Sept. 16, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 16, 2008
Texas A&M Volleyball
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Aggies Open Big 12 Play at Iowa State
Texas A&M Aggies (5-5, 0-0 Big 12)
at
Iowa State Cyclones (8-3, 0-0 Big 12)
Wednesday, Sept. 17, 6:30 p.m.
Hilton Coliseum
Ames, Iowa
Live Stats: AggieAthletics.com
Internet Audio: A&M's Matt Simon will call the action on AggieAthletics.com
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M opens Big 12 Conference play Wednesday as the Aggies face Iowa State in Ames. First serve is at 6:30 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum.
Free audio of the A&M match will be broadcast on AggieAthletics.com, with Matt Simon calling the play-by-play. In addition, links to live stats can be found at AggieAthletics.com
The Aggies, 6-6 all-time in Big 12 openers, enter conference play 5-5 and looking to end a two-match losing skid after going 1-2 at the USD Tournament last weekend in San Diego. After opening with a sweep against Southern Miss to extend their winning streak to five, the Aggies dropped three-set matches to both Cal State Fullerton and 20th-ranked San Diego. Sarah Ammerman represented A&M on the all-tournament team.
Junior outside hitter Mary Batis leads the Aggies with 3.49 kills, 3.34 digs and 3.84 points per set for the season. Senior Kelsey Bryant, who has moved to the middle blocker position for the first time in her collegiate career while senior middle Jillian Phillips (1.33 bps) is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in her lower right leg, is hitting a team-high .347 and leads the active players with 0.93 blocks per set. Junior setter Kristen Schevikhoven is averaging 10.47 assists per set.
As a team, A&M is hitting .227 and averaging 13.66 kills, 0.85 aces, 14.46 digs and 2.11 blocks per set. Opponents are hitting .203 and averaging 12.74 kills, 0.89 aces, 15.14 digs and 1.87 blocks per set.
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
• The Cyclones are riding a season-best three-match winning streak after sweeping Iowa, Drake and Xavier to win the Iowa State Tournament.
• Senior outside hitter Mary Bisenius was named Most Valuable Player at the tournament after averaging 3.22 kills per set and hitting .356 in the three matches. Sophomore libero Ashley Mass also made the all-tournament team and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 6.22 digs per set in the tournament and 5.92 digs per set for the entire week.
• Mass has posted double-digit digs in 36 consecutive matches. She averages 4.95 digs per set for the entire season.
• Senior middle blocker Jen Malcom leads the Cyclones with a .437 hitting percentage while averaging 3.0 kills per set. She also leads the team with 1.34 blocks per set.
• Sophomore outside hitter Victoria Henson is tops on the team with 4.03 kills per set.
• As a team, ISU is hitting .256 and averaging 14.26 kills, 1.37 aces, 15.32 digs and 2.57 blocks per set. Opponents are hitting .154 and averaging 10.97 kills, 1.05 aces, 12.74 digs and 2.0 blocks per set.
• The Cyclones are 3-1 in home matches. Their only home loss was against Northern Iowa in four sets on Sept. 10. It was ISU's last loss before beginning its current three-match winning streak.
• ISU went 11-9 in the Big 12 last year, finishing in fifth place, one win ahead of the Aggies. The Cyclones advanced to the NCAAs for the second consecutive year and reached the Sweet 16 before being eliminated by California, 3-0. They finished with a 19-14 overall record and were ranked No. 17 in the final poll.
• Christy Johnson (Nebraska `96) is 64-43 in her third season as head coach of the Cyclones.
THE A&M-ISU ALL-TIME SERIES
• A&M leads ISU, 23-4, since 1976, including 21-3 in Big 12 matches only, as well as 10-2 in matches played in Ames. The Cyclones, however, have won three of the last four meetings, including the last two matches played at Hilton Coliseum.
• The teams split the season series last year with each team winning on its home floor. Iowa State won its third straight against the Aggies with a 30-27, 30-27, 30-23 victory in Ames during the first half of the 2007 conference schedule. It marked the Cyclones' first and only sweep against the Aggies.
• In the most recent meeting, then-sophomore Sarah Ammerman pounded 22 kills and senior Kelly Stanton tied her career high with 16 kills to help lead Texas A&M to a crucial 30-18, 28-30, 36-34, 30-27 victory over Iowa State at G. Rollie White Coliseum on Nov. 3, 2007. A&M hit .247 for the match with 79 kills. The Aggies also posted seven aces and 14 blocks. ISU was held to a .168 hitting percentage with 38 kills, three aces and 10 blocks.
Ammerman also led a group of four Aggie players who reached double figures in digs with 15. Mary Batis and Kristen Schevikhoven, who had 59 assists, added 14 digs apiece, and Jen Moore pitched in 12.
Lauren Cummings led ISU with 20 kills and Jen Malcom and Erin Boeve added 12 each. Ashley Mass led all players with 25 digs.
