Texas A&M
1-0
Siena
0-1
Aggies Sweep Siena in Season Opener; Host Pacific tonight at 6 p.m.
Aug 27, 2010 | Volleyball
Aug. 27, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Junior outside hitter Kelsey Black (Amarillo, Texas) hit .423 and tallied 14 kills and 12 digs to lead Texas A&M to a season-opening 25-11, 25-21, 25-12 victory over Siena in the first match of the Texas A&M Invitational at Reed Arena.
A&M head coach Laurie Corbelli, who is entering the 25th season of her head coaching career and her 18th year at the helm of the Aggies, was pleased with her team's performance, especially with the group's new look after losing four senior starters from last season.
"I'm happy to get match number one in the record books and have a very acceptable performance," Corbelli said, "and I know that it is something we can build on. We were really focused on our side of the net and what we needed to do. We had zero scouting report, and I think that it is a great display of the training they have been going through and the work they have put in to get ready for this season. I am really pleased with the performance."
The Aggies got off to somewhat of a jittery start and found themselves trailing, 6-2, in the opening set when Corbelli called an early timeout. The Aggies came out of the timeout and reeled off six straight points and continued to string together runs, outscoring the Saints, 23-5, to close out the set.
"I just saw that we needed to take a deep breath all together, regroup," Corbelli said about the timeout. "It was just necessary to stop the other team's momentum and score a few points. I know the team will take whatever we say very much to heart and they try to execute right away what we need to do. Just knowing and trusting that they can do that, that they will do that, I knew it was safe to call a time out that early."
Black, making her second career start on the left side, had six kills in eight attempts in the set while hitting .625.
"It is exciting to finally be out there and feel like it is my time and Chelsea's (Ringel) time to do what we have been training for these two years to do," Black said. "Of course you have nerves going into it but as soon as that first ball goes, you are comfortable. You know where you are and what you are doing. It is just really exciting to be there and be in that position."
Ringel (Arlington, Texas), a junior, was making her first start on the left side as she and Black are being looked on to fill in for graduated four-year starters Sarah Ammerman, a third-team All-American in 2009, and Mary Batis. Sophomores Stephanie Minnerly (Arlington, Texas) and Lindsey Miller (Katy, Texas) started in the middle, and sophomore Alisia Kastmo (Tyler, Texas) started on the right side.
Freshman Caitlin Adams subbed in during the third set.
There were nine ties in the second set, the last coming at 12-all before a kill by Minnerly gave the Aggies the lead for good. The Saints stayed within striking distance despite losing their top player and preseason all-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference selection, Aubry Bobo, for the reminder of the match after she took a bone-jarring hit to the jaw on a kill by Black that put A&M up, 15-13.
A&M took its largest lead at 23-18 on a Siena attack error, but the Saints got within three points two times, the last coming at 24-21 before Black closed out the set with her fifth kill of the set.
Siena was charged a point penalty to start the third set for a delay in turning in the lineup, and things eventually got worse. The Saints did manage to tie the score three times early in the set before Black put A&M on top for good with a kill that put the Aggies ahead, 5-4.
A kill by Minnerly put A&M up, 8-5, and it also marked the start of a seven-point run by the Aggies. A&M scored in runs throughout the remainder of the set, including a match-ending three-point rally that was capped by a Kastmo kill.
A&M hit .312 as a team, while holding Siena to a .000 hitting percentage.
"We had a 17-year-old setter out there running this team and setting the team to a .312 hitting percentage. I can't say enough about the job Sawatzky did as one of our new setters," Corbelli said.
"And Kelsey, knowing that this is her year, this is her calling, this is what the team needs from her, and you're going to get that," Corbelli added. "Kelsey is going to compete. Out of all the years I've coached, you can bet that Kelsey Black is going to compete with the best. And that is what everyone else loves about her, and it is so much what she has to bring. Hopefully it will continue to carry into all of her teammates."
The Aggies return to the court this evening at 6 p.m. to take on hard-luck loser Pacific, which had a 24-20 lead against No. 23 LSU in the fourth set but lost the set and the match, 20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 26-24.
Siena and LSU meet tonight at 8 p.m., and the tournament concludes with two matches on Saturday, with a 12 p.m. finale pitting No. 23 LSU against A&M in a rematch of the 2009 NCAA second-round contest that saw the Aggies upset the 15th-seed Tigers, 3-2, in Baton Rouge, La.
Complete tournament schedule/results:
Friday, August 27
Texas A&M def. Siena, 3-0 (25-11, 25-21, 25-12)
No. 23 LSU def. Pacific, 3-1 (20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 26-24)
Texas A&M vs. Pacific 6 p.m.
No. 23 LSU vs. Siena 8 p.m.
Saturday, August 28
Pacific vs. Siena 10 a.m.
Texas A&M vs. No. 23 LSU 12 p.m.
Tickets: $9 for reserved seats; $7 for adult general admission; $4 for youth (ages 2-high school) general admission. Children under 2 are admitted free in general admission sections. Single match as well as season tickets can be purchased at the Reed Arena entrance, online at AggieAthletics.com, or by calling 888-99-AGGIE.
Free parking for volleyball fans is available beginning 1.5 hours before match time in lots 100a, 100b, 100g and 100f. Lot 102 is for handicap parking.
