Nov. 5, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M volleyball team makes a trek down Highway 6 on Saturday for a crucial match-up against the Baylor Bears in Waco, Texas. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. at the Ferrell Center.
The Aggies (12-11, 6-7 Big 12), who are looking to avenge a 3-2 loss to the Bears in College Station earlier this season, enter the contest riding a three-match winning streak after knocking off Oklahoma, 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-20), on Wednesday. The victory against the Sooners moved A&M into sixth place in the Big 12 Conference standings, one game ahead of seventh-place Baylor.
The Bears, who have lost 10 consecutive matches to the Aggies in Waco, fell to 12-12 overall and 5-8 in the Big 12 after getting swept at No. 12 Iowa State, 25-22, 25-22, 25-14, on Wednesday. It was the second consecutive loss for Baylor, which dropped a 3-2 decision at Oklahoma leading up to the Iowa State match.
A&M QUICK HITS:
• A&M's three-match winning streak is the Aggies' longest in Big 12 play this season. During the streak, which consists of sweeps against Colorado and Texas Tech, as well as the 3-1 victory against Oklahoma, A&M is outhitting its opponents, .255 to .108, and averaging 15.0 kills per set while holding opponents to a 9.30 average. In addition, A&M is leading in assists, 14.0 to 8.70; aces, 1.40 to 0.50; and digs, 18.20 to 13.80. Opponents hold a narrow 2.20 to 2.10 lead in blocks per set over the last three matches.
• Individually, middle blocker Lindsey Miller is hitting .418; outside hitter Kelsey Black is averaging 5.60 points, 4.70 kills and 0.50 aces per set; setter Allie Sawatzky is averaging 11.70 assists per set; and libero Tori Mellinger is averaging 4.80 digs per set during the Aggies' three-match winning streak.
• A&M is 10-0 this season when winning the first set. The victory against Oklahoma was only the second time in 13 matches this season that the Aggies came back to win after losing the opening set.
• A&M leads the Big 12 with 1.30 aces per set.
• A&M is 2-4 in away Big 12 matches.
• Kelsey Black is the Big 12 leader in points (4.90) and aces (0.42) per set, and she is second in the league with 4.13 kills per set for the full season.
• Black entered the week ranked 20th in the nation in both points (4.82) and aces (0.44) per set and ranked 33rd in the nation with 4.05 kills per set.
• Sophomore libero Tori Mellinger has posted double figures in digs in a team-leading 18 matches and ranks eighth in the Big 12 with 4.13 digs per set for the full season. The Dallas native, who has posted 20 or more digs six times this season, including a match-high 24-dig performance against Oklahoma on Wednesday, is sixth in the conference with 4.25 digs per set in league matches only.
• Freshman setter Allie Sawatzky, who has started every match for the Aggies this season, ranks sixth in the Big 12 with 9.81 assists per set in all matches, as well as sixth in the Big 12 with 9.80 assists per set in conference matches only. She has tallied 50 or more assists in five matches, including 52 assists in the win against Oklahoma, which ranks fourth in the Big 12 for most assists in a four-set match in all matches and in conference matches only.
• Junior defensive specialist Sarah Grace played her freshman year at Baylor and still holds the Baylor record for digs in a three-set match with 25 against Iowa State on Sept. 12, 2007. A Big 12 All-Freshman team selection, Grace led the Bears with 477 total digs and 4.30 digs per set in 2007 and remains listed in the top five in several of Baylor's all-time records in numerous defensive categories.
• Kelsey Black has taken or tied for team-high honors in kills in all 23 matches this season. Junior outside hitter Chelsea Ringel tied Black for team-high honors in kills with 11 against Texas Tech on Oct. 27, the only time Black didn't lead the team outright.
• Sophomore middle blocker Lindsey Miller, who hit an A&M season-high .611 (minimum 10 kills) against Colorado on Oct. 23, has posted double figures in kills eight times this season, including four times in the last six matches. Miller, who is hitting .262 with 2.04 kills, 1.02 blocks and 2.72 points per set for the full season, is hitting .311 with 2.38 kills, 1.04 blocks and 3.02 points per set over the last six matches.
• Aggie libero Tori Mellinger recorded a career-high 34 digs against Missouri on Oct. 13, the most digs by a Big 12 player this season. Her 34 digs also is the most by an A&M player in the rally-point scoring era -- using both the 30- and 25-point scoring cap -- and ranks fifth all-time in the Aggie record books.
• Junior transfer utility player Elise Hendrickson has been the team's right-side hitter in each of the last seven matches and has tallied double-figures in kills three times and posted two double-doubles since moving into the position.
