Aggie Volleyball drops exhibition match to TCU in five sets, 3-2
Texas A&M played its first home match of the season against TCU and was ultimately defeated in a close five-set game, 25-14, 26-28, 21-25, 25-23, 10-15.
The Aggies came out on fire in the first set with a .450 hitting percentage, attacking the Horned Frogs in all the places where it hurt, short and in the middle of the court. With a total of four blocks, 11 kills and two serving aces, A&M took the first set by earning 17 of their points and blew TCU away 25-14.
The rest of the match was neck and neck with both teams finding each other’s weaknesses, exploiting them, only to see immediate adjustments from the opponent.
Key players for the entire match were six-rotation player Hollann Hans with 20 kills, 19 digs, and three serving aces. Second was setter Camille Conner with 37 assists, seven digs, and six kills. Head coach Laura Kuhn made a key decision to run a five-one with her, and Conner made consistent, clean sets to all three front row positions.
Brookah Palmer, who transferred into A&M as a sophomore and had to sit out last year due to NCAA rules, didn't enter until the third set but ended the match with 10 kills. Freshman London Austin-Roark also contributed as a middle blocker by putting down six kills and six blocks.
On the back row side, senior Amy Houser and freshman Allison Fields both put in time as libero, picking up 32 digs between the two of them and put A&M above TCU when it came to digs, 70-49.
This exhibition match was also the first game in Reed Arena for head coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn.
“It was just our consistency over the course of the match that needed to be there and be a little sharper," Kuhn said.
The Aggies play next at the Ohio State Tournament starting on August 24, but will be back in College Station hosting the Texas A&M Invitational on September 6 at 4:30pm.
“That is volleyball; it is momentum," Kuhn said. "Your opponent is going to come out no matter what it is. It doesn’t matter what team they are or what name is on their chest, they are going to fight back so it is all about the response.”
