HOUSTON – The No. 9 Texas A&M volleyball team opened the Rice Invitational with a sweep over the host Owls Friday evening at the Tudor Fieldhouse, 3-0 (25-13, 25-16, 25-18).
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The Maroon & White (2-0) put on a dominant display to sweep Rice (0-1) behind a balanced mix of offense and defense, as the team recorded 32 kills, 10 blocks and six aces as a unit.
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The Aggies came out of the gate firing, scoring the first-four points of the match forcing an early break from the Owls. Texas A&M kept its foot on the gas, extending its lead by one as it hit double digits (10-5). Holding all the momentum, the Maroon & White piled on another three to its lead as Rice burnt its final timeout, 17-9. The dominance continued, as the Aggies closed the set on an 8-4 run to take the opener, 25-13.
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Both teams came out trading points in the second (4-4), however Texas A&M was the one to break the deadlock and strung together a 7-1 run forcing Rice to huddle up (11-5). The Maroon & White showed no letup, as they strung together six kills, two blocks and benefited from six Owl errors to take the frame (25-16) and double their lead, 2-0.
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The theme of the match continued, as it was the Aggies who came out on fire racing to a six-point advantage prompting a Rice timeout (8-2). After a back-and-forth, the Owls battled to close the deficit to three (16-13), but Texas A&M answered back with a 9-5 streak to take the set (25-18) and match, 3-0.
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STAT LEADERS
Kills – Kyndal Stowers – 10
Hitting Percentage (Min. 10 kills) – Kyndal Stowers – .259
Assists – Maddie Waak – 26
Aces – Kyndal Stowers, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla – 2
Digs – Ava Underwood, Addi Applegate – 9
Blocks – Ifenna Cos-Okpalla – 5
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MATCH NOTES
The Maroon & White return to the Tudor Fieldhouse tomorrow to conclude the Rice Invitational versus Central Arkansas with first serve set for 2 p.m.
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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.
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The Maroon & White (2-0) put on a dominant display to sweep Rice (0-1) behind a balanced mix of offense and defense, as the team recorded 32 kills, 10 blocks and six aces as a unit.
Â
The Aggies came out of the gate firing, scoring the first-four points of the match forcing an early break from the Owls. Texas A&M kept its foot on the gas, extending its lead by one as it hit double digits (10-5). Holding all the momentum, the Maroon & White piled on another three to its lead as Rice burnt its final timeout, 17-9. The dominance continued, as the Aggies closed the set on an 8-4 run to take the opener, 25-13.
Â
Both teams came out trading points in the second (4-4), however Texas A&M was the one to break the deadlock and strung together a 7-1 run forcing Rice to huddle up (11-5). The Maroon & White showed no letup, as they strung together six kills, two blocks and benefited from six Owl errors to take the frame (25-16) and double their lead, 2-0.
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The theme of the match continued, as it was the Aggies who came out on fire racing to a six-point advantage prompting a Rice timeout (8-2). After a back-and-forth, the Owls battled to close the deficit to three (16-13), but Texas A&M answered back with a 9-5 streak to take the set (25-18) and match, 3-0.
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STAT LEADERS
Kills – Kyndal Stowers – 10
Hitting Percentage (Min. 10 kills) – Kyndal Stowers – .259
Assists – Maddie Waak – 26
Aces – Kyndal Stowers, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla – 2
Digs – Ava Underwood, Addi Applegate – 9
Blocks – Ifenna Cos-Okpalla – 5
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MATCH NOTES
- Maddie Waak's 26 assists pushed her to 2,500 in her career.
- With her first block of the match, Morgan Perkins reached 200 while representing the Maroon & White.
The Maroon & White return to the Tudor Fieldhouse tomorrow to conclude the Rice Invitational versus Central Arkansas with first serve set for 2 p.m.
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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.