Texas A&M
4-0
Portland
2-3
Aggies Improve to 4-0 With Win Over Portland
Sep 01, 2011 | Volleyball
Senior outside hitter Kelsey Black led the Aggies with 19 kills while hitting .457. Junior Tori Mellinger, making her first official start as an outside hitter after serving as the Aggies' designated libero the last two years, finished with a career-high 11 kills with no errors. Junior middle blocker Lindsey Miller also posted 11 kills and led all players with five blocks.
The Aggies got out to a quick start, using a 6-0 run to build an early 9-2 lead in the opening set. A&M, which outhit the Pilots .366 to .068 in the frame, continued to widen the gap throughout the set and were up 19-12 when Black put down a Pilot overpass for a kill. The play sparked a 5-0 run which put the Aggies serving for the set at 24-12. The Aggies were whistled for a lift on the next attack to end the run, but Mellinger came back with a kill to clinch the set.
A&M carried the momentum into the second set, opening the stanza on a 6-0 run. The Pilots pulled within two points at 18-16 but could get no closer as Mellinger put down a kill and followed with a solo block to put A&M up, 20-16. A&M's next serve sailed long, but the Aggies got the point right back as Portland hit into the net. The Pilots' error resulted in the first of a five-point, set-ending run for A&M. Portland was whistled for a ball handling error on the ensuing play and Black and senior middle blocker Elise Hendrickson followed with back-to-back kills. Hendrickson then teamed with sophomore outside hitter Ashley Vrana for a block to close out the set.
The Aggies hit .438 in the second set but were unable to carry the pace into the third set. The Pilots scored the first two points following the break to take their first lead of the match. A&M tied the score at 2-2 on an ace by Hendrickson, but the Aggies were unable to ever take a lead.
The Pilots equaled their largest lead at 18-11 before the Aggies began a comeback. Black got a kill off the block and followed with an ace. The Pilots' next attack went long to put A&M within 18-14. Portland blocked A&M's next attack, but Miller came back with a kill off the slide play, and sophomore outside hitter Heather Reynolds, who was making her first appearance of the season, posted an ace. Miller and sophomore setter Allie Sawatzky then team for a block to put the Aggies within 19-17, forcing the Pilots to call a timeout.
A&M was unable to get any closer as Portland got a kill following the timeout and then made several diving pancake saves which led to another point for the Pilots and a 21-17 lead. A&M got within three points at 21-18 and 23-20 before the teams began trading points for the remainder of the set.
There were 13 ties and two lead changes in the fourth set before A&M pulled away for the victory. The Pilots took their only lead at 12-11 following their only ace of the match. The teams then began to exchange point for point until A&M tied the score for the last time at 17-17 following a Pilot service error. The Portland miscue marked the start of a six-point rally by the Aggies, who built a 22-17 lead. The scoring run ended when A&M committed its 14th service error of the match, but Mellinger came back for a kill to put A&M ahead, 23-18. Black then got a kill from the back row, and Hendrickson followed with the match-clinching kill courtesy of a Portland overpass.
A&M outhit Portland, .291 to .137, and Sawatzky finished with 41 assists as A&M led in kills, 56-41. Junior libero Megan Pendergast tallied a match-high 16 digs, and Black posted her fourth double-double in as many games with 11 digs to go along with her 19 kills. Black also had two of A&M's five aces and helped hold the Pilots to only one ace.
Kate Bostwick led the Pilots with nine kills.
The Aggies return to the court on Friday to take on Butler at 12 p.m. and conclude the tournament Saturday with a pair of matches, meeting Nevada at 10 a.m. and Washington State at 5:30 p.m. All times are Pacific.
Tournament Schedule (all times are Pacific):
Thursday, September 1
12 p.m. Portland (2-2) def. Butler (0-4), 20-25, 25-15, 25-20, 25-18
7 p.m. Texas A&M (4-0) def. Portland (2-3), 25-13, 25-17, 21-25, 25-18
Friday, September 2
10 a.m. Washington State vs. Nevada
12 p.m. Butler vs. Texas A&M
5:30 p.m. Nevada vs. Butler
7:30 p.m. Portland vs. Washington State
Saturday, September 3
10 a.m. Nevada vs. Texas A&M
12 p.m. Washington State vs. Butler
5:30 p.m. Texas A&M vs. Washington State
7:30 p.m. Portland vs. Nevada
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