Texas A&M
18-6 (7-4)
Kansas State
17-8 (6-5)
K-State Rallies to Top A&M, 3-2
Nov 05, 2011 | Volleyball
The match got off to a gloomy start for the Wildcats as Kaitlynn Pelger, who leads the Big 12 in both kills and points per set, went down with an apparent ankle injury on the first play of the match and was unable to return. K-State was completely out of sync without its go-to player, and the Aggies took advantage, outhitting the Wildcats, .542 to .118 in the set and holding them to only 13 points, the fewest points in a single set by an A&M Big 12 opponent this season and the fewest points scored by a K-State team against the Aggies since rally scoring went into effect in 2001.
A&M also was unrelenting in the second set and used an 8-2 spurt to build a 14-9 lead. The Aggies continued to pull away, stringing together runs of points, including a 3-0 rally that put A&M up 23-13. The teams then sided out for the reminder of the set with Chelsea Ringel putting down the set-winning kill.
K-State took an 8-5 lead in the third set, but A&M came back and took its first lead at 10-9 on a kill by Lindsey Miller. The Aggies eventually built their largest lead at 14-11 following a kill by Kelsey Black. The Wildcats then called a timeout and came back by scoring six unanswered points, including the go-ahead point at 15-14 following a controversial call that went in favor of the Wildcats. A kill by Tori Mellinger ended the K-State's scoring streak, but A&M, which was outhit .341 to .217 in the set, was unable to get closer than two points for the remainder of the set.
Errors spelled doom for the Aggies in the fourth set as A&M connected on only 10 kills while committing 10 errors in 42 attempts for a .000 hitting percentage. A&M held a narrow 4-2 lead before committing four attack errors and a ball handling error during a K-State 6-0 scoring run. A&M was within 17-14 when the Wildcats erupted for seven consecutive points, four points the result of A&M attack errors. Aggie setter Allie Sawatzky got a kill to stave off set point before Courtney Traxson put down an A&M overpass to clinch the win for the Wildcats and even the match at two sets apiece.
K-State jumped out to a 10-3 lead to begin the final set before Alisia Kastmo nearly singlehandedly brought the Aggies back, getting four kills and two blocks during a 7-1 run to put A&M within 11-10. Lilla Porubek then posted one of her match-high 18 kills and Kastmo had a rare miss to put the Wildcats up, 13-11. Kastmo came back with a kill but hit long on the next play to put the Wildcats at set point. Black put down her 14th kill to keep A&M alive, but K-State countered with a kill to clinch the victory.
Kastmo led A&M with 16 kills while hitting .387. Black finished with 14 kills, and Miller, who led all players with six blocks, pitched in 10 kills with no errors in 25 attempts for a .400 hitting percentage.
Mellinger led all players with 19 digs. Black, who surpassed 1,000 career digs in the second set, and A&M libero Megan Pendergast pitched in 16 digs apiece.
Sawatzky had a season-high and match-high three aces and also dished out 49 assists.
Both teams hit .219 and A&M led in kills (62-60), assists (58-57), aces (6-1), digs (78-69) and blocks (11-7). Both teams had five service errors.
K-State, which has lost only twice at home against the Aggies in 16 meetings, earns a split in the season series and improves to 17-8 overall and 6-5 in Big 12 matches.
The Aggies fall to 18-6 overall and 7-4 in the Big 12. They return to the court Wednesday as they take on Baylor in Waco. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. at the Ferrell Center. Earlier this season, the Aggies held off the Bears, 25-20, 22-25, 19-25, 25-15, 15-5, at Reed Arena to snap a three-match losing streak against the Bears.
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