BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Texas A&M volleyball team's five-match win streak came to a halt Friday afternoon, falling in four sets (25-19, 22-25, 19-25, 23-25) to the Indiana Hoosiers (6-4) in its opening match of the WKU Invitational inside Diddle Arena.
Â
The Aggies (6-3) recorded 11 service aces as a team, led by Logan Lednicky, Ava Underwood and Caroline Meuth, who all finished with three apiece. The 11 aces were the most by the Aggies in a non-conference match since turning in the same amount against UTRGV on Sept. 13, 2019.
Â
Lednicky recorded her first career double-double, finishing with 12 kills and a team-leading 13 digs, while Meuth tallied a team-high 19 kills on .317 hitting. Elena Karakasi dished out 33 assists and finished with a pair of aces and three blocks, while Madison Bowser registered a team-best four stuffs.
Â
The Aggies opened the match on a 5-1 run behind a handful of Hoosier errors. A pair of aces from Lednicky and Underwood gave A&M a seven-point cushion approaching the midway point of the set. Lednicky's team-high four kills and pair of aces forced Indiana to call a timeout, trailing 19-13. The Hoosiers responded with a 3-0 run, but a kill and a block by Meuth silenced the surge. Back-to-back aces from Underwood carried the Aggies to a 23-16 advantage, before Meuth secured the frame, 25-19, with her team-leading fifth kill.
Â
The second set was a back-and-forth battle to start, before the Hoosier charged ahead, 9-5, despite a trio of kills from Meuth. Indiana continued to separate itself, before A&M pieced together a 4-1 run behind another kill and ace from Meuth. The Maroon & White used a three-point run to come within two with Indiana sitting at set point, but the Hoosiers held on for the 25-22 win. Â
Â
The Hoosiers continued to run in the third, before A&M's eighth ace of the match, this time from Karakasi, leveled the score at five-all. The Aggies took their first lead of the set behind a block by Bowser and Karakasi, sitting in front, 10-9. Indiana fought back and jumped ahead, 16-11, before a block and kill from Bowser brought A&M within four, trailing 21-17. A kill from Mia Johnson kept the Aggies within reach, but the Hoosiers sealed the frame, 25-19.
Â
In the deciding set, the Aggies led early behind their ninth team ace and second from Karakasi, before Indiana battled back to knot the score at eight-all. The Hoosiers climbed ahead, but Meuth's second ace brought A&M within two before her third tied it. A kill from Johnson helped the Maroon & White regain the lead, sitting at a 16-15 advantage. Three-straight errors by Indiana leveled the score for the third time, before Johnson's fourth kill kept A&M in front by one. The Hoosiers fought back closing in on the set to take it 25-23.
Â
UP NEXT
Texas A&M returns to the court tonight to face the nationally-ranked Hilltoppers at approximately 7 p.m.
Â
BIRD BITS
Head coach Laura "Bird" Kuhn
Overall thoughts on the match…
"We need to do a better job at staying locked in at the beginning and keeping our focus throughout the match. Indiana is a good team, and we've got another tough opponent tonight in Western Kentucky. We always talk about the response, so we need to reset and get ready for tonight's match."
Â
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.
Â
The Aggies (6-3) recorded 11 service aces as a team, led by Logan Lednicky, Ava Underwood and Caroline Meuth, who all finished with three apiece. The 11 aces were the most by the Aggies in a non-conference match since turning in the same amount against UTRGV on Sept. 13, 2019.
Â
Lednicky recorded her first career double-double, finishing with 12 kills and a team-leading 13 digs, while Meuth tallied a team-high 19 kills on .317 hitting. Elena Karakasi dished out 33 assists and finished with a pair of aces and three blocks, while Madison Bowser registered a team-best four stuffs.
Â
The Aggies opened the match on a 5-1 run behind a handful of Hoosier errors. A pair of aces from Lednicky and Underwood gave A&M a seven-point cushion approaching the midway point of the set. Lednicky's team-high four kills and pair of aces forced Indiana to call a timeout, trailing 19-13. The Hoosiers responded with a 3-0 run, but a kill and a block by Meuth silenced the surge. Back-to-back aces from Underwood carried the Aggies to a 23-16 advantage, before Meuth secured the frame, 25-19, with her team-leading fifth kill.
Â
The second set was a back-and-forth battle to start, before the Hoosier charged ahead, 9-5, despite a trio of kills from Meuth. Indiana continued to separate itself, before A&M pieced together a 4-1 run behind another kill and ace from Meuth. The Maroon & White used a three-point run to come within two with Indiana sitting at set point, but the Hoosiers held on for the 25-22 win. Â
Â
The Hoosiers continued to run in the third, before A&M's eighth ace of the match, this time from Karakasi, leveled the score at five-all. The Aggies took their first lead of the set behind a block by Bowser and Karakasi, sitting in front, 10-9. Indiana fought back and jumped ahead, 16-11, before a block and kill from Bowser brought A&M within four, trailing 21-17. A kill from Mia Johnson kept the Aggies within reach, but the Hoosiers sealed the frame, 25-19.
Â
In the deciding set, the Aggies led early behind their ninth team ace and second from Karakasi, before Indiana battled back to knot the score at eight-all. The Hoosiers climbed ahead, but Meuth's second ace brought A&M within two before her third tied it. A kill from Johnson helped the Maroon & White regain the lead, sitting at a 16-15 advantage. Three-straight errors by Indiana leveled the score for the third time, before Johnson's fourth kill kept A&M in front by one. The Hoosiers fought back closing in on the set to take it 25-23.
Â
UP NEXT
Texas A&M returns to the court tonight to face the nationally-ranked Hilltoppers at approximately 7 p.m.
Â
BIRD BITS
Head coach Laura "Bird" Kuhn
Overall thoughts on the match…
"We need to do a better job at staying locked in at the beginning and keeping our focus throughout the match. Indiana is a good team, and we've got another tough opponent tonight in Western Kentucky. We always talk about the response, so we need to reset and get ready for tonight's match."
Â
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.