Volleyball Falls In Three At Texas A&M
Oct. 25, 2008
COLLEGE STATION, Texas –
Kansas’ defense featured three players with double digit digs to hold down the Texas A&M Aggies’ offense, but KU couldn’t find the offensive answer it needed as the Jayhawks fell in three sets (25-17, 25-14, 25-23) here Saturday afternoon.
Kansas, who collected a season low 28 kills in the match, drops to 9-11 overall and 3-8 in the Big 12. Texas A&M meanwhile, improves its overall record to 10-11 and 5-6 in league action.
Sophomore libero Melissa Manda led the Jayhawks with 12 digs in the back court, while junior Katie Martincich and freshman Nicole Tate each chipped in 10. Tate also tallied 23 assists in the contest for her seventh double-double of the season.
Texas A&M collected seven straight points in the first set to jump to a quick 8-1 lead. Kansas and the Aggies traded points through the rest of the set but the Jayhawks’ early deficit was too much to overcome as they fell 25-17 in the opening stanza.
In set two, KU’s offense could not gather enough momentum to counter the Aggies’ attack. A&M strung together several three and four-point runs to stay out of reach of the Jayhawks as they won 25-14 to take a two-set advantage into the break.
It was Kansas’ turn with the early lead in set three but Texas A&M came back to lock the score at seven and, after four more tied scores, used five straight points to overtake the advantage, 16-13. The Jayhawks battled back within one point five times and even knotted the score at 22, but a KU serving error and two Aggie kills earned Texas A&M the 25-23 victory.
The Aggies recorded a .200 hitting percentage in the contest, the lowest KU opponent average in five matches, but Kansas was only able to counter at a .041 clip.
Sophomore Jenna Kaiser paced the team with nine kills. Junior Brittany Williams and sophomore Karina Garlington added five kills a piece for the Jayhawks.
The Jayhawks next take on Border Showdown rival Missouri Wednesday, Oct. 29. KU and MU will match up at 7 p.m. at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
