Texas A&M
12-14, 6-10Big 12
Missouri
19-8, 11-6Big 12
Aggies Unable to Stop Missouri's Streak
Nov 13, 2010 | Volleyball
Nov. 13, 2010
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Missouri continued its ascent in the Big 12 Conference standings, winning its sixth consecutive match and eighth out of its last nine by topping Texas A&M 25-17, 25-23, 25-14 today at the Hearnes Center.
Missouri improves to 19-8 and 11-6 in Big 12 matches and climbs into fourth place in the league. A&M falls to 12-14 overall, 6-10 in the Big 12.
Kelsey Black led the Aggies with nine kills, and Lindsey Miller led the team with seven blocks as A&M outblocked the Tigers, 9-5. Libero Tori Mellinger had a team-high 16 digs to give her 409 for the season, the ninth most digs in a season in school history.
Black had three kills during an A&M four-point run that gave the Aggies their first lead of the opening set, 12-11. The teams then traded sideouts before Missouri regained the lead at 15-14. A Chelsea Ringel kill knotted the score at 15-all, but it would be the last tie of the set as the Tigers reeled off five unanswered points. Miller ended the run with a kill, but Missouri answered with a kill and A&M followed with four consecutive attacking errors to put the Tigers at set point. Miller had another kill before Julianna Klein's off-speed shot fell to the floor to give the Tigers the set.
The Tigers, who outhit A&M, .469 to .171 in the first set, held an 18-13 lead in the second set when A&M mounted a comeback. Miller got a kill and then teamed with Black on the left side to block a Catie Wilson attack. Miller then moved over to the right end of the net on the next play to team with Sawatzky to block Paola Ampudia, putting A&M within 18-16.
The Aggies continued to close the gap as Sawatzky posted her sixth kill of the match. Ampudia, in an attempt to avoid Miller's block, then hit high and long on back-to-back attack attempts to put the Aggies up. 19-18.The teams exchanged points before an A&M service error and an overlap call against the Aggies gave the Tigers a 22-21 lead. A kill by Black and a block by Minnerly and Ringel put A&M back in the lead at 23-22, but Missouri posted two kills and an ace to end the set and give the Tigers a 2-0 lead in the match.
A&M spotted the Tigers a 9-3 lead to begin the third set and was unable to recover. The Aggies got within 10-6 following a three-point run, but Missouri, which outhit A&M .385 to .108 in the frame, countered with a four-point run. The Tigers continued to pull away and built a 22-11 lead before the teams began trading point for point. The trend continued until Missouri's Brittney Brimmage put down her match-high 13th kill to end the set and clinch the season series sweep for the Tigers.
The Tigers outhit A&M, .304 to .168, for the match, posting 49 kills to the Aggies' 34. Caitlyn Vann had a match-high 17 digs to lead Mizzou to a 54-46 advantage.
A&M concludes a two-match road swing on Wednesday as the Aggies face Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. at Ahearn Field House
A&M has only three matches remaining after the Kansas State match, including only two home matches: against No. 12 Iowa State on Sunday, Nov. 21 and the regular-season finale against No. 5 Nebraska on Saturday, Nov. 27.
