Texas A&M
14-7, 6-4SEC
Alabama
19-5, 7-3SEC
Aggies Fall in Five at Alabama
Oct 31, 2014 | Volleyball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Texas A&M's Jazzmin Babers had a career-high 19 kills while hitting .581, but it wasn't enough as Alabama pulled away for a 20-25, 28-26, 17-25, 25-20, 15-11 victory against the 23rd-ranked Aggies tonight at Foster Auditorium.
A&M, which entered the contest riding a three-match win streak and tied with Alabama for fourth place in the SEC standings, falls to 14-7 overall and 6-4 in conference play. The Crimson Tide improves to 19-5 overall and 7-3 in SEC matches.
A&M had come back from a 2-1 deficit to win, 3-2, when the teams met earlier this season in College Station, but tonight it was Alabama who got the come-from-behind win to earn a split in the season series. In addition, the Tide got its first win in three matches against a ranked opponent this season and also improved to 8-1 in home matches. Alabama's Krystal Rivers, the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Week, led all players with 28 kills, the most by an A&M opponent this season.
Three consecutive kills by Alabama gave the Tide an 11-9 lead in the opening set before A&M scored six unanswered points, including two blocks and a kill by Babers that gave the Aggies a 15-11 advantage. A&M, which outhit the Tide, .379 to .191 in the frame, led the rest of the way as Alabama twice got within two points but could get no closer. A kill by Shelby Sullivan followed by an Alabama attack error put A&M ahead, 21-16. The teams then exchanged point for point for the remainder of the set. Angela Lowak tooled the block for a kill, putting the Aggies at set point. Rivers countered with a kill before Babers got a kill to clinch the set for A&M.
There were 14 ties and four lead changes in the second set. Alabama used a 4-0 run to go up 14-13, taking its first lead since 1-0. An Ashlie Reasor kill and an Alabama attack error immediately returned the lead to A&M. The teams then traded sideouts until three consecutive kills by the Tide put Alabama ahead, 19-17. A&M tied the score at 21-21 but was unable to regain the lead. Rivers put down a kill to put Alabama at set point, 24-22, before a kill by Sullivan and an Alabama attack into the net knotted the score at 24-24. Rivers posted her eighth kill of the set to put the Tide serving for the set at 25-24, but Sullivan got an out of system kill to tie the score once again. Alabama answered with a kill, but A&M would fight off a fourth set point as Babers capped a long rally with a tip kill. A&M, however, was whistled for a ball handling error on the next play, and Alabama freshman Kat Hutson followed with a well-placed off-speed shot to clinch the 28-26 win for the Tide to even the match at 1-1.
A&M never trailed in the third set as Babers posted seven kills in the set and led the Aggies to a .270 to .026 hitting efficiency advantage. A&M used a 5-0 run to jump out to a 6-1 lead. Alabama twice got within a point, the last coming at 11-10. Babers then had three kills and teamed for two blocks during a 6-1 surge that put the Aggies up, 17-11. A&M later took its largest lead at 23-15 after an Alabama attack sailed out. The teams then sided out to close out the set, with Aggie freshman setter Stephanie Aiple getting a dump kill to secure the 25-17 victory and give the Aggies a 2-1 lead in the match.
Alabama used a 5-0 run to build a 15-12 lead in the fourth set. A&M managed to tie the score three times, the last at 19-all before two A&M miscues and two Alabama kills put the Tide up, 23-19. Emily Hardesty ended the run with a kill, but Rivers and Hutson each had a kill to close out the set and tie the match at 2-2.
A&M, which entered the match 11-1 when winning the first set, held a 4-2 lead to begin the fifth set before Alabama used a 7-2 run to go up 9-6. A&M, which was outhit .545 to .286 in the stanza, was unable to close the gap. Alabama was serving for the match at 14-11 before Reasor put down her 12th kill of the match to keep the Aggies alive. A&M, however, served long on the next play to end the match.
Lowak joined Babers and Reasor in double-figure kills with 14 and completed her third double-double with 14 digs. Freshman libero Amy Nettles, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Week, led all players with a career-high 27 digs, and Hardesty also set a career-high with 20 digs. Defensive specialist Katelyn Labhart added 11 digs.
Aiple finished with 55 assists, one shy of her career high, and directed the Aggie offense to a .266 to .216 lead in hitting percentage.
Babers took match-high honors in blocks with eight and finished with a career-high 23 points. Reasor added seven blocks, as A&M outblocked Alabama, 16-11.
Alabama led in kills, 77-64, with setter Sierra Wilson, the SEC leader in assists per set, dishing out 70 assists, the most by an A&M opponent this season.
The Aggies now head to Columbia, Mo., to face the SEC defending champion Missouri Tigers on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Hearnes Center. The match will be televised on the SEC Network with Paul Sunderland and Nell Fortner calling the action.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.
