No. 25 Aggies Hit the Road to Take on KU Jayhawks - TEXAS A&M OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

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No. 25 Aggies Hit the Road to Take on KU Jayhawks

Oct. 30, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan. -

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No. 25 Texas A&M (13-6, 6-5 Big 12) begins a two-match road swing on Saturday as the Aggies take on the Kansas Jayhawks (12-9, 4-7 Big 12) in Lawrence. First serve is at 6:30 p.m. at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.

A&M is in sixth place in the Big 12 standings, a half game behind both Baylor and Oklahoma who are tied for fourth place. The Aggies, who have won the last five meetings against the Jayhawks, are looking to get back into the win column after suffering back-to-back home losses, including a 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-20) loss to No. 2 Texas on Wednesday at Reed Arena.

Kansas is in eighth place in the league standings and has won three of its last four matches. Most recently, the Jayhawks defeated Missouri-Kansas City, 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-21) in a non-conference match on Tuesday in Lawrence

Texas A&M entered the week leading the nation in both assists and kills and continues to lead the Big 12 in both categories, averaging 14.12 assists and 14.92 kills per set. The Aggies, who are also in the top 20 in the nation for hitting percentage, are second in the league with a .260 hitting efficiency for the full season.

Aggie senior setter Kristen Schevikhoven, who entered the week ranked 17th in the nation for assists average, is second in the Big 12 with 11.23 assists per set. She directs a well-balanced A&M offense that has three players averaging more than three kills per set, including senior outside hitter Sarah Ammerman, who leads the team and is ranked third in the Big 12 with 4.07 kills and 4.51 points per set. Senior right-side hitter Jennifer Banse is hitting .284 and is second on the team and seventh in the Big 12 for with 3.40 kills per set and is eighth in the conference with 3.77 points per set, and senior outside hitter Mary Batis, who is ranked in A&M's top 10 records for career kills, points and digs, is averaging 3.05 kills per set for the full season.

Freshmen middle blockers Lindsey Miller and Alisia Kastmo also are an offensive threat and are hitting a combined .315, with Miller leading the way with a .331 hitting percentage that ranks seventh in the Big 12.

Meanwhile, freshman libero Tori Mellinger anchors the back row defense and has posted double figures in digs in 11 of the last 14 matches. The Lake Highlands High School product leads the Aggies and is ranked eighth in the Big 12 with 3.87 digs per set in league contests only.

A&M-KU SERIES RECORDS
• A&M leads the all-time series, 24-4, since the teams first met in 1990, including 23-4 in Big 12 matches only and 15-0 in matches played in College Station. • A&M swept the season series each of the last two years and has won the last six meetings. • A&M is 9-4 in matches played in Lawrence, although Kansas has won four of the last six meetings at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center. • Kansas' most recent victory was Sept. 20, 2006, in Lawrence as the Jayhawks won a thriller, 28-30, 30-26, 30-28, 29-31, 17-15, at Horejsi. • Last year, A&M held off Kansas, 25-20, 25-19, 16-25, 19-25, 15-8 in Lawrence on Oct. 8, and then kept the Jayhawks winless in College Station with a 25-17, 25-14, 25-23 victory on Oct. 25 at G. Rollie White Coliseum.

MOST RECENT MEETING
Texas A&M remained undefeated in home matches and kept Kansas winless in 15 all-time trips to College Station as the Aggies swept the Jayhawks, 25-17, 25-22, 25-23, in front of 1,360 at Reed Arena on Oct. 3.

Kansas (9-5, 2-3, Big 12) held a narrow 4-3 lead in the opening set before Aggie setter Kristen Schevikhoven's attack fell for a kill to start a three-point scoring spurt that would give A&M the lead for good. A&M freshman middle blocker Lindsey Miller followed with a punishing kill off of a Kansas overpass, and Schevikhoven and Miller then teamed for a block to put A&M up 6-4. Kansas was within striking distance at 12-10 when A&M went on a 7-1 scoring run.

A&M, which outhit Kansas .214 to .030 in the frame, built its biggest lead at 24-15, but Kansas fought off two set points before sending an attack long to give the Aggies the set.

