Aggie Volleyball Closes Out Malibu Trip With Four-Set Win Over Pepperdine

MALIBU, Calif. – The Texas A&M volleyball team closed out the Pepperdine Tournament with a 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 19-25, 25-15) win over Pepperdine on Saturday night at the Firestone Fieldhouse. The Aggies improve their overall record to 4-1 before returning home in front of the 12th Man.

Juniors Camille Conner and Makena Patterson were named to the Pepperdine All-Tournament Team. Conner had a season-high 42 assists and hit .333 with eight kills.

“Camille for the second straight weekend ran the offense,” said head coach Bird Kuhn. “She’s taking charge and the balance was amazing.”

Patterson also had a season-high 12 kills, while hitting a .600 clip, and recording seven digs and three blocks.

Makena Patterson went off this weekend,” said Kuhn, as Patterson finished the weekend with 22 kills and 11 blocks.

Senior outside hitter Hollann Hans registered her 25th career double-double after finishing with a season-high 15 kills and 10 digs.

Camila Gomez led the defense for the Aggies with 13 digs, while Taylor Voss tallied eight.

Set One
It was a back and forth battle until A&M had a 6-0 run to take a 16-9 lead. The Aggies controlled its lead throughout the set and had a five-point advantage at the 20-point mark. A kill by Conner and two kills by Lauren Davis would push the Aggies ahead 23-15. Makena Patterson’s kill gave the Aggies set point and Treyaunna Rush secured the set, 25-17. The freshmen duo of Davis and Rush led A&M going 4-4, helping the Aggies to a .609 mark in the first set.

Set Two
A&M came in hot in the second set, jumping out to a 4-0 lead forcing Pepperdine to call a timeout. The Aggies would build on its lead to eventually go ahead 13-6 from a 5-0 run and would not let up. Back-to-back kills by Makena Patterson put the score at 21-13. Pepperdine had back-to-back kills at the Aggies’ set point, but Hans fired a kill to close out the set, 25-19. Hans had seven kills in the second set and was flawless without any errors. A&M had a .324 clip and held the Waves to a .143 hitting percentage.

Set Three
There were seven ties and five lead changes in the third set. A 6-0 run sparked a 15-10 lead for Pepperdine. A&M trailed throughout the remainder of the set. Pepperdine had a hitting percentage of .314 holding the Aggies to a .118 hitting percentage. Makena Patterson and Hollann Hans each had three kills in the third set with Camila Gomez leading the defense with five digs.

Set Four
A&M took a 10-5 lead early on and did not let up. Throughout most of the set, the Aggies held an eight-point lead and gained a 20-11 edge after a block by Hans and Patterson. Back-to-back kills by Hans and Talbert set the Aggies up for match point. Pepperdine was able to get two points, but gave the Aggies the match with a service error, 25-15.

Notables

  • A&M played their first four-set match of the 2019 season.
  • A&M out-blocked the Waves 10-7. Talbert led the Aggies with four block assists and one solo block.
  • The Aggies hit .365 and had a set-high of .609 in the first.
  • The freshmen duo of Lauren Davis and Treyaunna Rush were solid for the Aggies. Davis had nine kills, while Rush posted a .500 hitting percentage on seven kills.

Thoughts from Coach Bird Kuhn
“It was a great road win for the team,” said Kuhn. “Trey came on this weekend and was consistent in her blocking. Hollann did well blocking and was strong on offense. They just put it together and that’s what’s nice, especially on the road. The girls come together and compete every day at practice. When it comes time, they put it together and they trust the process. Tonight was a huge team win on the road at Pepperdine.”

Up Next
The Aggies return home to play their 2019 debut in front of the 12th Man for the Texas A&M Invitational Sept. 6-7. A&M opens play against Texas State on Sept. 6 at 6 p.m.

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 and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.

Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics

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