Texas A&M
7-5, 1-1Big 12
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Kansas
10-3, 1-1Big 12
Volleyball Falls to Kansas, 3-2
Sep 18, 2010 | Volleyball
Sept. 18, 2010
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Texas A&M saw its four-match winning streak come to an end, and Kansas snapped a seven-match losing skid against the Aggies with a 25-23, 18-25, 20-25, 25-22, 15-10 victory tonight at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
A&M, which was coming off a stunning sweep against No. 8 Texas on Thursday in College Station, drops to 7-5 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12 Conference after falling in its first league road match of the season.
Kansas improves to 10-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12, and head coach Ray Bechard picked up his 200th victory at the helm of the Jayhawks.
Kansas used a seven-point run late in the first set to overtake the Aggies. A&M had just rallied for three consecutive points to build its biggest lead at 19-15 when Kansas went on its run to take a 22-19 lead. A service error ended the run, but Kansas came back with a kill and a block and was serving for the set. Kelsey Black kept the Aggies in it with a kill, and Stephanie Minnerly and Alisia Kastmo blocked a Karina Garlington attack to put A&M within 22-24. A&M, which had not dropped a set in four consecutive matches, fought off the third set point as Minnerly killed a KU overpass, but A&M served long on the next play to end the set.
A&M led the entire second set and used an eight-point run, six points resulting from KU errors, to take a 13-3 lead. The Jayhawks fought back to get within four points four times, the last coming at 20-16. A&M was up, 23-18 when setter Allie Sawatzky got a kill and Minnerly followed with the set-ending kill.
A&M used a seven-point run to build a commanding 16-5 advantage in the third set and later was up 24-13 before Kansas fought off seven consecutive set points to get within 24-20. Chelsea Ringel then put down her seventh kill of the match to end the set and give the Aggies a 2-1 lead in the match.
A&M had hit above .220 in both the second and third sets while holding the Jayhawks to under a .070 hitting percentage in both frames. The roles were reversed in the fourth set as Kansas outhit A&M, .250 to .067 and tied the match at two sets apiece.
Kansas took a 3-1 lead early in the fourth set. A&M tied the score nine times but was never able to take the lead. The score was tied for the last time at 21-21, when Garlington got a cross-court kill and A&M had an attack error to put the Jayhawks ahead, 23-21. After an A&M timeout, Garlington hit wide to put A&M within a point, but a kill by Tayler Tolefree put Kansas serving for the set. A&M then hit long to end the set to force a fifth and deciding set.
Kastmo got two kills to help A&M to a 3-0 lead to start the final set. Kansas chipped away at the lead and tied the score at 6-6 and again at 7-7 before Allison Mayfield posted a kill to give the Jayhawks their first lead in the set. A KU service error tied the score, but Garlington and Caroline Jarmoc had back-to-back kills to give the Jayhawks a lead they would not lose.
A&M got within 11-10 after making several play saving digs in a long rally that ended with a Kansas attack error. But Garlington came back with a kill down the line, which marked the beginning of a match-ending four-point run by the Jayhawks. Garlington and Tolefree teamed for a block and Tolefree had a kill to put KU serving for the match. A&M then hit long to end the match.
A&M led KU in kills, 58-52, getting a match-high 15 kills from Kelsey Black. A&M, however, also committed 34 errors on 151 attacks for a .159 hitting efficiency. Kansas hit .164 and had 16 blocks, the most by an A&M opponent this season.
A&M tallied 12 blocks. Minnerly tied her career-high with six total blocks, and Miller also had six blocks and added 13 kills and finished with a career-high 18.5 points. Tori Mellinger led the Aggies and tied for match-high honors with 15 digs, and Sarah Grace also reached double figures with 10 digs. Sawatzky finished with 48 assists.
Garlington led the Jayhawks with 14 kills, and Brianne Riley had 15 digs. Tolefree led KU with six blocks.
The Aggies have a mid-week bye next week before returning home to host Texas Tech on Saturday, Sept. 25. First serve against the Red Raiders is 6:30 p.m. at Reed Arena, and anyone wearing an Aggie Ring will be admitted free.