A&M used a 6-1 run to break away from a 10-10 tie in the second set. All six of A&M's points in the run came on kills, with Miller and Jennifer Banse getting two each, and Alisia Kastmo and Kelsey Black also posting a kill apiece. Kansas, which was outhit .425 to .268 in the stanza, fought back within a point at 20-19 and 21-20 before A&M reeled off three unanswered points to be serving for the set. A Kansas kill and an A&M attack error put the Jayhawks within 24-22, before the Jayhawks' next attack sailed long to end the set and give the Aggies a 2-0 lead in the match.

A&M opened the third set with four consecutive points. The Aggies went on to build their biggest lead at 13-8, but Kansas later used a 5-1 run to tie the score at 19. The Jayhawks then committed a service error and an attack error to put the Aggies up, 21-19. Kansas managed to tie the score at 22 and 23 but was unable to take a lead.

Sarah Ammerman put down her team-leading 11th kill to put the Aggies at match point. Kansas had an attack error on the ensuing play to give A&M the win.

Ammerman also led the Aggies (10-3, 3-2 Big 12) in digs with 11, and freshman libero Tori Mellinger also reached double figures in digs with 10.

The Jayhawks, who were outhit, .286 to .202, were led by Allison Mayfield's 18 kills. Manda led all players with 18 digs.

AGGIE QUICK HITS
• A&M remained in the AVCA Top 25 for a third straight week on Oct. 26, although the Aggies fell four spots to No. 25. A&M broke into the poll for the first time this season at No. 22 on Oct. 12, marking A&M's first appearance in the Top 25 since the Aggies made a one-week appearance at No. 25 on Sept. 10, 2007. Last week's No. 21 ranking marked A&M's highest ranking since being ranked No. 20 on Sept. 19, 2005.

• Entering the week, the Aggies continued to lead the nation with 14.28 assists and 15.08 kills per set and were ranked 16th in the country with a .269 hitting percentage. A&M also was ranked 29th in the nation with 16.61 digs per set.

• As for individuals who were listed among the national statistical leaders, setter Kristen Schevikhoven was 17th with 11.37 assists per set. Outside hitter Sarah Ammerman was 35th with 4.16 kills per set and 39th with 4.62 points per set, and middle blocker Lindsey Miller ranked 99th with a .329 hitting percentage.

• A&M leads the Big 12 for fewest aces allowed (0.59) and is second for aces per set (1.28) for the full season. Freshman libero Tori Mellinger leads the A&M starters with 0.23 aces per set for the full season, and senior outside hitter Mary Batis is ninth in the Big 12 with a 0.24 ace average in conference matches only.

• A&M has three players averaging more than three kills per set for the full season: Sarah Ammerman, 4.07 kps; Jennifer Banse, 3.40 kps; and Mary Batis, 3.05 kps. In addition, three players are averaging more than three digs per set: Tori Mellinger, 3.46 dps; Batis, 3.30 dps; and Ammerman, 3.15 dps.

• Sarah Ammerman ranks ninth in the A&M career record books with 1,327 kills. She needs three more kills to move into eighth place, surpassing Elizabeth Edmiston, who had 1,329 from 1989-92. Ammerman also is third in career points with 1504.5.

• Senior setter Kristen Schevikhoven is seventh in the A&M career records with 2,717 assists, and Mary Batis is fourth in career points (1,471), ninth in digs (1,209) and 10th in kills (1,300). Batis needs 24 digs to move into eighth place, passing former All-American Laura Jones, who had 1,233 digs from 2002-2005.

• Sarah Ammerman's career-best streak of 11 consecutive matches with double-figure kills came to an end against No. 2 Texas on Wednesday as the senior outside hitter was held to seven kill. Her previous longest streak for double-digit kills was seven to close out the 2008 season.

• Add middle blocker to sophomore Kelsey Black's list of positions played. The 5-11 Amarillo, Texas native was the Aggies' designated libero as a freshman. This season, she as backed up both the left and right-side hitters and also come in as a defensive specialist. In the third set against No. 2 Texas, the versatile Black was inserted as a middle blocker. She finished the match with two kills and a solo block.

• Freshman libero Tori Mellinger, who has posted double figures in digs in 11 of the last 14 matches, has taken team-high honors in digs in a team-leading eight matches. Mellinger set a career high and led all players with 24 digs in the 3-1 win at No. 17 Baylor. At the time, her 24 digs equaled the most by any player in the Big 12 in a four-set conference match this season.

