November 07, 2004
All-American Melissa Munsch had 13 kills and no errors along with four aces and eight blocks to lead No. 14 Texas A&M to a 30-24, 30-23, 30-22 victory over Colorado in front of 1,543 today at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
The Aggies (16-5, 12-3 Big 12) extend their winning streak to eight matches, their longest since winning nine consecutive matches in 1999. In addition, A&M remains undefeated in home conference matches at 7-0 after completing the season-series sweep against the Buffaloes.
Colorado loses its second consecutive match and its sixth in the last seven to fall to 11-11, 6-9. The Buffs were playing without Maragda Santillana, who was averaging 4.17 kills per game but has missed the last three matches with a shoulder injury.
The teams were tied at three in the opening game when Munsch put down two of her seven kills in the frame to give the Aggies a lead they would not relinquish. A&M later went on a four-point scoring run to take a 10-5 lead, and the Buffs could get no closer than two points for the rest of the game. The Aggies held a 23-19 advantage when Munsch posted a kill and teamed with Laura Jones for a block to equal the Aggies' largest lead of the game. The teams then exchanged points until a Colorado service error ended the game.
Colorado overcame a five-point deficit in Game 2 to tie the score at 20. The teams traded points until, with the score tied at 23, A&M ripped off seven consecutive points to close out the game. Munsch had a kill and two aces, and Kendra Felder added two kills and teamed for a block to spark the rally.
The Aggies held a 13-12 edge in Game 3 when reserve setter Meghan Kainz came into the game and carried the Aggies to a 30-22 victory. The freshman finished the game with two kills and four blocks in her brief stint and also capped the match with an ace.
A&M, which outhit Colorado, .281 to .023 in the final game, hit .336 and posted 12 blocks in the match. Colorado was held to a .178 hitting efficiency and had only two blocks, the fewest by an A&M opponent this season.
Allie Griffin led the Buffaloes with 14 kills, and Nicole Carr added 11.
The Aggies return to action Thursday when they take on 10th-ranked Texas in Austin in another State Farm Lone Star Showdown. First serve is at 6:30 p.m. at Gregory Gym, and the game will be broadcast tape-delayed by College Sports Television (CSTV). The Aggies, who defeated the rival Longhorns, 3-1, in College Station on Oct. 16, are one game behind second-place Texas in the Big 12 standings.