Texas A&M
12-13, 6-9Big 12
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Kansas
15-12, 7-9Big 12
Volleyball Drops 5-Setter to Kansas
Nov 10, 2010 | Volleyball
Nov. 10, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - A slow start proved costly to Texas A&M as Kansas topped the Aggies, 25-14, 17-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-12, in front of 1,015 tonight at Reed Arena. The Jayhawks, who entered the match as the only Big 12 team still searching for its first-ever win in College Station, pick up their first victory in 16 trips to Aggieland.
"I felt like the team was totally unprepared to compete," A&M coach Laurie Corbelli said. "I was incredibly disappointed in the lack of readiness to get after a team."
A&M never got in sync in the opening set, spotting the Jayhawks the first five points of the match and later trailing by as many as 11 points. Kansas used another five-point run later in the set to build a 15-4 lead. A&M got within 18-13, but consecutive kills by the Jayhawks and an A&M attack error put the Jayhawks up, 21-13. Kansas' next attack sailed long, but the Jayhawks, who outhit A&M .125 to -.106, then scored four unanswered points to close out the set.
The Aggies rebounded in the second set, hitting .412 en route to a 25-17 win to even the match. A&M used an 8-1 run to break away from a 5-5 tie and led the remainder of the set. Kansas cut the margin to four points at 17-13 but could get no closer as a dump kill by freshman setter Allie Sawatzky and a booming kill by Lindsey Miller following a KU overpass put the Aggies up, 19-13. A&M later held a 23-17 lead when Stephanie Minnerly tipped in a kill and Miller followed with a solo block to clinch the set for the Aggies and even the match at a set apiece.
Kansas took the lead in the third set at 3-2 on an A&M attack error. The Aggies managed to tie the score five times after that, the last tie coming at 11-11 before KU posted four consecutive kills. A&M cut the gap to three points several times, the last at 21-18 following back-to-back kills by Chelsea Ringel, who had seven kills and zero errors in nine attempts in the set. The Jayhawks, however, countered with consecutive points to regain the five-point lead, and the teams exchanged sideouts for the remainder of the frame, with Jenna Kaiser getting her seventh kill of the stanza to clinch the set for the Jayhawks.
There were three lead changes and 13 ties in the fourth set. Kansas had scored two consecutive points to take an 18-16 lead, and Corbelli called a timeout. The Aggies came back and got four straight points as Kelsey Black tooled the block for a kill, Minnerly followed with a kill out of the middle and then the two teamed for a block to give A&M a 19-18 lead. Minnerly then ran the slide attack to perfection to give A&M a three-point cushion. Kansas managed to tie the score at 20 and 21 before Alisia Kastmo got a straight-down kill and teamed with Minnerly for a block. Black then aced a serve to put the Aggies at set point, 24-21. Allison Mayfield kept the Jayhawks alive with a kill, but Kastmo, who has played sparingly since losing her starting spot on the right side eight matches ago, countered with her fifth kill of the set to win it for the Aggies and force a fifth set.
"[Kastmo] did get us back in the match, and I was really impressed," Corbelli said. "That's the Alisia Kastmo that I think we should have all year, that I think this team should be able to count on."
A&M, playing in its record-tying ninth five-set match of the season, had fallen behind 10-7 in the final set but rallied late, getting a dump kill by Sawatzky, an ace by Black and a kill by Kastmo to take a 12-11 lead and force a KU timeout. A&M then lost the momentum following the timeout. The Aggies hit into the net, which tied the score at 12-12, Mayfield got a kill, and A&M hit long to put the Jayhawks at match point. KU, which outhit A&M, .138 to .000 in the frame, then scored its fourth straight point on Mayfield's fourth kill of the set to win the match.
"I'm not as upset at Set 5, in terms of how we fought back," Corbelli said. "I was more disappointed at how they started this match. We have to find another way to get this team ready. Kansas is a good team. I give them all the credit. They played an incredible match. They have improved a ton since we played them in September."
Black led the Aggies with 18 kills and three aces and also pitched in 17 digs. Kastmo had 11 kills coming off the bench, and Ringel finished with 10 kills and a career-high and team-high 22 digs. Tori Mellinger also reached double figures in digs with 18, and Minnerly led all players with six blocks as A&M outblocked the Jayhawks, 12-9. Sawatzky finished with nine kills and 38 assists.
Karina Garlington led KU with 18 kills, and Kaiser added 17. Libero Brianne Riley led all players with 32 digs, although A&M led KU in digs, 78-76.
Kansas, which outhit A&M, .197 to .159 in the match, improves to 15-12 overall and 7-9 in Big 12 matches. A&M drops to 12-13, 6-9 in Big 12 play.
A&M is on the road for its next two matches, taking on Missouri on Saturday, at 4 p.m. at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo., and then facing Kansas State on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. at Ahearn Field House in Manhattan, Kan.
A&M has only two home matches remaining: Sunday, Nov. 21 vs. No. 12 Iowa State and the regular-season finale against No. 5 Nebraska on Saturday, Nov. 27.
