Aggies Win Sixth Straight with Sweep of Bobcats

(Source: Kate Luffman)

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas A&M volleyball won its sixth-straight match on Tuesday night, sweeping Texas State (25-21, 25-22, 27-25) on the road. The Aggies elevated to 7-2 on the season, while the Bobcats fell to 2-8 overall.

Leading the way for the Maroon & White was Morgan Christion, who notched her fifth 10-plus kill performance of the season, finishing with 14 on the night. Camille Conner dished out 35 assists, while Camryn Ennis led the Aggies’ defensive efforts with 18 digs.

It was a back-and-forth battle to start in the opening frame, before Texas State drew its largest lead, sitting at an 11-7 advantage. Kills from Lauren Davis, Mallory Talbert and Christon kept the Aggies within reach, as the Bobcats used a timeout holding onto a one-point lead. Three-straight points out of the break by A&M helped the Maroon & White take its first lead since early points of the set. Four different Aggies teamed up across the net for back-to-back stuffs to give the A&M a two-point cushion, before an attacking error by the Bobcats capped the comeback 25-21 win for the Aggies.

The Bobcats responded by scoring four-straight to open the second set. With London Austin-Roark behind the service line, the Aggies climbed back to level it. Three-straight aces by the Bobcats pushed the home team ahead by four, but an ace delivered by Ciera Hecht highlighted a run that brought A&M within one. The teams exchanged blows midway through the set, as neither side held more than a one-point advantage. Trailing 21-19, the Maroon & White fought its way back to seal the frame, 25-22, with kills from Austin-Roark and Conner.

For the fifth time this season Christon tallied at least 10 kills, reaching double figures in the third set for an early 7-6 edge for the Aggies. A 3-0 run by the Bobcats carried Texas State into the media break with a two-point cushion. Swings from Conner and Davis knotted the set at 17-all, before Christon’s match-leading 12th kill gave the Aggies a 20-19 advantage. A pair of successful challenges by Laura “Bird” Kuhn late in the frame leveled the score at 23 as the teams continued to go back-and-forth. Closing on a 3-0 run, highlighted by Christon’s 14th kill, the Aggies held on for the 27-25 third-set win to grab their sixth-straight victory.

UP NEXT
The Aggies return to Reed Arena on Friday to host No. 1 Texas at 6 p.m. Fans with a ticket for Saturday’s football game against New Mexico receive free admission to the volleyball match, while the first 2,000 fans will receive a special War Hymn shirt.

BIRD BITS
Texas A&M Head Coach, Laura “Bird” Kuhn
On what made the difference at the end of each set…
“I believe the trust at the end of the sets, the belief in each other and just finishing made the difference. We talk about it all the time, being clean and just finish, but also earning our own points. I’m proud of our team and how we finished on the road.”

On the two successful challenges late in the third set…
“We always look at the team on the court, and when Camryn (Ennis) served that ball she looked at me and so did Camille (Conner) and I knew it was worth it. It was late in the third set and we wanted to finish it. We did whatever it took, and in that case, it was using our challenges.”

On how to keep the momentum going…
“We talk about it every day – you build on it. You adapt, you adjust and you build on doing your job. That’s what we do as a team and I’m proud of them for continuing to grow together.”

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