COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M ran a balanced attack and also had a solid all-around defensive performance to rout Texas Tech, 25-14, 25-18, 25-17, tonight at Reed Arena.
“This may have been one of the most precisely executed matches this season,” A&M coach Laurie Corbelli said. “We’re really thrilled that some of the things we’ve been concentrating on have been able to be used in the matches. I thought our defensive was exceptional tonight, and our first touch to the setter both on defense and offense was really sharp. That allowed us to attack from a lot of different sets.”
Kelsey Black had nine kills and a match-high 17 digs to lead the Aggies to their 10th consecutive win against the Red Raiders and the season series sweep. Lindsey Miller, who posted a match-high five blocks, and Alisia Kastmo added eight and seven, kills respectively, and every other starter had at least four kills as setter Allie Sawatzky dished out 30 assists and directed the Aggie offense to a .272 to .118 hitting percentage advantage.
“I honestly thought just being in system a lot,” Corbelli said when asked what helped the team be so successful. “I thought Sawatzky did a nice job of distribution, and our hitters were taking huge approaches against one block or one and a half, usually not a fully formed double block because of being able to form so many options. And I think that having a setter that attacks a lot kept this defense on their heels. Wondering whether she was going to attack or pass it, I think that was a key to our success.”
Corbelli also praised A&M’s tough serving, as the Aggies posted eight aces, including three by Black.
“The serving and passing game becomes really important when you play a physical team like that,” Corbelli said. “I thought our serving was really good. The pressure we put on them with our serves, our goal was to keep Amanda Dowdy as subdued as possible. She’s typically getting 70 swings per match, and with our serving, we tried to keep her limited. I thought our serving was a real key to our success tonight.”
Dowdy, who entered the match ranked third in the Big 12 with 4.06 kills and 4.54 points per set, was held to a team-leading 10 kills on 39 attacks and a .154 hitting percentage.
A&M used a 7-2 run in the opening set to break away from a 3-3 tie. The Aggies continued to widen the gap while outhitting Tech, .409 to .129 in the frame. Leading 21-13, Tori Mellinger’s roll shot fell for a kill and Elise Hendrickson followed with a kill to put the Aggies up, 23-13. Libero Megan Pendergast had a diving save on the ensuing play, which ended with a kill by Black that put A&M at set point. A&M had a service error before Alisia Kastmo put down her fourth kill to clinch the set for the Aggies.
A&M scored the first four points of the second set and continued to pull away. The Aggies held a 12-8 lead when Black blasted a kill down the line to spark a 5-0 run, giving A&M its largest lead at 17-8. Following a Tech timeout, the Red Raiders went on a 5-1 run and continued to chip away at the lead, getting within 22-18. Tech was unable to get any closer as Chelsea Ringel and Stephanie Minnerly took advantage of consecutive Tech overpasses with back-to-back kills. Ringel then closed out the set with a kill from the back row to give the Aggies a 2-0 lead in the match.
Tech stayed within striking distance in the third set and trailed by only three points at 20-17 before A&M rallied for five unanswered points, capped by a match-winning kill by Black, to secure the victory.
A&M, 9-1 in home matches with only two home matches remaining, improved to 18-5 overall and 7-3 Big 12 Conference matches to take over sole possession of third place in the league standings.
Tech falls to 15-10 overall and 1-9 in conference play.
A&M hits the road for the next two matches, beginning with a trip to Manhattan, Kan., to take on the Kansas State Wildcats. The time of the match has been changed to 3 p.m. at Ahearn Field House.