Texas A&M
3-1
Saint Mary's
3-1
Volleyball Suffers First Loss
Sep 06, 2009 | Volleyball
Sept. 5, 2009
MORAGA, Calif. - The Texas A&M volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season, while Saint Mary's celebrated its home opener with a tightly contested 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-18 victory against the Aggies tonight at McKeon Pavilion.
"I thought it was a really hard fought match and we did some great things," A&M coach Laurie Corbelli said. "I was proud of how the team fought.
"Saint Mary's had great serving that sometimes pulled us off the net, and we just got a little off offensively at times, and it cost us. They also played great defense and were very good at hitting the ball off of our block."
The Aggies led in kills (57-52), total attacks (151-135), assists (53-50), aces (5-3) and digs (59-49), but SMC outhit A&M, .281 to .146 and totaled 14 blocks to A&M's 9.5 as both teams move to 3-1 on the season.
SMC jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the opening set and kept the advantage at 7-5 when Sarah Ammerman got a kill of the block to put the Aggies within a point. Tori Mellinger then served A&M to its first lead as the Aggies reeled off five more points. Mellinger had an ace, and freshman middle blocker Alisia Kastmo teamed for two blocks in the run.
SMC chipped away at the lead and used a four-point run to regain the lead at 21-19. A service error ended the Gaels' rally and Kristen Schevikhoven followed with an ace to return the lead to the Aggies. A kill by SMC's Lauren Corp knotted the score at 23, but an illegal back-row attack called against the Gaels put the Aggies at set point. Mary Batis then clinched the win for the Aggies with a kill off the block.
The Aggies rallied late in the second set but came up short as the Gaels evened the match at a set apiece. SMC built its largest lead of the frame at 21-15 before a Jennifer Banse kill off the block started a five-point run for the Aggies. Kastmo got a kill off a one-handed set by Schevikhoven, and Banse and Kastmo had back-to-back kills and then teamed for a block to put the Aggies within 21-20. Corp posted a kill to end the rally, but Ammerman answered with a kill. A controversial play ensued on the following play as Batis posted what appeared to be the set-tying kill, but the ball was ruled out, putting the Gaels up, 23-21. Banse came back with a kill, but an A&M attack error and a Gaels kill off the block gave SMC the win.
The Aggies quickly fell behind, 10-4, to open the third set, but just as quickly, they turned the momentum to their favor by outscoring the Gaels, 9-2 to take their first lead of the frame, 13-11. A&M went on to build its biggest lead as back-to-back kills by Ammerman helped put the Aggies ahead, 19-15.
A&M maintained its lead at 21-17 before the Gaels went on a 7-1 run to take a 24-22 advantage. A&M stayed alive with a kill, but Corp put down one of her match-high 19 kills to win the set and put the Gaels up, 2-1.
There were 12 ties throughout the first half of the fourth set, the last coming at 14-all following a kill by Schevikhoven. SMC then outscored A&M, 4-1, three of the points courtesy of A&M attack errors. The Aggies got within a point at 18-17 and 19-18 before the Gaels closed out the match with six unanswered points, including three blocks.
Banse led A&M with caree4r-high 18 kills, and Ammerman added 14 kills, while Schevikhoven tallied 46 assists and led the team with 12 digs and three aces. Kelsey Black also reached double figures in digs with 10. Kastmo posted a team leading six blocks.
The Aggies return to action Sunday at the University of San Francisco, where Corbelli began her head coaching career in 1986. Match time at War Memorial Gym is set for 5 p.m. (7 p.m. CDT)