• Outside hitter and primary passer Chelsea Ringel leads the Aggies with 429 service receptions. Sophomore libero Tori Mellinger is second with 402 service receptions.
• A&M entered the week ranked 23rd in the nation in home attendance, averaging 1,568 per match in 10 home contests. The Aggies, who are currently 6-5 in home matches this season, had a season-high 3,305 in attendance to cheer them on to a 3-0 victory against No. 8 Texas on Sept. 16.
• Black has twice tied the A&M all-time record for aces in a match this season for both a three-set match and a five-set match, posting six apiece against Sam Houston State and Pacific. She already has 36 aces in 2010, equaling the most by an A&M player since former Aggie All-American Melissa Munsch (2001-04) posted 42 aces in 2004.
• Middle blocker Stephanie Minnerly has led or tied for the team lead in blocks in 13 matches. The 6-2 redshirt sophomore is ranked 10th in the Big 12 with 1.04 blocks per set in Big 12 matches only.
• Black, Miller, Sawatzky and Minnerly have started every match this season, and Ringel has started all but one and has played in all 86 sets. Mellinger has been the designated libero in every set.
• A&M has already played in seven five-set matches this season. The school record for most five-set matches in a season is nine set in 1988 and tied in 2005. The Aggies have played eight five-set matches in a single season three times, most recently in 2008.
• Laurie Corbelli, the winningest coach in A&M volleyball history, is 375-180 in her 18th season at the helm of the Aggies and 475-286 in the 25th season of her head coaching career.
A&M BAYLOR SERIES RECORD:
• A&M leads the all-time series against Baylor, 57-12, since 1976, including 21-8 in Big 12 matches only. Baylor, however, has won the last two meetings, both of which were played in College Station.
• The teams have split the season series each of the last two years with each team winning on the road.
• A&M is riding a 10-match winning streak against Baylor in matches played at the Ferrell Center and is 24-4 all-time against the Bears in Waco.
• A&M is 23-6 against Baylor in matches played in College Station, although Baylor has won five of the last six meetings in College Station.
MOST RECENT MEETING:
Texas A&M's Kelsey Black had a career-high 28 kills and tied her career high with 24 digs, but she was the only Aggie to reach double figures in kills as the Aggies fell to Baylor, 25-15, 22-25, 25-23, 20-25, 15-13, on Oct. 6 at Reed Arena.
Baylor, which outhit A&M, .210 to .178 in the match, had five players reach double figures in kills, including a team-leading 18 by Torri Campbell. Campbell also finished with a match-high eight blocks to lead the Bears to a 15-8 advantage.
A&M libero Tori Mellinger led all players with a then-career-high 26 digs. Chelsea Ringel added 13 digs, and junior transfer Sarah Grace, who played her freshman season at Baylor, tied her A&M career high with 11 digs.
BAYLOR BITS:
• The Bears are 12-12 overall and in seventh place in the Big 12 with a 5-8 conference record. Seven of Baylor's losses are against ranked opponents.
• The Bears are 5-5 in home matches.
• Most recently, Baylor suffered its second consecutive loss after falling to No. 12 Iowa State, 25-22, 25-22, 25-14, in Ames, Iowa on Nov. 3. Briana Tolbert had a team-high eight kills for the Bears. Allison King led Baylor in digs with 15, and Ashlie Christenson and Elizabeth Graham shared for match-high honors in blocks with four block assists apiece. ISU outhit Baylor, .218 to .096.
• Baylor entered the week ranked No. 3 in the nation with 18.69 digs per set. Individually, Elizabeth Graham ranked 14th in the nation with 1.35 blocks per set and Caitlyn Trice was 23rd in the country with 5.25 digs per set.
• Sophomore 6-2 middle blocker Torri Campbell and Aggie junior outside hitter Kelsey Black were teammates on the 2006 and 2007 Amarillo High School 5A state champion teams.
• Baylor is picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 according to a preseason poll of the conference coaches. Campbell and senior outside hitter Ashlie Christenson were on the preseason All-Big 12 Team.
• Baylor tied A&M and Oklahoma for fourth place in 2009 and advanced to the NCAA Regional semifinals.
• Jim Barnes (McNeese State `94) is in his seventh season as head coach of the Bears.
UPCOMING:
A&M returns to Reed Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 10 for a rematch against the Kansas Jayhawks. First serve is slated for 6:30 p.m. A&M fell to Kansas, 3-2, in Lawrence, Kan., in the second match of the Big 12 season. A&M will have only two home matches remaining after the contest against Kansas: Sunday, Nov. 21 vs. No. 12 Iowa State and the regular-season finale against No. 5 Nebraska on Saturday, Nov. 27.