November 24, 2004
No. 18 Texas A&M made an incredible comeback in the fourth game despite playing without its team leader to defeat No. 23 Kansas State, 30-27, 30-27, 27-30, 30-28, in front of 1,211 at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
After letting Game 3 slip away, the Aggies were holding a narrow 3-2 lead in Game 4 when All-American senior middle blocker Melissa Munsch injured her right ankle and was helped off the floor. With their team captain out of the lineup, the Aggies struggled while K-State began to pull away.
"We always revolve around [Munsch] for her leadership and her solid skills," A&M coach Laurie Corbelli said. "The girls rely heavily on that. When I'm forced to because of injury, then the girls have to show what they can do without her.
"At first the reactions were, 'what do we do now?' The whole group decided over a period of about five minutes that they could win without her."
The score was tied at 10 when the Wildcats went on an 8-1 run to take their biggest lead of the game. K-State appeared to be in control at 28-22, when senior Sarah Vick came in to serve for the Aggies. A reserve outside hitter who had played in only 15 games all season, Vick took advantage of her opportunity and served out the game to give A&M the victory. Freshman Kelly Stanton, who had played in only seven games this season before subbing in for Munsch, made three crucial blocks during the run.
"I'm really proud of the way the team showed teamwork and made some smart decisions," Corbelli said.
The win snapped a six-match losing skid against the Wildcats and kept A&M undefeated in home conference matches at 9-0.
The Aggies received significant contributions from numerous players, including Munsch, who had just reached a triple-double performance with 11 kills, 10 digs and 10 blocks before leaving the match. Laura Jones posted a team-high 24 kills, and Christi Hahn added a career-high 15 kills while hitting at a .389 clip.
Defensively, the Aggies totaled 87 digs, their most digs in a four-game match this season. Carrie Moreira tied her career best with a team-high 17 digs. Libero Holly Clay added a personal best 15 digs, and Jones completed a double-double with 13 digs. Kelley added 12 digs while tying her career-high with 58 assists and six blocks.
K-State (18-10, 12-7 Big 12) was led by Vali Hejjas, who tied Jones for match-high honors with 24 kills. Libero Angie Lastra tallied 30 digs, the most by an A&M opponent this season.
The match opened with 12 ties and eight lead changes in Game 1. K-State held a 23-22 advantage, when A&M rallied for five unanswered points. The Wildcats got within 28-27 when Munsch and Jones each registered a kill to end the game.
The Aggies built a 16-9 lead in Game 2, but the Wildcats came right back and eventually took the lead at 18-17. They held a 19-18 edge when A&M went on a 5-0 run. Although K-State managed to tie the score at 23, the Wildcats were unable to regain the lead. Just as in the first game, the Aggies were up 28-27 when they got back-to-back kills from Munsch and Hahn to take a two-game lead.
A&M had built an 18-14 lead in the third game, but the Wildcats came back to take the lead at 23-22 following an A&M attack error. The Aggies tied the score five times after the Wildcats had taken the lead, the last coming at 27-27 before K-State scored three straight points to force a forth game.
"If we played like we did at the end of Game 4, we would have been done after Game 3," Corbelli said. "That's what was frustrating. Game 3 kind of haunts me. We could have won it, and Munsch wouldn't be out."
The Aggies improve to 18-7 overall and remain in third place in the Big 12 at 14-5. They conclude the regular season Saturday when they take on No. 2-ranked and Big 12 champion Nebraska, which improved to 19-0 in league play after sweeping No. 9 Texas tonight.
First serve is at 7 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum, and A&M's four seniors, Munsch, Moreira, Vick and Lindsay Frantz will be honored prior to the start.
State Farm Co-Players of the Match: Laura Jones and Christi Hahn