Sept. 25, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -
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Texas A&M, coming off a huge 3-1 victory over No. 6 Nebraska on Wednesday, looks to carry its momentum into a match against Missouri Saturday in Columbia. First serve against the Tigers is 6:30 p.m. at Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo.
The Aggies (9-1, 2-0 Big 12) enter the contest riding a six-match winning streak and join No. 2 Texas as the only two undefeated teams in Big 12 play.
Missouri is 9-4 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12. The Tigers took a break from conference play Wednesday and whipped Missouri-Kansas City, 3-0, in Columbia. In their most recent Big 12 match, the Tigers fell to Oklahoma, 3-1, in Norman, Okla., on Sept. 18.
An A&M win against Missouri will mark the first time the Aggies have gone 3-0 to open Big 12 play since 2001. In addition, it will be the third time for an A&M team to accomplish the feat since the Big 12 began in 1996, the first time the Aggies opened league play with three consecutive wins.
A&M, which entered the week leading the nation in both assists and kills per set, enters the match against Missouri averaging a Big 12-best 14.45 assists and 15.30 kills per set and is ranked second in the league with a .301 hitting percentage and 1.58 aces per set. The Aggies, however, are last in the conference in blocking with a 1.56 average.
Individually, freshman middle blocker Sarah Ammerman is second in the conference in both kills (4.14) and points (4.68) per set, and senior setter Kristen Schevikhoven ranks second in the league with 12.00 assists per set. In addition, freshman middle blocker Jennifer Banse and senior outside hitter Mary Batis are both ranked in the top 10 in the league in both kills and points per set.
SERIES RECORDS • A&M has won the last three meetings against Missouri and leads the all-time series, 21-8, including 19-7 in Big 12 matches only, since the teams first met in 1981. • The Aggies hold a slight 7-6 lead in matches played at Hearnes Center. Last year, A&M snapped a four-match losing skid in Columbia with a 3-1 victory in both teams' season finale. • Three of the last six meetings played at Hearnes have been decided in five sets. • Last year, A&M swept the series for the first time since 2003, defeating the Tigers, 3-2 (25-27, 25-19, 25-18, 23-25, 15-4) at G. Rollie White Coliseum and 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 25-16) in Columbia. • In the most recent meeting, A&M defeated Missouri, 25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 25-16, on Nov. 28, 2008, at the Hearnes Center to close out the regular season riding a season-high six-match winning streak. The Aggies, who had not won at the Hearnes Center since 2003, had four players reach double figures in kills, including 15 apiece by Sarah Ammerman and Jennifer Banse also pitched in 12 kills for A&M, which outhit Missouri, .297 to .166, for the match. Kelsey Black tied her personal best with a match-high 24 digs. Julianna Klein had a team-high 13 kills for the Tigers.
A LOOK AT MISSOURI
• The Tigers are 9-4, including, 1-1 in the Big 12, after defeating UMKC, 3-0, on Wednesday at the Hearnes Center.
• Missouri is 5-0 in home matches, its best home start since also opening with five consecutive wins in 2005.
• The Tigers lead the Big 12 with 1.60 aces per set.
• Junior outside hitter Julianna Klein leads the Tigers with 3.18 kills per set, and junior libero Caitlyn Vann leads the team with 4.16 digs per set.
• Junior outside hitter Paola Ampudia was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week on Monday for her play last week. The transfer from Miami Dade College, who was voted the Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, earned the honor for the second consecutive week after setting career highs with 15 kills and nine digs in a 3-1 victory against Kansas.
• Missouri's only league loss was a 3-1 setback at Oklahoma on Sept. 18.
• Last year, the Tigers finished in a three-way tie for eighth place in the Big 12 with a 7-14 record. MU is picked to finish eighth this season, according to a preseason vote of the Big 12 coaches.
• In their most recent outing, the Tigers hit .275 and held UMKC to a -.065 hitting efficiency. The 25-15, 25-12, 25-12 victory marked MU's fifth sweep of the season.
