October 26, 2005
Laura Jones became Texas A&M?â„¢s all-time kill leader, but the milestone was overshadowed by a 30-16, 30-28, 30-23 loss to No. 14 Texas in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown at Gregory Gym.
The Aggies (9-11, 2-9 Big 12) struggled with their passing throughout the first game and fell behind early as Texas?â„¢ Jen Christian tallied five aces in a 7-0 run to give the Longhorns an 11-4 lead. Texas later went on another seven-point run behind Christian?â„¢s serve, and she finished the game with seven aces, the most by an A&M opposing player this season.
In addition to eight team aces, the Longhorns hit .360 and posted five blocks in the opening frame while holding A&M to a .033 hitting percentage and no blocks.
A&M took its first lead since scoring the first point of the match when Kari Kelley posted a kill to put the Aggies ahead, 16-15, in Game 2. The teams exchanged leads and Texas took its third lead of the game at 21-20 on an A&M attack error. Jones then tied the score at 21 with her eighth kill of the game and her record-setting 1,778 career kill to break the A&M record previously held by Kristie Smedsrud (1994-97).
Texas held a 25-24 lead when A&M went on a 4-1 run to build a 28-26 lead. The Longhorns quickly overtook the lead, closing out the game with four consecutive points, three on kills and one on an A&M attack error.
A&M held a 12-10 lead in the third game before Texas erupted for seven unanswered points. The Aggies could get no closer than 18-15 before the Longhorns pulled away with a five-point run. Leading 29-23, Texas capped the game and the match with a block by Lauren Paolini and Leticia Armstrong.
It marked the first time Texas has swept A&M since Nov. 13, 1996, the teams?â„¢ first meeting at Gregory Gym as members of the Big 12 Conference. Texas, which defeated A&M, 3-2, in College Station earlier this season, also completes its first season series sweep against the Aggies since 1998.
Jones finished the match with 14 kills and 12 digs to record her 13th double-double of the season. Lindsey Yon added 10 kills for A&M, and Holly Clay finished with 10 digs. Kendra Felder, who appeared in the A&M lineup for the first time since being diagnosed with a stress fracture in her left foot following a match at Kansas State on Oct. 1, finished the match with six kills and two blocks.
Texas, which outhit A&M, .313 to .168 and outblocked the Aggies, 13-3, had four players reach double figures in kills. Dariam Acevedo led with 13, and Christian and Armstrong added 12 kills apiece. Brandy Magee pitched in 11 as Texas tallied 54 kills to A&M?â„¢s 40 as the Longhorns improve to 15-3 overall and 10-2 in the Big 12.
The Aggies return home Friday to take on Oklahoma at G. Rollie White Coliseum. The match time has been pushed up to 6 p.m. to allow fans to also catch the A&M soccer game against Baylor, which begins at 8 p.m. at the Aggie Soccer Stadium.