Jayhawks Suffer 3-0 Setback At Texas A&M
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Despite a match-high 18 kills from sophomore Allison Mayfield, the University of Kansas volleyball team fell in three sets (25-17, 25-22, 25-23) at Texas A&M Saturday afternoon.
With the loss, KU dropped to 9-5 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12 as head coach Ray Bechard continues his hunt for career win 900. In his 25th season as a head coach, 12th with the Jayhawks, Bechard is 899-225 all-time.
Texas A&M improved to 10-3 on the season and 3-2 in the conference.
Down two sets to none, Kansas showed it still had fight left as it nearly took the third set from Texas A&M, which has received votes each week in the AVCA coaches’ poll this season.
The Jayhawks went on a 5-1 run to knot the score at 19-19. After trading points with the Aggies, Mayfield scored back-to-back kills to put KU back within one at 23-22 but A&M sneaked by with the 25-23 set three win to take the match.
Mayfield’s 18 kills were just one shy of her career best.
Junior Melissa Manda had 10 digs in the third set alone as she finished with a team-high 18 digs in the contest for her 11th-straight match with double-digit digs.
The Jayhawks struggled on offense in the opening set but cleaned up their swings in set two hitting at a .268 clip. Unfortunately, Texas A&M’s offense also stepped up as the Aggies hit a match-best .425 in the frame.
During the second set, Kansas came within one point twice down the stretch but had missed opportunities to gain momentum. KU trailed at 20-19 and again at 21-20 before A&M scored three straight points to take a 24-20 lead. In the next sequence of plays, Mayfield recorded a kill and Texas A&M had an attack error to earn Kansas a couple more tallies, but a KU attack error in the next play gave the Aggies the set victory at 25-22.
KU committed nine hitting miscue and four service errors in the first set as Texas A&M recorded a 25-17 win to open the match.
Kansas next travels to nationally-ranked Nebraska on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Match time with the Huskers is set for 7 p.m. and will be televised on NET (Nebraska Education Television).
