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Texas A&M
No. 2 Volleyball tops Texas A&M, 3-0, advances to NCAA Regional final
12.11.2009 | Volleyball
Dec. 11, 2009
OMAHA, Neb. -- Senior Destinee Hooker logged a match-high 23 kills on .465 hitting, and junior Juliann Faucette chipped in 11 kills on .417 hitting to pace No. 2 Texas (27-1) to a 3-0 victory (25-18, 25-18, 25-21) over Texas A&M Friday afternoon in the round of 16 at the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Championships.
Texas advances to the NCAA Regional finals for a fourth consecutive season and is set to meet 10th-seeded Nebraska on Saturday at 8 p.m. Central. Nebraska defeated seventh-seeded Iowa State in the evening's second regional semifinal match, 3-0. Saturday's match will be televised live by ESPNU, and the winner advances to the national semifinals set for Thursday, Dec. 17 in Tampa, Fla.
Texas opened up a 3-1 lead in set one before the Aggies responded and took a 7-6 lead behind a kill from Sarah Ammerman. Tied at eight apiece, the Longhorns claimed the next four points behind three Hooker kills and a Faucette block, as UT assumed a 12-8 lead and forced an A&M timeout.
A Faucette block and a Doris block staked Texas to a 14-8 lead, and the Horns would later assume a 17-10 cushion behind a kill from Bailey Webster. The Aggies claimed the next three points to pull within 17-13 and force a Texas timeout. UT regained control from there, as it took four of the next five points to assume a 21-14 lead.
Texas A&M pulled within 22-18, but an attack error from the Aggies pushed the Texas lead out to 23-18. After another A&M timeout, Hooker closed out the set with a block and a kill, as UT took the first set, 25-18.
Faucette and Adams teamed up for a block to open the second set, and after A&M evened the set at two apiece, Texas went on a 6-0 run behind three Hooker kills that culminated with an 8-2 Texas lead and an Aggie timeout. Out of the break, Texas A&M seized two of the next three points behind kills from Mary Batis to cut the Texas lead to 9-4.
After an Engle kill gave UT a 10-4 lead, A&M took the next three points behind kills from Lindsey Miller and Ammerman and a Texas attack error to cut the deficit to 10-7 and force a Texas timeout.
A pair of Texas blocks from Adams and Hooker gave UT a 12-7 lead, and with a 13-9 lead, Faucette notched three straight kills to extend the Longhorns' cushion to 16-9. Leading 17-11, Hooker followed a kill with a service ace to give UT a 19-11 lead and force another Aggie timeout.
Texas A&M clawed its way back into the set, and with Texas leading 22-17, Hooker's first miscue on her 27th swing cut the UT lead to 22-18 and forced a Texas timeout. But, UT regrouped once more.
A lengthy rally on the ensuing point produced an errant Aggie attack, and Texas set up set point as Doris and Hooker teamed up for another block. Hooker and Doris joined for one final block to seal the 25-18 Texas win in the second set.
Tied at four apiece in set three, Texas ran off five straight behind three Doris aces along with a block and a kill from Engle, as A&M burned another timeout. Trailing 11-5, the Aggies' Ammerman ran off three straight kills to cut the UT lead to 11-8 and force a Texas timeout.
A Longhorn error brought A&M within 11-9, but a Hooker block sandwiched between her 19th and 20th kills lifted Texas to a 14-9 lead. Trailing 19-14, A&M picked up two kills from Ammerman to cut the deficit to 19-16 and force a UT timeout.
A Longhorns error cut the lead to 19-17, but a Faucette kill and an Ammerman attack error gave Texas a 21-17 lead. Hooker's 22nd kill and a Hooker block alongside Doris staked Texas to a 23-18 and forced another A&M timeout. A Faucette kill set up a match point and a 24-21 Texas lead, and after a kill from A&M's Batis, Hooker logged her 23rd kill to seal the victory for Texas.
Texas Post-Match Notes
- With the victory, Texas improved to 27-1 on the season. The Longhorns advance to the Regional Final, where they will meet the winner of Friday's late match between seventh-seeded Iowa State and 10th-seeded Nebraska.
- Texas has now advanced to the NCAA Regional Final in each of the last four seasons and will be looking for their second straight trip to the NCAA Semifinals.
- The win was Texas' eighth straight victory overall and the Longhorns' 12th straight win against Texas A&M. UT leads the all-time series with the Aggies, 67-22.
- Texas improved to 56-22 all-time in NCAA Tournament action. The Longhorns' 56 all-time NCAA Tournament wins rank seventh nationally.
- The Texas senior class improved its four-year win total to 107, the most in Head Coach Jerritt Elliott's eight seasons in Austin. The 107 victories are the most by a Texas senior class since 1993.
- Texas' .402 hitting percentage was the highest Texas A&M has allowed this season.
- Destinee Hooker finished with 23 kills in tonight's match, marking her fifth 20-kill effort of the season and second straight. Hooker opened the match with a kill to become just the second Longhorn ever to record 200 career kills in the NCAA Tournament. Hooker now owns 222 kills in her postseason career.
- Hooker hit .465 on the night, committing only three errors in 43 swings. She did not commit her first error until her 27th swing of the night at the 22-18 mark of the second set.
- In four career matches at the Qwest Center, Hooker has totaled 77 kills on .376 hitting with 43 digs, 11 blocks and five aces. She is averaging 19.25 kills per match at the Qwest Center.
- Hooker also added one service ace in the match. In her NCAA Tournament career, Hooker has record 19 aces to tie the Texas career postseason list (also 19 by Dawn Davenport).
- Hooker also increased her career total to 18 solo blocks to rank second in UT history in postseason matches (19 by Angie Breitenfield is school record).
