Texas A&M Drops 3-2 Match to Sooners

Friday, September 14

Norman, Okla.

7 p.m.

Texas A&M

6-4

Oklahoma

7-4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Texas A&M	19	25	25	20	14	2
Oklahoma	25	22	19	25	16	3

Sep 14, 2018 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Texas A&M Media Relations

NORMAN, Okla. – Texas A&M suffered its second consecutive five-set loss as Oklahoma fought off one match point and held off the Aggies, 25-19, 22-25, 19-25, 25-20, 16-14, tonight in the OU/Nike Invitational at McCasland Field House.

The Aggies fall to 6-4 while OU improves to 7-4.

A&M led in hitting percentage (.193 to .171), kills (64-54), assists (58-50), aces (4-3) and blocks (8-6), but the Aggies also committed a costly 20 service errors, while OU committed seven.

A&M junior outside hitter Hollann Hans led all players with 22 kills and added 13 digs to record her team-leading third double-double of the season. Sophomore Samantha Sanders came off the bench and finished with a season-high 12 kills, one shy of her career high.

Sophomore setter Camille Conner had her second double-double of the season with 46 assists and 12 digs. Senior libero Amy Houser set a career high in digs for the second match in a row, scooping up a match-high 24. Freshman defensive specialist Allison Fields also reached double-figure digs with 13.

Alyssa Enneking led the Sooners with 19 kills.

UP NEXT
The Aggies play two matches on Saturday to close out the tournament, taking on Northwestern State at 11 a.m. and facing a rematch against the Sooners at 5 p.m.

SET-BY-SET SUMMARIES

Set 1 – A&M used a 4-0 run to take a 13-12 lead, but OU got back-to-back kills to regain the lead. A&M tied the score at 14- and 15-all before the Sooners scored four unanswered points to go up, 19-15. The teams then traded points until the Sooners, who outhit A&M, .320 to .242, scored three consecutive points to close out the 25-19 win.

Set 2 – OU held a 6-5 lead before Conner set the ball over for a kill, marking the start of a 4-0 run for the Aggies. A&M never trailed the remainder of the frame, although OU managed to tie the score five times, the last coming at 20-20.

The Aggies then took a 23-20 lead on a kill by Sanders, an OU attack error and a kill by sophomore middle blocker Makena Patterson. Back-to-back A&M hitting errors put the Sooners within 23-22 before Conner put the Aggies at set point with a kill. OU was whistled for being in the net on the ensuing play to give the Aggies the 25-22 win and even the match at a set apiece.

Set 3 – A&M used an 8-1 rally to build a 12-6 lead. OU got within 14-12 but could get no closer as Hans put down a kill and Sanders tacked on two more kills to give the Aggies a 17-12 cushion. A&M went on to build its largest lead at 23-16 after an OU attack attempt sailed wide. The Sooners then got a kill, but Hans' next attack kissed the back line for a kill to put the Aggies at set point. Enneking got back-to-back kills to keep the Sooners alive before Hans put down her ninth kill of the set with a down-the-line shot that secured the 25-19 win for the Aggies, giving A&M a 2-1 lead in the match.

Set 4 – A&M used a 5-1 run late in the fourth set to take a 20-18 lead, but the Aggies were unable to hold off the Sooners, who reeled off seven consecutive points to win the set, 25-20, and force a fifth set.

Set 5 – A&M went on a 3-0 run, which included a block by Patterson and Conner that put the Aggies at match point, 14-13. OU rallied once again, countering with a 3-0 run to close out the 16-14 win to give the Sooners the victory.

TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Laura "Bird" Kuhn

On the difference in the match…
"Statistically you look at the attacking percentages, the blocks, the digs, all of that, and on paper we're beating that team. It comes down to finish. That's just us taking big swings at the end, executing game plan, running through, siding out. It's the simple things when you break it down, but it's the last five points. It's the core belief that we are going to finish. We need to prove that and execute in those moments, because at the beginning of those sets, we are doing the things we need to be doing. Even if we miss a couple here and there, we get back in it. We grind. But then they call a timeout at the end of the fourth set, 20-18, and we don't score another point and we are winning that match in four. So it comes down to end game. That's what it was against Missouri State, so that's where it gets very frustrating. We have to be very specific at the end of the sets.

"Tomorrow we'll probably use the same lineup. [Samantha Sanders] did really well coming in. Maddie [Douglas] took some big swings. But it comes down to execution and focus. We have to challenge them to become who we need to become. Look in the mirror and do your job. We have to play clean, and at end-game situations we have to execute. I'm excited that we can go to our bench and those people can come in and can do their job. We can go to anybody and they know that. We can go to anybody on the bench, but across the board we need to finish and do our job."

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