• A&M has two wins against Top 25 opponents this season. In its first match against a ranked opponent, A&M upset No. 6 Nebraska, 3-1, in a nationally televised match at Reed Arena on Sept. 23, snapping a 19-match losing skid against the Huskers. It marked A&M's first win against a top-10 team since defeating No. 9 Texas, 3-1, on Oct. 16, 2004, at G. Rollie White Coliseum in College Station. Furthermore, it was A&M's first victory against a team ranked No. 6 or higher since defeating No. 6 Wisconsin, 3-0, on Dec. 7, 2001, in the NCAA regional semifinals. The other ranked victory this season was at No. 17 Baylor, 3-1, on Oct. 10. A&M is 2-3 overall against Top 25 opponents. Losses were to No. 2 Texas twice and at then- No. 13 Iowa state on Oct. 14.

• Texas A&M had an all-time record home crowd of 3,856 attend the A&M-Texas match on Oct. 29 at Reed Arena. It broke the previous record of 3,778 set against Texas on Oct. 24, 2003, at G. Rollie White Coliseum. The Aggies are averaging 1,669 fans per home match this season.

• Ammerman's career-high 25 digs against Missouri on Sept. 26 marks the most digs in a match by an A&M player since former libero Holly Clay had 28 at Texas Tech on Oct. 22, 2005, when the 30-point scoring system was in effect. Ammerman ranks third on the team with 3.20 digs per set for the full season and is second on the squad with a 3.50 average in Big 12 matches only.

• A&M's .465 hitting percentage in the Big 12 opener at Texas Tech on Sept. 19 ranks ninth in the school record books and third all-time in A&M's Big 12 matches only. It also is the highest hitting percentage by a Big 12 team this season.

• The Aggies, who tied eventual NCAA-regional finalist Iowa State for fourth place in the Big 12 with an 11-9 league record last year, have been picked to finish fourth in the league this season, according to a preseason poll of the conference coaches. Defending Big 12 co-champions Texas and Nebraska are picked to finish first and second, respectively, with Iowa State following at third place. A&M is followed by Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Texas Tech.

• Aggie head coach Laurie Corbelli is 356-163 in her 17th year as head coach of the Aggies and 456-269 in the 24th season of her head coaching career. She is A&M's winningest coach in terms of total victories and ranks second for winning percentage (.686).

A LOOK AT THE JAYHAWKS
• Kansas is 12-9 overall and in eighth place in the Big 12 standings with a 4-7 conference record.

• The Jayhawks are coming off a 25-14, 22-16, 25-21 non-conference victory against Missouri-Kansas City in Lawrence on Tuesday. Allison Mayfield led the Jayhawks with 12 kills while hitting .333, and Karina Garlington pitched in 10 kills while hitting .429 to lead KU to a .367 team hitting percentage.

• With the win against UMKC, KU has won three of its last four matches.

• Kansas is 0-4 against Top 25 teams. All four matches were sweeps with losses on the road against No. 24 Baylor (Sept. 26) and No. 9 Nebraska (Oct. 7), and home losses against No. 14 Iowa State (Oct. 10) and No. 2 Texas (Oct. 14).

• The Jayhawks are 5-4 in matches played at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center this season.

• The match against the Aggies concludes a three-match homestand.

• Junior outside hitter Karina Garlington leads the Jayhawks and is ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 3.52 kills per set and is seventh. She is second in the league with 5.12 points per set in league matches, and senior middle blocker Paige Mazour is second in the conference with a .374 hitting percentage in Big 12 matches only.

• Garlington, who attended Grandview High School in Denver, Colo., and A&M's Kristen Schevikhoven and Sarah Ammerman were teammates at Front Range Volleyball Club and won the 2006 AAU National Championship.

• Ray Bechard (Fort Hays State `80) is 186-169 in his 12th season as head coach of the Jayhawks.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
A&M returns to the Sunflower State on Wednesday, Nov. 4, taking on Kansas State in Manhattan in a match that will be televised on FSN-KC. First serve against the Wildcats is 7 p.m. at Ahearn Field House. The match concludes a two-match road swing for the Aggies, who return to Reed Arana on Nov. 7 for a Top 25 showdown against No. 23 Baylor. A&M defeated the then-No. 17 Bears, 3-1, in Waco on Oct. 10.

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