September 15, 2006
Texas A&M and No. 17 Missouri will be looking to rebound from Big 12 Conference opening losses when the two teams meet Saturday at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo. First serve is slated for 6:30 p.m.(A complete release in pdf format is available at AggieAthletics.com.)
The Aggies had their four-match winning streak snapped and they dropped to 7-2 overall and 0-1 in the Big 12 after falling at home to a veteran Oklahoma squad, 30-28, 30-26, 30-28, on Wednesday. It was the Sooners?â„¢ first-ever Big 12 victory against A&M and their first-ever victory at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
Missouri also was stunned in its league opener on Wednesday, falling to Colorado, 30-24, 27-30, 30-24, 23-30, 15-9, in Boulder. It was the third straight loss for the Tigers as they dropped to 6-4 overall and 0-1 in Big 12.
Live scoring (Gametracker) of the match will be available at www.mutigers.com and AggieAthletics.com.
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
A&M leads the all-time series against the Tigers, 17-6, including a 6-4 edge in matches played in Columbia. Missouri, however, swept the season series last year, defeating A&M, 29-31, 30-28, 30-24, 30-25, in College Station to win for the first time at G. Rollie. The 10th-ranked Tigers then held off the Aggies, 25-30, 34-32, 28-30, 30-27, 15-7, in Columbia in the regular-season finale despite a school-record 38 kills by A&M?â„¢s Laura Jones and a .378 hitting percentage by the Aggies, a school record for a five-game match.
A&M?â„¢s most recent win against the Tigers was Oct. 27, 2004, in College Station. The Aggies defeated Missouri, 30-23, 30-28, 25-30, 30-26.
A&M has not won at Missouri since Nov. 1, 2003, when the Aggies defeated the 24th-ranked Tigers, 30-21, 13-30, 30-28, 27-30, 15-13.
A&M QUICK HITS
?* Batisball: Aggie freshman outside hitter Mary Batis leads A&M and ranks seventh in the Big 12 with 4.22 kills per game and also leads the Aggies and ranks eighth in the league with 4.8 points per game. Batis has started every match and played in all 32 games on the left side and has taken team-high honors in kills in six matches, including a team season-high 21 kills against No. 22 Minnesota.
?* Stanton stuff: Kelly Stanton entered the week ranked 18th in the nation and second in the Big 12 with 1.61 blocks per game. The junior middle blocker enters the Missouri match with a 1.58 average after posting four blocks in the 3-game loss to Oklahoma. Earlier this season, Stanton tied her career high with 11 blocks at Saint Louis. She currently has 49 total blocks, including seven solo, which equals the number of solo blocks she had the entire 2005 season.
?* Youth movement: Texas A&M lists eight freshmen on its 12-member roster, and six of them have seen action in more than half of A&M?â„¢s matches. Rookie Mary Batis has started every match and played in every game on the left and leads the team with 4.22 kills and 4.8 points per game. Freshman outside hitter Sarah Ammerman has appeared in all but one match and has drawn the starting nod six times. She is averaging 2.92 kills and 2.29 digs per game. Defensive specialist Stephanie Cadavid has played in seven matches, while setter Courtnee Rhodes and defensive specialist Zanny Castillo have appeared in six matches overall, including each of the last five matches. Outside hitter Jenny Banse has appeared in five matches, while setter Jola Kelner and middle Cara Quayle have appeared in three and two matches, respectively.
?* Hahn solo: Middle blocker Christi Hahn is the lone senior on the squad. The preseason All-Big 12 selection and third-year starter leads the team with a .422 hitting percentage and ranks second with 3.25 kills and 3.94 points per game.
OPPONENT NOTES
Missouri suffered its third consecutive loss and its first loss at Colorado since 2003 after falling to the Buffaloes, 30-24, 27-30, 30-24, 23-30 15-9, in Boulder on Wednesday. Senior outside hitter Jessica Vander Kooi, an AVCA honorable mention All-American last year and a preseason All-Big 12 selection, led the Tigers with 22 kills, a .304 hitting percentage and eight blocks. Na Yang, a junior outside hitter, added 12 kills and 16 digs, and senior middle blocker Nicole Wilson added 10 kills, but the Tigers were outdone by Amber Southerland?â„¢s 35 kills and a .303 hitting percentage by the Buffaloes. The loss snapped Missouri?â„¢s 11-match road winning streak against unranked opponents.
The Tigers return three starters plus the libero from last year?â„¢s team that went 25-5 overall and finished an all-time high No. 8 in the final ranking after advancing to the regional finals for the first time in school history. Missouri lists five freshmen on its 12-man roster. Three of them are redshirt freshmen, including starting setter Lei Wang, who replaces last year?â„¢s senior All-American and all-time Big 12 assist leader Lindsey Hunter.
Wang is averaging 11.11 assists per game this season. Her primary receiver is Vander Kooi, who is averaging a team-leading 4.28 kills per game while hitting at a .240 clip. Vander Kooi also leads the Tigers with 1.31 blocks per game.
Missouri ranks 10th in the Big 12 with a .225 hitting percentage. Opponents are hitting .205, the highest opponent hitting percentage in the league.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The Aggies continue their road swing Wednesday, taking on a dangerous Kansas Jayhawk team at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center in Lawrence. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. The Jayhawks, who host No. 5 Texas Saturday, are 7-3 after falling to No. 1 Nebraska, 3-0, in their Big 12 opener.
A&M returns home Friday, Sept. 22 to play host to No. 24 Kansas State. Match time is 6:30 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum. The Wildcats also dropped their first Big 12 match, falling to Baylor, 3-1, in Waco.