The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas A&M
Volleyball snaps skid at Texas A&M with five-game win
10.05.2005 | Volleyball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Brandy Magee recorded a season-high 22 kills, hit .625 and added six blocks as 19th-ranked Texas snapped it's seven-year losing streak at No. 23 Texas A&M with five-game victory - 30-19, 28-30, 30-25, 28-30, 15-9 - at the Aggies' G. Rollie White Coliseum on Wednesday night in front of 3,509 fans. With the victory, Texas earned ½ point toward UT's total in the 2005 State Farm Lone Star Showdown rivalry series between the two schools.
Texas won its first match in College Station since 1998, and in the process, won the teams' eighth-straight five-game contest dating back to 1994.
For Texas (10-2, 5-1 Big 12), a total of four players recorded double figures in kills, as Leticia Armstrong added 18, Lauren Paolini had 16 and Dariam Acevedo contributed her third double-double of the season with 10 kills and 10 digs.
Alyson Jennings matched her career high with 21 digs, while Armstrong tied her career high with eight blocks, including the game-winner - combined with Paolini - at match point. Michelle Moriarty also chipped in a season-high 69 assists.
Texas A&M (7-7, 0-5 Big 12) had four players reach double figures in kills, led by Laura Jones' match-high 23. Christi Hahn added 14, while Lindsey Yon had 11 and Kelly Stanton 10. Jones and Yon both recorded double-doubles in the loss as Jones had 15 digs and Yon 12.
The Longhorns hit .278 in the match - including a .500 mark in the decisive game five - while holding the Aggies to a .194 mark. UT collected 15 blocks as A&M had 10. Magee and Armstrong each had six for the Horns, while Hahn had five to lead A&M.
With the ½ point in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown, Texas now leads the 2005 standings 1.5 to 0. Another ½ point will be up for grabs when the two teams meet in Austin on Oct. 26.
In game five, the Longhorns pulled out a 5-1 lead and maintained at least a four-point margin for the rest of the match. Magee came out strong for UT, swinging for five kills and adding a block to push UT to the win.
Texas jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead to open the match in the first game, establishing a lead it wouldn't surrender the rest of the game. A&M called a quick timeout and came back out, pulling within four points at 6-2, but that was as close as the Aggies got the rest of the game as the Longhorns continued to pull away.
A&M came out in game two and moved to a 7-3 lead, swinging for five kills the run. The Longhorns got within two points after back-to-back Aggie errors, but then TAMU puled ahead by five at 15-10, its biggest lead of the game. The Longhorns inched back to within two points at 26-24 after a Moriarty ace, and although Texas got within one point at 29-28 (A&M), Jones connected for the Aggies' final four kills - of her eight total in the game - to knot the score at 1-1 headed into the intermission.
After UT went ahead by eight points at 17-9, the Aggies climbed back to within three points at 18-15 with a 6-1 run, benefiting from four Horn errors. The teams traded points back and forth and after a 5-2 run by UT, the Longhorns were up by seven points at 29-22. However, the Aggies notched three-straight points to pull within four and staving off game point, but an Armstrong kill ended the game and put the Horns up 2-1.
The teams played a tight third game with neither team holding more than a two point advantage until the Aggies moved ahead 23-20. However, the Longhorns rallied back to tie the match at 24-24 after a Magee kill and a Armstrong-Christian block. After block - this time Paolini and Armstrong - put the Horns up by one point at 25-24, but TAMU came back with back-to-back points. One more tie ensued before the Aggies went ahead for good on a UT service error, 27-26. After a Yon kill, the Aggies forced game five with a service error that handed TAMU the game.
The Longhorns return to action on Saturday, Oct. 8, when they travel to Waco for a 7 p.m. match at Baylor. UT comes back to Gregory Gym on Wednesday, Oct. 12, when the team hosts No. 7 Missouri in a 6:30 p.m. match that will be aired live on ESPNU.
