Gates Leads Huskers to Sweep of Texas A&M

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lincoln ? Behind a career night from middle blocker Amanda Gates, the top-ranked Husker volleyball team continued their winning ways with a 30-14, 30-20, 30-25 sweep of Texas A&M Saturday night at the Nebraska Coliseum. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Gates, making her first start in over a year, enjoyed totaled eight kills on .429 hitting a pair of blocks, as the Huskers (10-0, 3-0 Big 12) held Texas A&M (11-3, 1-3 Big 12) to a season-low .124 hitting.  Gates, who had just five kills in NU’s first nine matches, stepped into the lineup without a beat in replacing Kori Cooper, who missed Saturday’s match with strep throat. Gates established personal bests in both kills and attacks (13) continuing a string of at least one Husker middle blocker hitting at least .400 in each of the last four matches.

 

“I prepared myself mentally knowing that she was sick, and I had to get in a rhythm mentally,” Gates said.

 

Nebraska Head Coach John Cook and Gates’ teammates know that she would take advantage of the opportunity.

 

“Amanda has been in a lot of big matches,” Cook said. “She expected and we expected her to do a really good job tonight.”

 

“Amanda hits some different sets than Kori and to come out and hit .429 tonight was amazing,” All-American setter Rachel Holloway said. “We were very proud of her tonight.”

 

Gates led a Husker attack that hit .350 as a team and received strong efforts from Jordan Larson and Christina Houghtelling. Larson totaled a match-high 15 kills and 10 digs for her team-best fifth double-double, while Houghtelling added 11 kills on .450 hitting. Sarah Pavan also chipped in a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs, helping the Huskers to their 20th straight win dating back to last November.

 

While Nebraska continued to roll offensively, the Huskers’ focus was shutting down a Texas A&M attack that was ranked third nationally in hitting in the most recent NCAA rankings. Last year, the Aggies hit .307 in losing to the Huskers at the NU Coliseum and Holloway said it was the effort of Gates and middle blocker Tracy Stalls who kept the Aggies in check.

 

“It tells a lot about how did and our blockers did a good job of neutralizing their hitters.” Holloway said. “You don’t know how many times we heard about how high they hit here last year.”

 

Gates got the Huskers into rhythm early on, delivering two blocks and a kill in a game-opening 6-0 spurt and never looked back in a 30-14 victory in the opener. The Huskers was precise offensively, winning 11 of the first 13 rallies in taking an 11-2 lead on a block from Pavan and Stalls. NU, which it .424 as a team in game one, pushed the lead to 17-5 after two straight Pavan aces and were in control the rest of the way.

 

Larson proved the offensive firepower in game two for the Big Red, drilling eight kills in 12 swings, as NU took a 2-0 lead after a 30-20 win. Larson keyed a Husker run midway through the game, delivering three key kills in a 4-1 spurt, turning an 11-8 lead into a six-point cushion. The Aggies fought back to within 21-18, but Larson took over, coming up with three kills and an ace in part of a decisive 6-1 Husker spurt capped by her first service ace in four matches to put NU up 27-19.

 

Cook said the Husker played exceptionally well early on in hitting over .400 in each of the first two games.

 

“I thought the first two games were great tonight,” Cook said. “We played just really good volleyball and executed really, really well.”

 

The Huskers, who have recorded eight straight sweeps, found themselves in trouble in the finale, trailing by as many as six points before pulling out a 30-25 victory. The Aggies, behind the play of Darla Donaldson, played inspired volleyball for most of game three, eventually pushing their lead to 18-12 after a Husker serving error. NU regained its composure and tied the game at 22 as Houghtelling slammed an overpass. The teams traded points until Houghelling’s kill broke a 24-all deadlock before a Larson kill gave NU a two-point edge and forced an Aggie timeout. Texas A&M pulled to within 26-25, but could get no closer as a Stalls kill and two straight A&M hitting errors put NU at match point before Stalls’ second ace of the night closed the book on the sweep.

 

Ammerman led the Aggies with eight kills, while Donaldson came off the bench for six kills on 11 swings in a losing effort.