• Wayne Kreklow (Drake `80) is 82-52 in his fifth season as head coach of the Tigers.
AGGIE QUICK HITS
• A&M's match against No. 6 Nebraska was its first match against a Top 25 opponent this season. The victory against the sixth-ranked Huskers was A&M's first win against a ranked opponent since defeating No. 16 BYU, 3-1, on Sept. 6, 2008, at G. Rollie White Coliseum. It also marked A&M's first win against a top-10 team since defeating No. 9 Texas, 3-1, on Oct. 16, 2004, at G. Rollie. Furthermore, it was A&M's first victory against a team ranked No. 6 or higher since defeating No. 6 Wisconsin, 3-0, at Stanford on Dec. 7, 2001, in the NCAA regional semifinals. The victory against the Badgers sent the Aggies to the Elite Eight for the second -- and most recent -- time in school history.
• A win against Missouri will mark the first time A&M has gone 3-0 to open Big 12 play since 2001. In addition, it will be the third time to accomplish the feat since the Big 12 began in 1996, the same year the Aggies first opened league play with three consecutive wins.
• Seven of A&M's nine victories this season have been sweeps, including five of their last six matches.
• A&M's .465 hitting percentage in the Big 12 opener at Texas Tech on Sept. 19 ranks ninth in the school record books and third all-time in A&M's Big 12 matches only.
• Senior outside hitter Sarah Ammerman had 18 kills against No. 6 Nebraska on Wednesday to give her 1,203 for career, moving her into 10th place in the A&M record books. She surpassed former first-team All-American middle blocker Amber Woolsey (1995-99).
• Senior outside Mary Batis moved into ninth place in the career kills records against Texas State earlier this season and now has 1,225.
• At the CenturyTel Premier earlier this season, senior setter Kristen Schevikhoven moved into eighth place in the A&M records for assists with 2,357. She surpassed Genny (Wood) Volpe (1990-93), who had 2,309 in her career and is currently the head coach at Rice University.
• Freshmen middle blockers Lindsey Miller and Alisia Kastmo and freshman libero Tori Mellinger have played in every match this season. Miller has started all 10 matches, while Kastmo moved into the starting lineup in the fourth match of the season after sophomore middle blocker Stephanie Minnerly went down with a torn ACL against Northern Iowa. Mellinger has played in 30 of 33 sets and has been the designated libero in each of the last six matches. She has posted double figures in digs in a team-leading six matches, including each of the last five, and she leads the team with 3.30 digs per set.
• A&M continues to receive votes in the AVCA coaches poll and is listed a season-high 27th after being 28th last week. The Aggies, 1-0 against Top 25 teams with a 3-1 win against No. 6 Nebraska, are slated to play a total of eight matches against teams ranked in this week's Top 25: two matches each against No. 2 Texas, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 11 Iowa State and No. 24 Baylor. In addition, A&M will play two matches against Big 12 opponent Kansas State, which is tied for 38th. Northern Iowa, who A&M defeated earlier in the season, is receiving points and is tied with the Wildcats at 38th. Saint Mary's, which defeated A&M, 3-1, in Moraga, Calif., also is receiving points and is listed 35th.
• The Aggies, who went 11-9 to tie eventual NCAA-regional finalist Iowa State for fourth place in the Big 12 last year, have been picked to finish fourth in the league this season, according to a preseason poll of the conference coaches. Defending Big 12 co-champions Texas and Nebraska are picked to finish first and second, respectively, with Iowa State following at third place. A&M is followed by Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Texas Tech.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The Aggies conclude a two-match road swing on Wednesday as they travel to Austin to take on No. 2 Texas. The State Farm Lone Star Showdown match will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Gregory Gym. A&M returns home Saturday, Oct. 3 to play host to the Kansas Jayhawks. The start time has been changed to 2 p.m. to allow fans the opportunity to also watch the Aggie football game against Arkansas, which kicks at 6:30 p.m. at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and will be televised on ESPN2.