Aggies Fall in Three at No. 20 Tennessee

Saturday, October 2

Knoxville, Tenn.

4:00 PM

Texas A&M

9-4,2-1SEC

Tennessee

12-2,4-0SEC

Texas A&M

Tennessee

Photo by: Kate Luffman/Texas A&M Athletics

Oct 02, 2021 | Volleyball

Box Score

By: Shelby Hild, Athletics Communications

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Nationally-ranked Tennessee (12-2, 4-0 SEC) handed Texas A&M volleyball (9-4, 2-1 SEC) its first loss in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday night, as the Aggies fell in three sets (19-25, 20-25, 25-21) to the Lady Vols.

Morgan Christon led the way with 10 kills – her eighth double-digit kill performance of the year – while Camille Conner registered 28 assists. Camryn Ennis scooped a team-leading 11 digs and Mallory Talbert added three blocks in the outing.

A pair of kills from Christon on the outside helped A&M hold an early one-point edge over the Lady Vols. Both teams exchanged blows, as London Austin-Roark's second kill kept the Aggies in front. Tennessee drew a five-point advantage heading into the media break, before a kill from Talbert ended the run. Two kills from Ennis out of an A&M-called timeout late in the set kept the Aggies within reach, before the Lady Vols scored three straight points to grab the opening frame, 25-19.

Tennessee jumped out to an early six-point lead in the second set, despite a kill from Destiny Cox, who provided a spark off the bench. Two more kills for Christon had the Aggies within two, trailing 11-9, before a 3-0 run with Allison Fields behind the service line helped A&M claw its way back to level the set at 14-all. The Lady Vols pulled ahead and kept its lead, securing the second set, 25-20.

A kill from Christon squashed a 4-0 run by Tennessee in the deciding set, but the Maroon & White was forced to use a timeout, sitting at a 9-3 deficit. Three quick points from A&M, including Conner's second kill, brought the Aggies within three. A handful of errors by the Lady Vols midway through the set forced the home team to call a timeout, holding onto a slim 12-11 lead. Another late run by the Aggies, featuring a pair of kills from Talbert, kept A&M within reach, but Tennessee held on for the 25-21 victory.

UP NEXT
The Aggies wrap up their two-match road swing at No. 20 Tennessee tomorrow at 12 p.m. CT. The contest is set to be broadcast nationally on SEC Network with Eric Frede (play-by-play) and Jenny Hazelwood (analyst) on the call.

BIRD BITS
Texas A&M Head Coach, Laura "Bird" Kuhn
On adjustments that need to be made for tomorrow…
"We just need to do a better job at earning our own points and making smart decisions. We need to be in system so that we have all our options and can move the ball offensively. Defensively, we need to manage their attackers and respond by earning points."

FOLLOW THE AGGIES
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