|
Lindsey
Miller recorded a match-high 20 kills to lead Texas A&M to its ninth
straight win, a 25-9, 24-26, 27-25, 20-25, 15-10 win at Ole Miss tonight in both
teams’ regular season finale.
A&M
improved to 24-5 overall, the most wins since 2001 when the Aggies went 26-6
and advanced to the NCAA Regional Final. In addition, A&M closed out its
inaugural season as a member of the Southeastern Conference with a 16-4 league
mark, winning the SEC Western Division championship and placing second overall.
A&M’s
next match is to be determined as the 64-team NCAA Championship bracket will be
unveiled Sunday at 3 p.m. on
ESPNU. The Aggies, who entered the week No. 18 in the Ratings Percentage Index
(RPI) and defeated No. 15 (RPI) Tennessee on Wednesday will make their 20th NCAA
tournament appearance and are hopeful of hosting first and second rounds for
the second consecutive year.
A&M
jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the opening set and was in command the entire
frame. The Aggies, who outhit Ole Miss, .500 to .000, surged to a 19-9 lead
when setter Allie Sawatzky began a six-point rally with a dump kill. Ole Miss
hit long on the next play, and Tori Mellinger followed with back-to-back kills
to put A&M up 23-9. Another Ole Miss attack error put the Aggies at set
point, and Miller capped the win with a kill on the slide attack.
There were
14 ties and six lead changes in the second set as Ole Miss played with much
more aggression and accuracy and outhit the Aggies, .368 to .258. Ole Miss held
a 16-13 lead before A&M went on a 4-0 run to take a 17-16 lead. It would be
the Aggies’ final lead of the stanza as Kara Morgan powered one of her five
kills in the frame to tie the score, and Ty Laporte followed with an ace to
return the lead to Ole Miss. A&M tied the set four more times, twice
overcoming two-point deficits, but the Aggies were unable to regain the lead.
The score was knotted at 23-23 when Allegra Wells put down her sixth kill of
the set with an off-speed shot to put Ole Miss at set point. Alisia Kastmo kept
the Aggies alive with a kill, but Laporte countered with a kill on the slide
attack. Morgan then blasted a kill to give Ole Miss the 26-24 win and even the
match at 1-1.
A&M
would take a 5-2 lead early in the third set, but Ole Miss fought back and the
set turned into another closely contested battle. Ole Miss took its first lead
since 2-1 at 18-17, but a set-over kill by Mariah Agre and a block by Stephanie
Minnerly and Kastmo returned the lead to the Maroon and White. The teams then
began to exchange points and were tied at 25-all when Wells committed an attack
error to put A&M at set point. Kastmo and Miller then teamed for a block to
clinch the 27-25 win, giving the Aggies a 2-1 lead in the match.
Ole Miss
used a 3-0 run to take a 4-3 lead in the fourth set and kept the lead for the
reminder of the frame. Ole Miss, which outhit A&M .440 to .114 in the set,
later went on a 5-0 run to build a 13-7 lead that A&M was unable to
overcome. The Aggies could get no closer than four points for the remainder of
the frame, including 23-19 after A&M scored back-to-back points. But then
the Aggies served into the net to put Ole Miss at set point. Miller put A&M
within 24-20 with a kill on the slide attack, but Morgan answered with an
off-speed kill to end the frame and send A&M to its second consecutive five-set
match.
The Aggies jumped out
to a 3-0 lead to begin the decisive fifth set, but Ole Miss kept chipping away at
the lead, getting within 11-10. Miller then took over, posting back-to-back
kills and a block along with Mellinger to put the Aggies at match point, 14-10.
Mellinger then followed with a kill to clinch the match for the Aggies.
Miller hit
.487 while posting her personal season-high 20 kills. Mellinger registered her
14th double-double with 11 kills and a season-high and match-high 22
digs.
A&M
outhit Ole Miss, .259 to .206 to improve to 8-0 in the all-time series and
complete the season series sweep. A&M also led in kills (68-61), assists (65-59) and digs (70-59). Ole Miss led in blocks, 11-8.
|