RECENT RESULTS
Texas A&M defeated Texas State, 3-0, on Tuesday to improve to 4-0 in home matches and then headed to the San Diego Tournament, where the Aggies extended their winning streak to five with a 3-0 victory against Southern Miss in the tournament's opening match. A&M had its winning streak snapped against Cal State Fullerton and then lost its second consecutive match with a 3-0 setback to 20th-ranked San Diego. A&M fell to 5-5 for the season, with three of the losses coming against ranked opponents.
Junior outside hitter Sarah Ammerman was named to the San Diego all-tournament team, her second consecutive all-tournament honor in as many weeks.
AGGIE QUICK HITS:
• A&M is 6-6 in Big 12 openers since the league began in 1996. Last year, A&M opened with a home loss to Oklahoma for the second consecutive year as the Sooners rallied after dropping the first two games.
• This is the second time A&M and ISU have met in a conference opener. The only other meeting was Sept. 15, 2004, with the Aggies defeating the Cyclones, 3-1 (24-30, 30-21, 30-26, 30-23) in Ames. It marks A&M's most recent conference-opening victory, as the Aggies have lost their last three Big 12 season openers.
• A&M is 3-4 when opening Big 12 play on the road. The Aggies last opened conference play on the road in 2005. The Aggies lost in three games at Kansas on Sept. 14, 2005.
• Sarah Ammerman is 58 points shy of 1,000 career points. Batis moved into fourth place in the A&M career records after posting 13 points against San Diego to give her 981.5 for her career, surpassing Kendra Felder (2001-05) who had 973.0. Batis leads the Aggies with 3.84 points per set, and Ammerman, who is in sixth place in the career standings with 942, is second on the team with 3.4 points per set. Laura Jones (2002-05) is A&M's all-time career leader with 2,346.5 points.
• A&M's win against No. 16 BYU on Sept. 6 was the Aggies' highest ranked victory since upsetting No. 9 Texas on Oct. 16, 2004, in College Station. Prior to the BYU match, A&M's most recent win against a ranked opponent was against No. 22 Minnesota on Sept. 2, 2006, at the Billiken Invitational in Saint Louis.
• A&M played four matches against ranked teams during the pre-conference schedule and is 1-3 against those teams. No other Big 12 team has played more than three matches against a ranked opponent during the pre-conference season. ISU, which is receiving votes in the poll and is listed No. 29th, lost its only match against a ranked opponent, falling to then-15th-ranked Middle Tennessee State, 3-0, in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Sept. 5.
• A&M's match at No. 18 Kansas State on Oct. 29 will be televised by FSN Kansas City. Match time is 7 p.m. at the Ahearn Field House in Manhattan.
NOTABLES
• Countdown to 1,000 kills: Sarah Ammerman both are on pace to surpass 1,000 career kills this season. Batis, who had 377 kills last year, needs 131 to join the 1,000 Kills Club. She leads the team with 3.49 kills per set. Ammerman, who is averaging 3.03 kills per set, posted 447 kills in 2007 and is currently 178 kills shy of the 1,000-kill milestone.
Twelve former players are members of the 1,000 Kill Club. The most recent member was Laura Jones (2002-05), who is A&M's all-time kill leader with 2,064.
• Freshmen facts: Freshman Chelsea Ringel has been the designated libero in all 35 sets for the Aggies. She is averaging 2.17 digs per set. Rookie Kelsey Black, a 5-11 outside hitter, has provided a valuable spark off the bench. She has seen action in every match, including a start against Creighton, and has played in 21 sets. She is averaging 1.33 kills, 1.71 digs and 1.55 points per set.
• Sykora returning to Aggieland: Stacy Sykora, A&M's first three-time Olympian, will be returning to Aggieland next weekend. The 2008 Olympic silver medalist will be honored at both A&M's football game against Miami and at the volleyball match against Oklahoma on Sunday at 2 p.m. Sykora will join the volleyball team in an autograph session in the Fan Zone prior to the Miami football game and also sign autographs after the Oklahoma volleyball match.
• Reunion set for Oct. 17 weekend: Many of A&M's former players will be converging on College Station on Friday, Oct. 17 for a volleyball reunion weekend. Activities include the Big 12 match against Baylor, Friday at 6:30 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum, as well as A&M's football game against Texas Tech on Saturday. For more information, call the Lettermen's Association at 979-846-3024.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
A&M returns home Sunday to host Oklahoma. Match time is 2 p.m. at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
Former Aggie All-American and three-time Olympian Stacy Sykora will be in attendance and will sign autographs following the match.
It will be "Fish Camp Day," at the Holler House, and any student wearing a fish camp shirt will be admitted free. Fans presenting a ticket stub from the A&M-Miami football game will be admitted for $2.
AGGIES ON THE INTERNET
Free video streaming of all 14 A&M home matches will be available at AggieAthletics.com. In addition, audio broadcasts of 19 matches, both home and away, are slated with Matt Simon providing the play-by-play. Simon will call the action for all Wednesday and Sunday matches and selected Saturday matches.