The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
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Texas A&M
No. 8 Volleyball falls to Texas A&M, 3-0 in Big 12 opener
09.16.2010 | Volleyball
Sept. 16, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The eighth-ranked Texas Volleyball team was marred by 33 errors as it fell to Texas A&M, 3-0, Thursday night in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown. The 25-22, 25-18, 25-23 Big 12-opening loss dropped the Longhorns to 5-4 on the year and 0-1 in Big 12 play, while the Aggies improved to 7-4 overall and 1-0 in league action. The win gave the Aggies the first half-point of the 2010 State Farm Lone Star Showdown, the all-sports athletic competition between the two universities.
Texas led early in set one, ballooning its lead to as many as three, but A&M kept the tally close and evened the score at 13 on a kill by Alicia Kastmo. Junior middle blocker Rachael Adams' third kill of the set put UT back in front 14-13, but the Aggies answered by mounting a 6-1 run fueled by three Texas miscues to take a 19-15 lead. Following a timeout the Longhorns put together a 5-2 rally paced by two kills from freshman outside hitter Ashley Bannister to trim the lead to 21-20. The Aggies called timeout with their lead narrowed to one and came out of the timeout on a 4-2 run to win the frame, 25-22.
In the second set, Texas used three kills by Adams as part of a 6-1 run to claim a quick 7-4 advantage. The Aggies fought back to even the set at eight on a kill by Chelsea Ringel and used two-straight UT errors to forge ahead, 12-11. A 4-0 run bolstered by three Texas errors widened the A&M lead to 16-12, but the Horns bounced back to shrink the Aggies lead to 18-16 on a kill by senior All-America outside hitter Juliann Faucette. Texas A&M was strong down the stretch, putting together a 7-2 set-closing run to win the stanza, 25-18.
The Aggies came out hot in the third and claimed a 7-3 lead on a service ace by Kelsey Black. Texas responded with a 4-1 run capped by a kill from Faucette to narrow the lead to 8-7 before the Aggies stretched the lead back out to 15-10 on a service ace by Allie Sawatzky. Texas closed the gap to one at the 17-16 mark courtesy of five Aggie errors, but two kills by Lindsey Miller helped A&M widen its lead back to 20-17. The Horns kept fighting late in the set, using a pair of blocks and a kill by Adams to tie the set at 23. Texas A&M bounced back with a kill by Black to force match point and won the set, 25-23 on a UT attack error.
Adams headlined the Texas offense in the loss, connecting for 11 kills and adding three blocks, while Faucette chipped in six kills, 10 digs and two blocks.
Texas returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 18 when it hosts Baylor in its Big 12 home opener. First serve is set for 4 p.m. Central.
POST-MATCH NOTES
- Texas' loss moved its all-time record against the Aggies to 67-23 and 22-13 in College Station. The loss marked Texas A&M's first win against Texas since Oct. 16, 2004 and also marked the last time Texas had lost to an in-state opponent. Texas had won 47 straight matches against in-state opponents.
