October 21, 2006
Texas A&M began the second half of the Big 12 Conference schedule on a high note, defeating Kansas, 30-28, 30-24, 30-23, in front of 1,546 at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
A&M avenges a five-game loss at Kansas earlier in the season and keeps the Jayhawks winless in 12 visits to College Station. The Aggies also snap a two-match losing streak with their first sweep in a Big 12 match as they improve to 3-8 in league matches and 10-9 overall.
Kansas, which entered the contest riding a two-match winning streak, falls to 3-8 in the Big 12 and 10-10 overall.
?The team had a real positive approach to starting the second half of the Big 12,? A&M coach Laurie Corbelli said.? It was really important that they didn?â„¢t get down on themselves or each other when there was a mistake. The resiliency really helped a lot.?
The Jayhawks led for most of the first game and held a 20-15 lead before A&M made its comeback. Kansas was ahead, 26-22, when the Jayhawks committed crucial errors. After committing a service error -- the Jayhawks?â„¢ seventh service error of the game -- and a ball handling error, a Kansas player was whistled for standing out of bounds while A&M served, which resulted in a point for the Aggies. Sarah Ammerman then got a kill from the back row to tie the score at 26.
The teams exchanged sideouts before Christi Hahn and Jola Kelner, a freshman setter who was making the first start of her career, teamed for a block to give the Aggies their first lead since scoring the first point of the game. The score was tied for the ninth time after A&M?â„¢s Mary Batis hit into the net, but she came back with a kill on the ensuing play to put the Aggies serving for game point. Kelsey Bryant and Kelly Stanton then blocked Jana Correa?â„¢s attack to give A&M the 30-28 come-from-behind victory.
?We held our composure well, and to start our setter who had never started before and have the team really work with her?...she was nervous as could be, and she really needed her hitters to be patient with her and adapt to whatever she gave them. I thought they did a really great job of that. Jola also was very easy to approach and say, ?'I need (the set) higher, I need it wider.?â„¢ She is very good on the court in terms of just controlling the court and being a court general.?
Despite being out-hit, .178 to .073, in the opening frame, A&M out-blocked the Jayhawks, 4-0, and took advantage of seven Kansas service errors and two reception errors.
?I thought the service errors were key,? Corbelli said. ?(Kansas?â„¢) normally tough jump serves were hitting the net. I thought the team really capitalized on that well. We wanted to keep the pressure on with our serves, and that made them have to let up a little on their serves. That enabled us to get our passing a little bit faster and flatter to Jola so that we were able to run a faster attack, which we weren?â„¢t doing early in the first game.?
Kansas held a 4-3 edge to start the second game before A&M reeled off five unanswered points to take the lead for good. The Aggies used another 5-point run later in the game to build their biggest lead at 20-11 before Kansas got on a roll and scored seven consecutive points to get within 20-18. The Jayhawks were unable to regain the lead and trailed 28-24 when Hahn got a kill on a slide attack and then teamed with Kelner for the game-winning block.
The Jayhawks scored the first two points to open the third game, but A&M answered with a 15-3 run to take a 10-point lead. Kansas could get no closer than six points before Batis, powered an attack off the Jayhawk block for the match-winning kill.
Batis led the Aggies with 11 kills and 13 digs. Kelner tallied 34 assists and a match-high six blocks to lead A&M to an 8-2 advantage in blocks. A&M also out-high the Jayhawks, .200 to .130 for the match.
Savannah Noyes led the Jayhawks with 11 kills while hitting .556. Emily Brown also reached double figures in kills with 10 but was held to a .000 hitting efficiency. Melissa Grieb tallied a team-high 15 digs for the Jayhawks.
?We are just at the beginning of this particular group,? Corbelli said about her freshmen-laden team. ?There are so many great signs of ability and it is starting to come. I see the improvement, and to be in the Big 12 with five freshmen and one junior on the court at one point is pretty unbelievable. For them to get any win in the Big 12, much less Kansas, which has some fine athletes and a great coach and plays great volleyball, we are just elated that we could get a victory tonight and have it be at home and get good feelings as we go into our next home match against Colorado.?
A&M concludes a two-match home stand Wednesday against the Colorado Buffaloes. First serve is at 6:30 p.m. at G. Rollie White.
Short Box Score
Texas A&M def. Kansas 30-28, 30-24, 30-23
Kansas (10-10, 3-8 Big 12) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Noyes, Savannah 11-0-1; Brown, Emily 10-0-0; Williams, Brittany 9-0-1; Correa, Jana 9-2-0; Hill, Megan 2-0-1; Martincich, Katie 1-0-0; Mahoney, Caitlin 1-0-0; Grieb, Melissa 0-1-0; Totals 43-3-2.0. (Assists) - Martincich, Katie 31. (Dig leaders) - Grieb, Melissa 15; Mathewson, Jamie 12; Brown, Emily 10; Martincich, Katie 9.
Texas A&M (10-9, 3-8 Big 12) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Batis, Mary 11-0-1; Bryant, Kelsey 9-0-1; Hahn, Christi 9-3-5; Ammerman, Sarah 6-2-0; Stanton, Kelly 3-0-3; Kelner, Jola 1-2-6; Castillo, Zanny 1-0-0; Banse, Jenny 1-0-0; Totals 41-7-8.0. (Assists) - Kelner, Jola 34. (Dig leaders) - Batis, Mary 13; Ammerman, Sarah 9; Castillo, Zanny 8.
Site: College Station, TX (G. Rollie White Col.)
Date: Oct 21, 2006 Attend: 1546 Time: 1:40
Referees: Steve Robb, Eric Sanders