September 12, 2006
The Texas A&M volleyball team opens Big 12 Conference play Wednesday as the Aggies play host to the Oklahoma Sooners. First serve is at 6:30 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum. (A complete release in pdf format is available at AggieAthletics.com)
| MATCH INFO |
| Wednesday, Sept. 13, 6:30 p.m. (CDT) G. Rollie White Coliseum (7,800), College Station |
| RECORDS |
| Texas A&M: 7-1, 0-0 Big 12 Oklahoma: 8-2, 0-0 Big 12 |
| RANKINGS |
| A&M is receiving votes in the latest AVCA Poll. |
| LIVE VIDEO |
| Matt Simon, play-by-play (broadcast time 6:45 p.m.) (audio available on 89.9 FM inside Coliseum) |
| INTERNET |
| Live Video (Free): (Aggies All-Access) Live Stats: (aggieathletics.com) |
| SERIES |
| A&M leads, 29-1 Last Meeting: (10/28/05) |
| UP NEXT |
| A&M at (#17) Missouri Saturday, Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m. (CDT) Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo. |
The Aggies are 7-1 and riding a four-match winning streak after winning their own Texas A&M Invitational over the weekend. A&M swept both Loyola and McNeese State to capture its second tournament trophy in three weeks.
Oklahoma has won its last six matches -- all in three-game sweeps -- to improve to 8-2 overall and surpass its total number of wins from the entire 2005 season. The Sooners, who went 7-22 last year, captured the Mean Green Classic at North Texas last weekend by sweeping Sam Houston State, North Texas and Texas Southern.
Live scoring (Gametracker) and free live video of the OU-AM match will be available on AggieAthletics.com through the new Aggies All-Access. In addition, fans attending the match can listen to the broadcast live inside G. Rollie White Coliseum on 89.9 FM with Matt Simon providing the play-by-play.
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
A&M leads the all-time series against the Sooners, 29-1, and has won the last 26 meetings. OU is winless in 10 trips to G. Rollie White Coliseum and has not won a game in nine of those visits.
Oklahoma has not defeated the Aggies since Sept. 15, 1979, and is 0-20 against A&M in Big 12 matches.
Last year, A&M defeated the Sooners, 3-1 (30-25, 25-30, 30-26, 30-22) in Norman, Okla., on Oct. 9 and 3-0 (30-22, 30-24, 30-18) in College Station on Oct. 28.
A&M QUICK HITS
- A&M IN BIG 12 OPENERS: A&M is 6-4 in Big 12 openers overall, with all four losses occurring on the road. Last year, the Aggies opened the conference season at Kansas and fell to the Jayhawks in three games.
The Aggies are 9-1 in their first home Big 12 match of the season. The only loss was last year when the Aggies fell to Missouri, 3-1. It was the Tigers' first ever win in College Station.
This is the first year A&M has opened league play at home since 2002, when the Aggies defeated Kansas, 3-0.
- STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: A&M is leading its opponents in every positive statistical category, hitting .275 and averaging 16.24 kills per game. In addition, the Aggies are averaging 14.76 assists, 1.41 aces, 14.97 digs and 2.84 blocks per game.
Opponents are being held to a .148 hitting percentage and are averaging 14.24 kills, 13.17 assists, 1.24 aces, 13.59 digs and 1.97 blocks per game.
Mary Batis leads the Aggies with 4.14 kills, 0.31 aces and 4.76 points per game. Christi Hahn tops the team and ranks third in the Big 12 with a .472 hitting percentage, and Meghan Kainz is dishing out an average of 12.11 assists per game. Lindsey Yon has taken over the team lead in digs with 3.07 per game, and Kelly Stanton sports a team-best and ranks second in the Big 12 with 1.1 blocks per game.
- A&M RECEIVES VOTES: A&M continues to receive votes in the CSTV/AVCA Top 25 and is listed 29th, up one spot from last week. Big 12-foe Nebraska, the 2005 NCAA runner-up, is ranked No. 1 and received 47 of 60 first-place votes. Penn State received 12 first-place votes and UCLA received one first-place vote and remained at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Defending national champion Washington moved up one spot to No. 4, and Texas rounds out the top five after moving up two spots in this week's poll.
In addition to Nebraska and Texas, the Big 12 also is represented by Missouri at No. 17 and Kansas State, which is tied for No. 24.
Texas A&M and Kansas both received votes and are listed 29th and 37th, respectively.
OPPONENT NOTES
Oklahoma is 8-2 and riding a six-match winning streak after winning all three matches at the Mean Green Classic. By defeating Texas Southern in the tournament finale, the Sooners won their first tournament title of the season and exceeded the total number of wins they tallied all last season.
The Sooners, who went 2-8 and finished last in the Big 12 in 2005, have not dropped a game in all eight of their victories.
Oklahoma's two losses were a five-game setback to Arkansas in the season opener and a 3-0 loss at No. 9 Wisconsin.
As a team, OU ranks second in the Big 12 with a .280 hitting percentage, while holding its opponents to a .109 efficiency.
Senior middle blocker Eliane Santos, a preseason All-Big 12 selection, is hitting .417 and averaging 3.79 kills and 1.29 blocks per game. Senior middle blocker Laura Tomes, who joined Santos on the Mean Green all-tournament team, is hitting a team-best .478 while averaging 3.44 kills per game, and senior outside hitter Joanna Schmitt leads the Sooners with 4.38 kills per game.
The Sooners host No. 1 Nebraska Saturday in Norman, Okla.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The Aggies hit the road to face No. 17 Missouri Saturday, Sept. 16 in Columbia, Mo. First serve is at 6:30 p.m. at the Hearnes Center.
The Tigers are 6-3 entering their Big 12 opener at Colorado on Wednesday. Two of the losses were to No. 2 Penn State and No. 4 Santa Clara.
Missouri is picked to finish third in the league. The Tigers placed third last year with a 16-4 mark, including two victories against Texas A&M, and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time.