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FORT WORTH, Texas – The Texas A&M volleyball team (2-2) powered past Coastal Carolina (3-1), 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 32-30), to open the Fight in the Fort tournament Friday morning.
The Aggies finished with a season-high 12 blocks led by Elena Karakasi and Madison Bowser, who each recorded six. As a team, A&M held the Chanticleers to a .065 hitting percentage.
The Maroon & White erased an eight-point deficit in the third set to climb its way to a 32-30 victory to pull off the sweep of Coastal Carolina. A 4-0 run highlighted by two kills from Caroline Meuth and the team’s 12th block leveled the score at 23-all. Seven more ties in the frame made it 30-all, before Meuth’s team-high 11th kill pushed the Aggies to match point and Coastal Carolina’s 26th attacking error handed A&M the set.
The Aggies opened the match with back-to-back blocks, including a pair from Karakasi. The setter-middle connection gave Bowser two early kills and a 6-3 lead for the Aggies. Another block, this time by Karakasi and Molly Brown pushed A&M ahead, 13-8, before the duo connected for the Aggies’ largest lead. A 6-1 run extended A&M’s cushion, before the fifth team block gave the Aggies the opening frame, 25-20.
The Aggies continued to run in the second frame, opening on a 4-1 run behind a sixth block by A&M. The Chanticleers battled back to come within one, but Bowser’s fifth kill and Lauren Hogan’s second service ace carried the Maroon & White to a 15-9 advantage. Three-straight aces from Meuth gave A&M a 23-11 lead, before the Aggies grabbed the set, 25-12.
UP NEXT
The Aggies return to the court tonight and take on Memphis at 5 p.m.
BIRD BITS
Head coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn
On the team’s fight in the third set…
“I was proud of the response to locking back in and getting disciplined. I think we got a little loose, but we always have to do our job. It doesn’t matter who our opponent is, we need to play our game.”
On the team’s effort at the net…
“This week in practice, we worked on being disciplined with our hands and being aggressive. I was proud of them for starting the match and setting the tone right away. We have to continue that, and continue to execute our game plans.”