Texas A&M
15-8, 7-5SEC
LSU
15-7, 10-3SEC
Late Rally Falls Just Short in Volleyball's 5-Set Loss to LSU
Nov 06, 2014 | Volleyball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – A late charge by Texas A&M came up short as LSU topped the Aggies and extended its winning streak to 10 matches with a 20-25, 25-16, 25-9, 22-25, 15-13 victory tonight at Reed Arena.
The Tigers improve to 15-7 overall and 10-3 in SEC matches after outhitting A&M, .305 to .192, for the match with Briana Holman leading the way with a match-high 18 kills while hitting .444.
A&M, which was led by sophomore middle blocker Jazzmin Babers' 13 kills, falls to 15-8 overall and 7-5 in SEC contests.
It was the sixth time in 10 meetings the teams battled to five sets. A&M took the early lead, using an 8-1 run to build a 13-7 advantage in the opening stanza. The Tigers managed to get within three points at 19-16 when A&M outscored LSU, 5-1, to be serving for the set, 24-17. A kill down the line by Holman and back to back aces by Cati Leak, put the Tigers within 24-20 before Babers tooled the Tiger blocked to clinch the set.
Neither team had impressive numbers in the opening set, with A&M outhitting LSU, .195 to .111. LSU, however, quickly took command in each of the next two sets to take a 2-1 lead in the match. A&M held a 4-2 lead early in the second set before the Tigers caught fire, outscoring A&M 9-2 to go up 11-6. LSU, which outhit A&M, .455 to .111 in the frame, continued to pull away, later scoring seven unanswered points to build a 19-8 cushion. LSU led 22-12 when junior middle blocker Shelby Sullivan provided a spark for the Aggies, posting three kills during a 4-0 run that put A&M within 22-16. Following an LSU timeout, the Tigers scored three consecutive points with A&M serving out, Leak putting down a kill and A&M committing an unforced error to end the set and even the match at a set apiece.
LSU hit at an even higher pace in the third set, hitting .591 with 15 kills while A&M managed only five kills and hit -.074. The Tigers had already doubled up A&M at 16-8 when they reeled off six consecutive points – three via kills and three courtesy of A&M miscues -- to stretch the lead to 22-18. Aggie freshman Kiara McGee came in off the bench and tooled the LSU block for a kill to end the run, but LSU got right back on track, scoring three straight points to close out the set and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
The Tigers appeared primed to finish the match in four sets, jumping out to a 10-6 lead in the fourth. A&M, however, got back in sync, and freshman opposite hitter Ashlie Reasor's three consecutive kills put the Aggies up, 14-12.
There were a total of nine ties and six lead changes in the set. The Tigers, who were outhit, .475 to .349 in the frame, were up 19-18 when an LSU attack sailed wide and Aggie junior outside hitter Angela Lowak put down a kill to return the lead to A&M. LSU tied the score on the next play, but A&M setter Stephanie Aiple then won a joust at the net to keep the Aggies in the lead. A&M was ahead, 23-22, when Reasor put down her fifth kill of the set, and Babers tip the ball over for the set-winning kill to send the match to a decisive fifth set.
LSU was hot out of the gates, jumping out to an 11-4 lead. A&M then began to gain momentum, scoring three straight to get within 11-7. Back-to-back kills by Emily Ehrle put the Tigers within two points of the victory, but LSU's next attack sailed wide. Lowak then finished off a long rally with a kill down the block, and Babers followed with an off-speed shot to put A&M within 13-10, forcing LSU to call a timeout.
The Aggies would score their fourth consecutive point coming out of the timeout, with Lowak sacrificing the body with a bench-crashing, point-saving play that eventually ended with Babers and Aiple teaming for a block to put the Aggies within 13-11. A&M had an attack error on the next play to put the Tigers at set point, but Babers got a huge one-on-one block against Holman to keep the Aggies alive. Reasor then put down her eighth kill of the match as the Aggies fought off a second match point and got within 14-13. But A&M's hopes of a comeback ended on the next play, as A&M hit wide to close out the match.
Sullivan joined Babers in double-figure kills with 11. Aiple finished with 43 assists, and freshman libero Amy Nettles had a team-leading 21 digs, her third 20-plus dig performance in the last four matches. Babers led all players with four blocks.
The Aggies return to Reed Arena on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. to play host to Ole Miss. It will be “Take a Kid to the Match” and up to four kids can get in free with the purchase of one regular-priced adult ticket.
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.
Post-match Quotes:
Texas A&M Head Coach Laurie Corbelli:
On what it would've felt like to come back and win the fifth set…
“There's a lot of luck involved in sports, and that would've been a big load of luck. Things started going our way and we were taking advantage of that in the end there, but we lost the match in sets 2 and 3. We literally quit playing.”
On what changed in 2nd and 3rd sets…
“Our team took a turn of a change of personality; they looked like they were afraid of going and getting the win, so we started to back off. We turned into zombies.
On being behind in the 4th set but tying up the match at 2-2…
They tried to give it us, but we just didn't want to take it badly enough. I don't have a lot of answers. We lost the match, and it was on our side of the net.”
On A&M's effort…
“I don't think it's physical effort. They work really hard on the court. It was mental effort. I don't know if today's match was a preparation thing. First set we were playing some pretty good volleyball. We were at the right assignments. We were executing. I think when set 2 came on and we got aced two or three times and passing started to get thrown off, our team just derailed. We really struggled for the next 45 minutes to get back to Aggie volleyball. Luckily set 4, we were getting closer, and they were still fighting. Physically, they're a wonderful team. I just think it was other things: mental effort, toughness, confidence, belief, faith, trust. All of those things that must be in a team. Those things can't ever leave, and I think those things drift in and out of our team sometimes when the going gets tough.”
On LSU's tactics…
“I thought they came back in set 2 and started serving a lot to hurt us. I think that's where it all started for us. They started serving tougher, and we didn't respond well. It got us out of sync.”
On looking at the big 'SEC picture'…
“We lost to Alabama in five sets, with four points at the end, two points here. Those teams are all battling in the top five of the conference. We've done it to ourselves. We haven't been able to finish. Sets that we could've finish, we didn't. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Anything can happen with just three weeks to go. They're all physical. They've all got some wonderful attackers and great coaches that set up their defense against our hitters. We have a huge challenge in front of us. I think our team has to figure out how to respond.”
Texas A&M junior middle blocker Shelby Sullivan
On the many lengthy momentum swings in the game…
“LSU just got the momentum going especially in sets 2 and 3. We have to make a change when that happens and turn something around or it will just continue to go along like that. You have to step up, make a change, and get the momentum back. It's such a game of momentum.”
On Briana Holman and how her play affected them…
“I don't think what they do affects us. We had a great scouting report. Our coaches had us prepared. We knew exactly what they were going to do. We obviously executed in Game 1, but it comes down to execution. You have to have it in all five sets. You can't just come and go. You have to be consistent with it.”
