Texas A&M
5-1
VCU
1-5
Aggies Rally for 3-2 Victory Over VCU
Sep 06, 2014 | Volleyball
ATHENS, Ohio – Sophomore outside hitter and tournament MVP Emily Hardesty had a career-high 15 kills and also posted a personal best 19 digs to help lead Texas A&M to a 25-20, 19-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-11 come-from-behind victory over VCU today at the Baymont Inn & Suites Invitational at Ohio University's Convocation Center. With the win, the Aggies go undefeated over the weekend to capture the tournament title, the team's second in as many weeks.
As they did the entire tournament, the Aggies (5-1) proved they could come back despite being behind. In the opening set, A&M was struggling and trailed VCU, 18-16, when Aggie head coach Laurie Corbelli called a timeout. The Aggies responded to her displeasure by scoring seven unanswered points, with junior co-captain and all-tournament selection Shelby Sullivan leading the way with three kills during the rally. The teams then traded points for the remainder of the set, with junior Angela Lowak, the team's other captain, getting a kill down the block to seal the 25-20 win.
VCU used a seven-point run early in the second set to take an 8-2 lead. The Rams continued to pull away, later reeling off five unanswered points to build its biggest advantage at 23-13. The Aggies then mounted a comeback, outscoring VCU 6-1 and staving off three set points before the Rams got a kill to close out the set and tie the match at 1-1.
A&M held a 4-3 lead in the third set before the Rams went on an 11-3 run to double up the Aggies, 14-7. A&M twice fought back within a point, the last coming at 22-21. A&M hit out on the next play, and VCU followed with a kill to be serving for the set, 24-21. The Rams' served sailed out, but VCU got a kill down the line on the next play to win, 25-22, and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
There were 10 ties and four lead changes in the fourth set. The Rams would take their last lead at 15-14 following three consecutive kills. Sophomore middle blocker Darby Graff, who had come off the bench in the third set and played the entire fourth and fifth sets, got a kill to end the rally. The Rams countered with a kill, but Sullivan came right back with a kill to even the score once again. A&M then took the lead on a VCU attack error. The Rams managed to tie the score three times but were unable to regain the lead.
With the score knotted at 21-21, freshman Kiara McGee, who like Graff provided a crucial spark off the bench beginning late in the third frame, put down a kill. Graff then teamed with freshman Ashlie Reasor for a block, and Reasor followed with a kill to put A&M at set point. VCU stayed alive with a kill but then served into the net to hand A&M the 25-21 win, forcing a fifth set.
VCU held a 6-3 lead in the decisive final set before a dump kill by freshman setter and all-tournament selection Stephanie Aiple began a five-point surge by the Aggies. Graff and McGee had a kill apiece and Sullivan posted an ace during the rally. The teams then began to trade points, and the Rams remained within a point at 10-9. Two VCU errors sandwiched a Hardesty kill, putting A&M ahead, 13-9, but the Aggies then had back-to-back attack errors as the Rams pulled within 13-11. Hardesty was not to be denied and posted consecutive kills to clinch the victory for the Aggies.
Hardesty, who tallied the first double-double of her career, was joined in double-figures kills by Sullivan and Lowak, who had 14 and 11, respectively. McGee finished with a career-high eight kills.
Aiple, who was making her third career start, had a career-high 52 assists, the most by an A&M player this season.
Sophomore libero Victoria Arenas led all players with 25 digs. Freshman defensive specialist Amy Nettles, who drew the first start of her career and was instrumental in the team's passing scheme had six digs and drew high praise from Corbelli.
VCU, which outhit A&M, .200 to .166 and led the Aggies in blocks, 14-9, falls to 1-5. Kalah Jones and Janelle Sykes led the Rams with 18 kills apiece.
The Aggies play their third consecutive tournament and close out a five-match road swing at the USC Classic in Los Angeles, Thursday-Friday, Sept. 11-12. A&M takes on the sixth-ranked Women of Troy on Thursday at 8 p.m. (PDT) in a match that will be televised by the Pac 12 Network. A&M then meets No. 15 San Diego on Friday, the second of four consecutive ranked opponents the Aggies will face.
