Texas A&M
Italian National Team
Aggie Volleyball defeats Italian National Team in Exhibition Match
Sep 08, 2009 | Volleyball
Sept. 8, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Texas A&M volleyball team took a break from its regular season schedule to play host to the Italy National A2 Team in an exhibition match tonight at Reed Arena.
The Aggies' much quicker offense was too much for the taller but slower tempo Italians, as A&M won the match 25-22, 25-21, 25-15 in front of 1,406 in attendance. The teams then agreed to play an extra set, which the Italians salvaged, 26-24.
Although A&M won the match, Aggie head coach Laurie Corbelli saw room for improvement.
"It was our goal to work really hard to create the intensity we wanted right off the bat, and I was some what disappointed we weren't able to do that as planned," she said. "I think some of it had to do with the Italian style, which is very slow and very high-ball style. They have the ball for 10 seconds and we have it for two, so I think the team fell into a little bit of their pace. Once we made them aware of it and just set a couple of new mini goals of the things we wanted to get done, the team started to respond a little more and it started looking like Aggie volleyball."
A&M won the first set although Italy outhit the Aggies, .368 to .237, to stay within striking distance. The Aggies equaled their biggest lead at 13-9, but Italy chipped away and got within a point at 15-14. The Aggies quickly regained their four-point lead as an Italy serve into the net, a kill by A&M's Mary Batis followed by a block by Jennifer Banse put the Maroon and White back up, 18-14.
Italy got within two points four times but could get no closer. Leading 22-20, Sarah Ammerman put the Aggies serving for the set after she posted back-to-back kills. Italy fought off two set points before Ammerman clinched the set with her third kill.
Italy got three consecutive kills to take an early 6-5 lead in the second set. A&M managed to tie the score five times before regaining the lead at 17-16 following a kill and ace by Banse. Italy tied the score at 17 and at 20 before A&M went on a 5-1 run to close out the set.
Italy trailed 6-4 early in the third set before A&M went on a 10-1 run to take a commanding 16-5 advantage. Italy twice got back within seven points, the last coming at 21-14. Batis then got back-to-back kills to put A&M ahead, 23-14. Italy then got a kill by Floriana Bertone, but Italy's next attack sailed wide to put the Aggies at match point. Batis recorded the winning point, tooling the Italy block for her fourth kill of the set.
Although the match had already been decided, the teams agreed to play a bonus fourth set. There were 12 ties and five lead changes in the extra set as Corbelli fielded mostly freshmen and sophomores.
Italy used a four-point run to take its first lead at 9-6. A&M later made its own four-point run to regain the lead at 11-10, but Italy retook the lead at 13-12 on an ace by Laura Partenio.
A&M tied the score three times before taking the lead at 23-22 on a solo block by Jola Kelner. Italy setter Erica Vietti countered with a dump kill and then an A&M attack error put Italy at set point. Kelner and freshman Abby Howden, who was seeing her first action in the Aggie jersey, kept A&M alive with a block, but Partenio answered with back-to-back kills to capture the set for Italy.
"It is challenging when something doesn't count and as a coach you are trying to raise it another level," Corbelli said. "The intensity and energy it takes is something I wanted to see on the court and I realize when it doesn't count it can be even more challenging. I think they realized that a little bit after we got started, but I was really pleased with games two, three and game four as well with the new lineup."
Batis led A&M with 11 kills. Freshman Alisia Kastmo had nine kills and zero errors for a .692 hitting percentage, and she also led the Aggies with four blocks. Rookie teammate Tori Mellinger led in digs with 13.
The Italian team, a mixture of players from Italy's Youth and Junior National Teams along with some players from the Senior National Team, was led by 6-6 Bertone who had 13 kills. Partenio finished with 10 kills. Elena Gabrieli led all players in blocks with five, and Marika Bianchini had a match-high 20 digs.
A&M closes out its non-conference regular season this weekend at the Texas State CenturyTel Premier, Friday and Saturday in San Marcos. The Aggies take on Hofstra and Texas Southern Friday at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., respectively, at Strahan Coliseum. A&M concludes the tournament against the host Bobcats Saturday at 2 p.m.