 

The Huskers return to action on Wednesday night, as they travel to Lawrence, Kan., for a match-up with the Jayhawks. First sever is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be carried across the state on the Husker Sports Network and on in the Internet at Huskers.com.

 

Texas A&M vs Nebraska (Sep 22, 2007)

• Box Score

Volleyball Box Score

Volleyball Box Score The Automated ScoreBook Texas A&M vs #1 Nebraska (Sep 22, 2007 at Lincoln, NE)

Texas A&M | ATTACK |SET| SERVE |SRV|DEF| BLOCK |GEN ## Name GP| K E TA PCT| A| SA SE| RE|DIG|BS BA BE|BHE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Bryant, Kelsey...... 2| 4 1 11 .273| 1| 0 1| 0| 2| 0 0 0| 0 7 Stanton, Kelly...... 3| 4 3 10 .100| 0| 0 1| 0| 1| 0 1 0| 0 9 Schevikhoven,Kristen 3| 5 0 13 .385| 21| 0 0| 0| 4| 0 0 0| 2 10 Phillips, Jillian... 3| 2 1 7 .143| 0| 0 1| 1| 1| 1 2 1| 0 12 Ammerman, Sarah..... 3| 8 5 30 .100| 0| 1 3| 4| 10| 0 1 0| 0 25 Batis, Mary......... 3| 2 7 31 -.161| 4| 1 0| 1| 5| 1 2 0| 0 2 Moore, Jen.......... 3| 0 0 0 .000| 0| 0 0| 1| 8| 0 0 0| 0 3 Cadavid, Stephanie.. 3| 0 0 0 .000| 1| 0 1| 0| 7| 0 0 0| 0 5 Kelner, Jola........ 1| 0 0 0 .000| 1| 0 0| 0| 0| 0 0 0| 0 14 Donaldson, Darla.... 2| 6 0 11 .545| 0| 0 0| 0| 0| 0 0 0| 1 15 Banse, Jenny........ 1| 0 0 0 .000| 0| 0 0| 0| 0| 0 0 0| 0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals.............. 3| 31 17 113 .124| 28| 2 7| 7| 38| 2 6 1| 3

TEAM ATTACK PER GAME TOTAL TEAM BLOCKS: 5.0 Game K E TA Pct 1 8 7 35 .029 GAME SCORES 1 2 3 TEAM RECORDS 2 10 3 32 .219 Texas A&M........... (0) 14 20 25 11-3, 1-3 Big 12 3 13 7 46 .130 Nebraska............ (3) 30 30 30 10-0,3-0 Big 12

Nebraska | ATTACK |SET| SERVE |SRV|DEF| BLOCK |GEN ## Name GP| K E TA PCT| A| SA SE| RE|DIG|BS BA BE|BHE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Houghtelling, Chris. 3| 11 2 20 .450| 2| 0 2| 0| 8| 1 0 2| 0 9 Pavan, Sarah........ 3| 12 6 28 .214| 1| 2 1| 0| 10| 0 3 0| 0 10 Larson, Jordan...... 3| 15 1 33 .424| 0| 1 4| 0| 10| 1 1 0| 0 11 Stalls, Tracy....... 3| 8 1 16 .438| 2| 2 0| 0| 5| 0 3 2| 1 12 Holloway, Rachel.... 3| 2 2 9 .000| 45| 1 0| 0| 3| 0 0 0| 0 17 Gates, Amanda....... 3| 8 2 14 .429| 1| 0 0| 0| 1| 1 1 1| 0 5 Schwartz, Rachel.... 3| 0 0 0 .000| 1| 1 2| 2| 16| 0 0 0| 0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals.............. 3| 56 14 120 .350| 52| 7 9| 2| 53| 3 8 5| 1

TEAM ATTACK PER GAME TOTAL TEAM BLOCKS: 7.0 Game K E TA Pct 1 17 3 33 .424 Site: Lincoln, NE (NU Coliseum) 2 22 6 40 .400 Date: Sep 22, 2007 Attend: 4113 Time: 1:27 3 17 5 47 .255 Referees: Dave Spencer, Dave Chalupa