The Aggies return home to Reed Arena for a two-match series against No. 8 Florida State on Sept. 19-20. A&M swept the then-16th-ranked Seminoles last year in College Station en route to winning the Texas A&M Invitational.
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.
Texas A&M Head Coach Laurie Corbelli – Post-Match Quotes:
On the team constantly having to come from behind to get the win…
“I don't think we got to 15 first in any set this weekend until that last set we played, and it was a set to 15, so good thing we did it that one time. If anything, we are survivors. This group has something really special. This weekend, we have seen them pull together a lot, and survive circumstances that were totally against them. We got out-hit, out-dug, out-served, just about out-everything and still got the match. I'm happy we won, but it really doesn't feel like it because we felt like we were always on our heels. Their offense was incredibly fast, and they were on the money tonight. It is hard to believe a team like that is 1-5 right now. I don't know that I've ever coached against anything that fast. They were just money on the outside and the slide attack behind the setter. It frustrated the team, but I think maybe the coaches got more frustrated than the players. They held themselves together so well, and I am just so proud of them. They are helping me learn how to coach them better. They just have something really special.”
On MVP Emily Hardesty and all-tournament selections Stephanie Aiple and Shelby Sullivan…
“Emily Hardesty was phenomenal. About 95 percent of the balls went to Emily, and then she had to attack, and then she had to block and then she went to serve, and then she went to dig. She did every skill. I'll bet she had more touches on the ball in this entire tournament than any other player in the tournament, and she still had amazing numbers. She was totally exhausted and spent toward the end of this match, but she was such a warrior. The MVP award was not more deserved by anybody else. It really was an obvious selection to me.
“Stephanie Aiple was pretty phenomenal. Our passing was not necessarily off, but it was not on. It was very in between, and that eliminated our middles a lot. Our outsides had to find a way to get kills or keep the ball in the strategic areas we were working towards. It was really, really a challenge for Aiple, as a freshman especially, to find a way to lead her team to a victory, but she managed to do it.
“Shelby Sullivan was once again a steady performer and an awesome leader. Our group follows her with all their heart, and I'm so fortunate to have her and Angela [Lowak] as our captains and leaders. Her game was off and on this weekend, but she was phenomenal last night and again today. She really held the team together with her positive attitude, her great shot selection, and her leadership was a huge factor in our victory.”
On the key players who came in off the bench and rallied the team…
“Sydney Wilhelm, what I love about her is that she is absolutely fearless. There is nothing that scares that kid, and it is so wonderful because she just plays hard and she plays confidently. She is quick as lightening. This is her one shot at Division I volleyball, and I just know she is determined to give it all she's got.
“Darby Graff went in the middle and did some great blocking. She did a transition attack with great aggression and did just exactly what we asked her to do. It was really nice to have that. Kiara McGee, she brought fire. She can get up and swing hard, but she also brought a lot of fire, which the team really needed. She really lifted up the team a lot. Amy Nettles is a freshman going in the right back. Learning the right back at the college level, and tons of fast attacks go that direction, and she handled it beautifully. Those four in particular were really instrumental in this win, especially in sets 3 and 4, when we were trying to get the team back on its feet and get back in the match. Set 4 was really a stressful one, and they are the reason we came back.”
On today's win being a confidence builder for this team…
“This was huge for us. Obviously these teams are really strong teams. I bet all of them get 20 wins. I don't know how they can't if they play like they did this weekend. I think the team showed great determination. You could see it on their faces that when it's time to really turn it on, get together and get the job done. We got a point when we needed a point. They really believe in each other all the way from freshmen to seniors, starters to non-starters. They really have a unity that I haven't had in a team in a long time. It's really fun to be a part of it. It was a very stressful day today, but they came through it, and I couldn't be a prouder coach.”
On the next four matches against Top 15 teams…
“It is going to be an amazing challenge. The goal is to try and sneak out with a couple of wins here and there, or three or four would be nice. However, the level of volleyball is going to be extremely high against very experience teams. Our goals is to come out of it an incredibly stronger team, understanding the game better, never quitting. Just all of those things and see what happens, because it is going to be an incredible challenge, yet that is what we want. We want to play the best. I have such a young group that they need to see what the best can do and learn from them. I don't think you can lose when you play these kinds of teams, and I think we are ready to step onto the court and give it a go.”
