AUBURN, Ala. – Texas A&M junior middle blocker Jazzmin Babershit .765 with 14 kills in 17 attempts and added eight blocks to lead Texas A&M to a 25-14, 25-17, 25-21 victory over Auburn tonight Auburn Arena.
With the win, A&M improves to 8-5 overall and evens its Southeastern Conference record at 1-1. Auburn falls to 9-5 overall and 1-1 in league play.
The Aggies never trailed in the opening set and held an 11-8 lead when sophomore outside hitter Kiara McGee powered a block off the Auburn block, marking the start of an 8-0 run by A&M. Babers pitched in three of her six first-set kills and also added a block during the rally that pushed A&M to a 19-8 lead. Auburn got a kill to end the run, and the teams began to trade points until Auburn posted a kill and an ace to get within 23-14. Sophomore setter Stephanie Aiple, who made her first start since suffering a foot injury in A&M’s 3-2 victory over No. 15 Colorado State on Sept. 15, put the Aggies at set point with a dump kill, and the Tigers were in the net on their next attack attempt to end the frame.
The Aggies, who outhit Auburn .545 to .133 in the first set, improved to a .591 hitting percentage in the second set with 13 kills without an error in 22 attempts. A&M took control early with Aiple getting three kills and teaming for a block during a 7-0 run that put A&M ahead, 8-1. Junior outside hitter Emily Hardesty later crafted a kill off the Auburn block to give A&M its largest lead at 13-5.
Auburn twice got within five points, the last coming at 20-15 before senior middle blocker Shelby Sullivan got a kill and Auburn hit long to put A&M ahead, 22-15. The teams exchanged points and A&M held a 23-17 advantage before McGee hammered a kill and Sullivan followed with an ace as her serve hit the top of the net and fell untouched on the Auburn side.
Auburn took its first lead of the match at 14-13 in the third set and went on to build a 16-14 lead. The Tigers then hit wide as A&M reeled off six unanswered points to go up, 20-16. Auburn managed to cut the lead to 22-21 before Hardesty put down two kills during an A&M 3-0 run to close out the set and secure the victory.
A&M, which outblocked the Tigers, 10-2, hit .481 for the match, breaking the school record for hitting percentage in a three-set SEC match and ranking fifth all-time.
Babers’ eight blocks gave her 304 for her career, moving her from ninth to sixth in the A&M career record books. Her .765 hitting percentage tied the A&M SEC match record for hitting percentage when making 15-19 attempts, a record she and Sullivan set last season.
Aiple dished out 29 assists, and Sullivan had all three of A&M’s aces. Sophomore libero Amy Nettles led the Aggies in digs with nine.
Brenna McIlroy had 15 kills to lead the Tigers, who hit .231 for the match but committed eight ill-timed service errors.
The Aggies return home to play host to Ole Miss Sunday at 1 p.m. at Reed Arena.
Several promotions will be on tap for the meeting between the Aggies and the Rebels:
- Camper Reunion Day: Free admission to all Texas A&M volleyball summer campers. Tickets can be claimed athttp://12mf.info/?Sx5fA3 with promo code REUNION!
- Princesses & Pirates Day: Stop by the Junior Aggie Club table for princesses and pirates-theme crafts. Be sure to take part in the pre-match treasure hunt set to take place at 12:45 p.m. in the volleyball practice gym.
- Sunday Funday: Buy one adult ticket and get up to four kids in free. Take advantage of the free Kids Court in the volleyball practice gym prior to first serve.
- Post-match Autographs: Stick around for a post-match autograph session to be held on the court with the Aggie volleyball team.
- Sports Pass – Free Admission
The match will be televised on the SEC Network with Paul Sunderland and Nell Fortner calling the action.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook and on Twitter and Instagram by following @AggieVolleyball.