 23 meetings against the Sooners, won their fifth consecutive match and moved into sole possession of third place in the Big 12 with a crucial 3-1 victory over Missouri Wednesday in College Station. The Tigers, who entered the match tied with the Aggies for third, upset A&M in an earlier meeting in Columbia.
Oklahoma is 2-2 over its last four matches after falling to No. 10 Texas, 3-0, in Norman on Wednesday. The Sooners are in 10th place in the Big 12 standings.
In the first meeting of the season, A&M defeated the Sooners, 30-22, 30-18, 30-19, on Oct. 13 in College Station.
SERIES RECORD: Texas A&M leads the all-time series, 26-1, since 1976, including 17-0 since Big 12 play began in 1996. Oklahoma's only victory against A&M was Sept. 15, 1979, at the North Texas State tournament in Denton, Texas.
Earlier this season, then-No. 20 A&M extended its winning streak against the Sooners to 23 with a 30-22, 30-18, 30-19 victory in front of 1,877 at G. Rollie White Coliseum on Oct. 13. A&M never trailed in the entire match and all 14 players saw action as the Aggies posted what still remains their highest hitting percentage in the Big 12 season with a .396 efficiency.
TEXAS A&M QUICK HITS: The Aggies are 9-1 in home matches and 4-3 at away matches. In Big 12 matches only, the Aggies are 6-0 at home and 3-3 on the road. Big 12 losses were at No. 19 Kansas State, at No. 7 Nebraska and at Missouri, which remains A&M's only loss to an unranked opponent this season.
A&M is outhitting its opponents, .236 to .169, for the full season. However, the Aggies do not fare as well at away matches, where they are being outhit, .233 to .206. A&M is outhitting its opponents, .270 to .114, in the homey confines of G. Rollie White Coliseum.
A&M entered the week ranked ninth in the nation in home attendance, averaging 1,931 per match. The Aggies drew a season-high 3,150 in a 3-1 victory over previously undefeated and ninth-ranked Texas on Oct. 16. A&M ranked eighth in the final 2003 national attendance records with a 1,801 average.
A&M has outblocked its opponents in 16 of 18 matches and entered the week ranked sixth in the nation with 3.38 blocks per game. Nebraska entered the week leading the nation and the Big 12 with 3.76 blocks per game, and the Aggies were second to the Huskers with 3.33 blocks per game in conference matches only.
Senior All-American Melissa Munsch, who had a season-high 11 blocks at Texas Tech en route to her second triple-double of the year, entered the week tied for seventh in the nation and ranked second in the Big 12 with 1.75 blocks per game. She took team-high blocking honors for the 13th time with seven blocks against Missouri. Munsch also leads the Aggies with 3.33 digs per game and is second on the team with 3.75 kills, 0.41 aces and 5.08 points per game.
Junior outside hitter Laura Jones, who last week became the first player in A&M history to be named AVCA National Player of the Week, leads A&M and is ranked second in the Big 12 with 4.76 kills per game in conference games only. She has taken or tied for team-high honors in kills in 13 matches, including eight of the last nine matches. Included in that run is a 28-kill performance against Texas Tech, which is the most by an A&M player this season and is one shy of her career high, as well as a 27-kill performance in the four-game victory over Texas and a 25-kill effort at Tech. Jones recorded her second 20-20 performance of the season in the win against Missouri with match highs of 20 kills and 21 digs.
Jones had 12 kills at Nebraska on Sept. 25 to give her 1,011 for her career, and she became the 14th player in A&M history to surpass the 1,000-kill milestone. Her 25 kills at Tech on Saturday gave her 1,154 for her career to move into ninth in the Aggie records. She needs 24 kills to move into eighth.
Munsch needs two aces to take over third place in the A&M career records with 132. She is currently ranked fourth in the A&M career records in block assists (348) and sixth in total blocks (394). In addition, Munsch is listed sixth in the career records with 1,348 kills and needs six digs to move into seventh with 1,177.
Texas A&M climbed one spot to No. 15 in this week's USA Today/CSTV Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Aggies made the move after going 2-0 on the road last week, defeating Colorado, 3-1, in Boulder and Texas Tech, 3-2, in Lubbock. Four teams represent the Big 12 in the Top 25. A&M is joined by No. 4 Nebraska, No. 10 Texas and No. 18 Kansas State. Missouri is receiving points and is listed 26th. The top four teams in the Top 25 remained the same with No. 1 Washington receiving 63 of 65 first-place votes. Minnesota is No. 2, followed by Hawaii, which received two first-place votes, and Nebraska. Defending national-champion Southern California rounds out the top five after moving up one spot this week.
OKLAHOMA NOTES: Oklahoma (10-10, 2-10 Big 12) fell to No. 10 Texas, 30-16, 30-15, 30-19, in Norman on Wednesday. Joanna Schmitt was the only Sooner to reach double figures in kills with 12. She was held to a .051 hitting percentage as the Sooners were outhit, .464 to .080, and held to their lowest point total of the season. Mira Topic and Brandy Magee combined for 29 kills and a .490 hitting percentage to lead the Horns.
Oklahoma won its first eight matches of the season but then fell to Texas Tech in the Big 12 opener. The Sooners then dropped their next seven matches before getting their first conference win by shocking Colorado, 3-2, in Norman on Oct. 16.
The Sooners are in 10th place in the conference standings and have won two of their last four matches.
Oklahoma is 2-5 in home matches and 0-5 against ranked opponents. The Sooners' most recent victory was a sweep against Iowa State on Oct. 23 in Ames.
Sophomore outside hitter Joanna Schmitt leads the Sooners with 3.99 kills per game for the full season and 4.05 kpg in conference matches only. She entered the week ranked ninth in the Big 12 in kills per game for the full season and eighth in conference matches only.
Senior right-side hitter Kari Coats is hitting a team-leading .311 for the full season.
The Sooners entered the week ranked last in the league for opponent hitting percentage (.270), opponent kills (17.26) and assists by opponents (16.03).
Oklahoma, which tied for 10th with Texas Tech in the 2003 Big 12 final standings, was picked to finish last according to a preseason vote of the league coaches. However, with a win against Colorado, as well as a sweep over last-place Iowa State, the Sooners are on pace to prove they are better than predicted.
The Sooners are under the direction of first-year head coach Santiago Restrepo (East Stroudsburg '86). He came to Oklahoma after spending three seasons as the head coach at Southern Mississippi, where he led the Golden Eagles to a program-best 27-6 record in 2003.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: A&M concludes a two-match road swing when the Aggies take on the Baylor Bears Wednesday at the Ferrell Center in Waco. First serve is at 7 p.m.
The Aggies used a season-high 12 aces to defeat Baylor, 3-0, on Sept. 29 in College Station. It was A&M's 10th consecutive victory over the Bears.
The Aggies return home Sunday, Nov. 7 to play host to Colorado. A&M defeated the Buffaloes, 3-1, in Boulder on Oct. 20. It was the first time in five meetings that the match did not go five games.
Following the Colorado match, A&M has only two road matches remaining - at Texas, Nov. 11, and at Kansas Nov. 20 - and three home matches - Iowa State on Nov. 17 and No. 18 Kansas State and No. 4 Nebraska on Nov. 24 and 27, respectively.