- Ashley Engle finished with six kills, to give her 1,202 kills in her career. She is just the 10th Longhorn to record 1,200 kills in a career
- Heather Kisner had nine digs in the matching to give her 161 digs in her NCAA Tournament career. That total is just one shy of Alyson Jennings' Texas postseason record.
Texas Post-Match Quotes
Head Coach Jerritt Elliott
Opening statement: First of all I would like to congratulate Texas A&M, they played a great season and really battled toward the end, winning their last Big 12 matches to get into this tournament and showed the strength of our conference. Hats off to them, they have an incredible senior class. They fought and got back to this point. Someone on their staff should be commended for it. On our side, I am extremely pleased. The team fought really hard, we've been fighters all year long. We had a lot of good balance in our offense and we just grinded it out. We got some big leads and kind of took it off the pedal a few times. Overall I am very pleased with our performance. We got some great balance and were able to challenge some players and they were able to respond.
On their style of play tonight: I think one of our themes this year is to keep chopping and keep going at it. We know and we've talked to our team about this. Each opportunity, whether it is a side out opportunity or more so when we're serving, is to give us an opportunity to go on big runs. We're good enough to be able to do that. We did it in different ways. We had a few times where it was blocking, one time with Jen Doris, our middle blocker, serving the ball, a few times with some really nice digs and transition swings that allowed those runs. When we're able to sustain that kind of level, it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on teams.
On the success they had in the match: I think we got a little bit heavy with Destinee (Hooker), but that was early on. I thought we were able to get Juliann (Faucette) and Ashley (Engle) involved in those situations. Our passing broke down a little bit. We got pretty one-dimensional as far as having to go to Destinee in those times and that is where I feel like the balance kind of got off. When we are able to get 24 swings from Juliann on the right side, then we got Ashley 10 (swings). It's important and our middles do a really nice job of controlling ball. The left sides are always going to have more swings because you are out of system more often than not. You look at the numbers tonight and everyone, except for one player, is hitting over .400. It's a good balance and it stresses teams out in knowing how to defend you.
Outside Hitter Destinee Hooker
On her ability to play with so few errors tonight: I just think I was working more on secondary shots. You don't want to kill the ball every time. They were starting to read the goals really well, so I used the secondary goals.
On why she plays off the net: I want to be off the net more than I am on it because they can block the ball and when I'm off the net I can see the court more.
Texas A&M Post-Match Quotes
Head Coach Laurie Corbelli
Opening statement: Well, we're somewhat disappointed in how we finished our season because we felt like the team that we've been over the last month, we just didn't quite get there tonight and it stunned everybody and it frustrated a lot of us. It was a little bit of an unusual feeling. It was really hard to get into what we would typically like to show of Texas A&M volleyball. I think regardless of who was on the other side of the net, we were really trying to be concerned with our side, and I think that's where the disappointment is more than anything, but I'm so incredibly proud of my team and the season we have had. The ups and downs of playing in the Big 12...three of our 11 losses are to this team that's going to go and probably compete at the national championship match, a great possibility, or one of these teams out here now (Iowa State or Nebraska) who is going to go. In the Big 12, you're going to get to play every night against one of the best teams in the nation and it's made these girls better people. It's always a joy for me to get to play the best and it helps brings out the best in us, and I wouldn't want it any other way. It's just frustrating sometimes that it doesn't get the recognition it deserves.
On what she was specifically disappointed in: I suppose it was our server-receive. Last time we played them it kind of broke down a little bit as well. I thought our first match against them in Austin, our serve-receive was probably at its best at that point. We really weren't as sharp and crisp with our passing, which then carries over into the next two touches. I thought that's where we struggled a little bit. And then our hitters couldn't get into a rhythm, our setters couldn't get the offensive rhythm going, and so, if we couldn't go hard at this team then you have to be able to find a way to block and defend them when they are all touching 10 feet and over, and trying to come at you very, very powerfully, and I thought we did our very best at defending. We knew what they were going to do. We had people in the right spots. It tends to be difficult to keep the ball in control many times when they are going off your block and at your diggers. But overall, it was more our side. Like I said, I felt like we really didn't display what we can do."
On Destinee Hooker: I don't know how many of you would raise your hand if you want to go out there and play against her. It's really challenging. The range that she has up there. The different speeds they set her. It's not easy. There are not a lot of athletes like that in this nation. I think she should be in track actually, but she stayed with volleyball so bad luck for us. What a phenomenal athlete and she had a great match. This is the ninth time I've played against her and the last time."
On if she is disappointed that's the last time she has to face Hooker: Not at all. No, I've admired watching her compete. I know she'll be on the track this coming spring. I don't know if there will ever be a player that can do the things that she does. I suppose I'm supposed to say it was a joy to play against her, but I'll be careful with that one.
Outside Hitter Sarah Ammerman
On the run they have made to finish the season: I couldn't be more proud of our team and these past three weeks of volleyball that we've produced. We hit a pretty tough spot in the middle of the season and hit some really tough five-game loses, and loses we definitely didn't think we should (have). To be able to come back and turn that around and still be able to achieve our goal of getting into the tournament and making it to the Sweet 16, I couldn't be more proud of my team. We haven't made it to the tournament since I've been here, so this means a lot to me. To get to the Sweet 16 is pretty special, but losing is tough, but in the big picture you have to look at what we've done these past three weeks. We have all fought really hard and played some pretty incredible volleyball.
Outside Hitter Jennifer Banse
On whether you have to overcome something mentally when you go against Texas: That's a bunch of really confident girls. There is nothing else in their head other than beating balls and beating whoever is on the other side of the net. I think they are a great team. I think the rivalry is fun.
