Aggie volleyball team drops 3-2 match to LSU

Source: The Eagle, Bryan, TexasOct.迷利倉 10--The Texas A&M volleyball team appeared as if it was going to make ESPNU have to fill airtime Wednesday. The Aggies stormed to a 2-0 lead against LSU and seemed destined for a short night's work at Reed Arena.The Tigers had different programming ideas, however, extending the match to a fifth set and completing the comeback for a 20-25, 16-25, 25-19, 25-18, 15-10 victory in Southeastern Conference action.LSU (11-3, 1-1) rallied from a 2-0 deficit for the third time this season, while A&M (9-6, 1-3) suffered its second five-set loss."We've done this several times, so we didn't think in the locker room at the break it was over," LSU coach Fran Flory said. "We thought we've been here, done this ... we can do it again. We just have to turn the tide, and when we got it turned, we took advantage of it."A&M won the opening two sets by ending points quickly, hitting at a .364 clip to LSU's .087.By the end of the match, LSU had a .237 overall attack percentage to A&M's .209."We got scared of losing, and that's what happens when you're scared of losing," A&M coach Laurie Corbelli said. "I saw it in the third [set] with a timeout. LSU was more spirited, more focused. They got a run of three or four points right off the bat, and our reaction, which has been our big issue lately, is we respond with fear and start holding back, being afraid to swing hard or swing high. Their fear changes the way their body works, then it catches on like wildfire."LSU built finishing runs of 13-5 in the third set and 15-9 in the fourth by catching A&M out of formation often. The Tigers then used a 9-1 run in the middle of the fifth set to continue the momentum, again taking advantage of indecisiveness on the part of the Aggies.The Aggies got caught looking at each other as the ball dropped a couple of times, ran into each other on one point and let LSU 5-foot-6 defensive specialist Lauren Whalen, without jumping, get a kill from the back row."Fea自存倉 paralyzes you," Corbelli said. "They just don't look like my team sometimes, and it's a bit perplexing for me and the coaches. We are young, and we just don't really manage the game well."A&M had letdowns in more than one phase of the game.A&M had 8.5 blocks but only one in the final three sets. The Tigers had seven blocks over the final three sets to finish with 11, getting seven from freshman middle blocker Briana Holman.The Tigers' short serves also appeared to throw the Aggies out of rhythm.Holman had a match-high 18 kills and an attack percentage of .387.The Tigers made only one substitution after the break, getting 6-foot-4 junior Madi Mahaffey on the court."Mahaffey came in on the right side and made a lot of difference defensively," Flory said. "She is one of the best blockers in the league, and if she didn't block it she took away their first choice."But playing with passion and heart with a young team instead of playing safe was the difference. In the first two [sets], we played safe and inexperienced and the last three A&M played safe and inexperienced."The Aggies never led in the third set, but Shelby Sullivan tied it at 10 with an ace.The fourth set went much the same with the Aggies only leading at 4-3 and pulling even as late as 13-13 on a Sierra Patrick kill.A&M led 5-3 in the fifth set but never got closer than four points after LSU took a 10-6 lead. Tiger setter Malorie Pardo closed out the match with her only kill.Sophomore outside hitter Patrick led A&M with 15 kills. Fellow sophomore outside hitter Angela Lowak had 12, setter Sullivan had 11 and Allie Sawatzky 10.Patrick also led A&M in digs with 17, while redshirt freshman Jazzmin Babers had six blocks.The attack errors stood out in the end with A&M making 23 of 30 in the final three sets.A&M will host Mississippi State at 6 p.m. Friday.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) Visit The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) at .theeagle.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