September 08, 2006
COLLEGE STATION, Texas ?- Texas A&M volleyball coach Laurie Corbelli picked up her 400th career victory in convincing fashion as the Aggies made their home debut with a 30-15, 30-26, 30-17 sweep against Loyola in their opening match of the Texas A&M Invitational.
?Those are just milestones that really make you reflect,? said Corbelli, who also picked up her 300th victory as head coach at A&M. ?It just symbolizes my love for volleyball and my years that I have put into this sport. I just feel so fortunate that I have been able to do it. I hope that I can obviously stay with this as long as possible.?
A supportive crowd of 1,224 was at G. Rollie White Coliseum this afternoon to witness the accomplishment.
?What a crowd to have on a Friday afternoon,? Corbelli said. ?I was really impressed. I don?â„¢t know that we have ever had this kind of a draw for an afternoon match. It just means a lot. It is a combination of a lot of effort from a lot of different people, and the university?â„¢s commitment to our sport, and to the 12th Man Rewards program that just has been a huge help for all of our sports.?
Eight Aggie freshmen were making their first appearance at G. Rollie, and it was freshman outside hitter Mary Batis who not only put the first point on the scoreboard with a kill, but led all players with 15 kills for the match. Batis and junior middle blocker Kelly Stanton took match-high honors in blocks with four apiece, and junior setter Meghan Kainz dished out 31 assists and led the Aggies with seven digs.
Keily Zins led the Ramblers with 11 kills, but hit only .086. As a team, Loyola was held to a .000 hitting percentage, while A&M hit .319. Ann Deelo led the Ramblers in digs with nine.
The Aggies led 11-6 in Game 1 before scoring 11 unanswered points to put the game out of reach.
There were nine ties and four lead changes in the second game. Back-to-back kills by Batis gave the Aggies the lead for good at 14-13 and sparked a five-point run by the Aggies. Loyola tied the score for the last time at 21 before sophomore outside hitter Lindsey Yon ended the Ramblers?â„¢ 3-point rally with a kill. The Aggies were up, 29-26, when Loyola?â„¢s Courtney Ashley committed an attack error to end the game.
A&M used a 9-point run and a .393 hitting percentage to take the third game. Sophomore Jillian Phillips came off the bench and blasted the game-winning kill to clinch the match for the Aggies.
The Aggies, who are 14-0 in home openers with Corbelli at the helm, improve to 6-1 for the season. Loyola falls to 3-6.
A&M returns to the court at 6:30 this evening to host McNeese State. The Cowgirls fell to Loyola in four games this morning in the opening match of the Texas A&M Invitational.
Notes:
Corbelli is 400-225 in the 21st season of her head coaching career and 300-119 in her 14th season at A&M.
Short Box Score (Match)
Texas A&M def. Loyola 30-15, 30-26, 30-17
Loyola (3-6) (Kills-aces-blocks) - ZINS, Keily 11-0-1; ASHLEY, Courtney 7-0-0; DAVIS, Audrey 6-0-1; HENRIKSEN, Shelby 6-0-0; ELMER, Sarah 2-1-1; CRAIG, Melissa 2-0-2; DEELO, Ann 0-1-0; Totals 34-2-3.0. (Assists) - ELMER, Sarah 27. (Dig leaders) - DEELO, Ann 9; ASHLEY, Courtney 9.
Texas A&M (6-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Batis, Mary 15-1-4; Stanton, Kelly 8-0-4; Hahn, Christi 5-2-3; Yon, Lindsey 5-0-1; Kainz, Meghan 3-0-2; Bryant, Kelsey 2-0-1; Ammerman, Sarah 2-2-0; Phillips, Jillian 1-0-0; Totals 41-5-8.0. (Assists) - Kainz, Meghan 31. (Dig leaders) - Kainz, Meghan 7; Yon, Lindsey 6.
Site: College Station, TX (G. Rollie White Col.)
Date: Sep 08, 2006 Attend: 1224 Time: 1:22
Referees: Mary Blalock, Carlos Rodriguez