Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Despite a team-leading 14-kill performance by Morgan Christon, Texas A&M volleyball (12-13, 5-10 SEC) fell in straight sets (18-25, 20-25, 20-25) to the visiting Arkansas Razorbacks (18-8, 9-6 SEC) at Reed Arena on Wednesday night.
Christon helped the Aggies hit over .200 on the night for the second-straight outing, while Ciera Hecht and Camille Conner held down the team defensively, combining for 25 digs. The Maroon & White out-blocked Arkansas, 7-4, as Treyaunna Rush and Mallory Talbert each tallied three blocks apiece.
Arkansas opened the match with a 3-0 run, but a kill from Christon paved the way for a 3-1 Aggie response to knot the set. The Razorbacks moved ahead by a 10-8 margin and led 15-10 at the media break, despite four early kills from Christon. A Razorback service error halted a five-point Arkansas run, while a kill from Lauren Davis sparked a comeback attempt from A&M. Arkansas went on a 4-1 run in the closing points of the frame to take the opener, 25-18.
The Razorbacks snagged the first two points in the second stanza and raced ahead to an early 6-2 lead. After another Arkansas run, the Aggies were forced into a timeout trailing 10-4. A&M embarked on a 3-1 response followed by a flurry of exchanges which culminated in a 16-12 Razorback advantage. The Maroon & White continued to battle and pulled within two, but ultimately came up short, 25-20.
A pair of four-point runs from Arkansas ballooned the lead for the Razorbacks, paving the way for a 12-6 edge in the deciding set. Hecht rattled off a trio of kills to inspire a 5-1 Aggie comeback, while Rush recorded two kills in the stretch for the Maroon & White, but Arkansas maintained a slim lead. The Razorbacks completed the sweep, finishing on a 6-2 run, grabbing the third set, 25-20.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M hits the road to play at LSU on Sunday, before wrapping up the regular season at home against the Missouri Tigers, Nov. 26-27.
BIRD BITS
Head coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn
On the changes in momentum during the match…
“We talk about it in volleyball all the time – it’s the point runs. So, when you get a two- or three-point run going, but give away five, it snowballs. That’s where we have to talk about controlling the momentum. Right in the middle of each set we kind of lose that, and that’s when you really have to lock in and have composure as a team competitively.”
On what she has seen from the back row…
“Allison (Fields) has been solid for us. I think it’s more of an intangible thing with her. Her will and her ability to make everyone go hard and connect around her has been positive. But the passing in general has been something that has been up and down. Our offense is finding more rhythm, which is always a positive thing, but we have to piece it all together.”