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LIGNANO SABBIADORO, Italy - The Texas A&M volleyball team pulled off an impressive 3-2 (25-18, 18-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-10) victory against Italy’s Junior National Team today at the Palazzetto dello Sport.
The Italian team, made up of girls born in 1990 and 1991, is considered to be one of the top junior national teams in Europe. The players, several who are likely to be on the country’s national team in the future, have been in training to defend Italy’s 2006 European National Championship title when the team competes in the prestigious event later this year.
“We played more consistently than we have been playing in the past,” A&M coach Laurie Corbelli said. “Mostly from a mentally tough stand point, we didn’t get ourselves down. We rarely made a string of errors except for a couple of parts in the match where we had some passing errors. But other than that, from a hitting perspective and unforced errors, I was really impressed and proud of the team.”
Fielding a starting lineup of Sarah Ammerman (Parker, Colo.), Jenny Banse (San Antonio, Texas), Mary Batis (San Antonio), Darla Donaldson (Murrieta, Calif.), Jillian Phillips (Marble Falls, Texas) and Kristen Schevikhoven (Centennial, Colo.) along with libero Chelsea Ringel (Arlington, Texas), A&M used a seven-point scoring run to build an 11-5 lead in the opening set. Italy twice got back within three points, the last coming at 19-16 before an Ammerman kill began a five-point rally to put the Aggies at 24-16. Italy scored two points before A&M closed out the set.
It was Italy that rallied in the second set as the Italians took advantage of A&M’s passing lull to score 13 unanswered points and build a 17-7 lead. A&M could get no closer than six points before Italy posted the set-winning kill and evened the match.
A&M led the entire third set, leading by as many as five points throughout much of the frame. Italy managed to close the gap to two points at 24-22 but then committed a service error to end the set.
Italy used a four-point run to break away from an 8-8 tie in the fourth set and held a lead for the remainder of the set. A&M got within a point at 17-16 following a kill by Poland native Jola Kelner, but Italy fought off the Aggies and went on to win, 25-21.
The score was tied at 3-3 in the decisive fifth set when A&M went on a 7-2 run. Italy later got within 11-8, but Ammerman posted consecutive kills to put the Aggies up, 13-8. The teams then traded point for point for the remainder of the set, with Kelsey Bryant (Austin, Texas) putting down the match-winning kill.
“We saw some really good stuff in a lot of ways that we have been doing all spring, and it was really nice to see the carryover from our training into competition,” Corbelli said.
Ammerman led the Aggies with 11 kills, and Bryant came off the bench to tally seven kills. Donaldson led in blocks with four.
Corbelli was quick to compliment several players who stood out in the victory.
“Schevikhoven did a beautiful job running the offense and doing some of the things she has been working on in training, and from a really deceptive standpoint, she’s becoming better and better. Mary Batis, from the right side to the left side to the back row, her entire game was very consistent and aggressive.
“I thought Darla Donaldson made some key plays with her blocking. Kelsey Bryant was also really key for us. She came in and is really working to get on the court more. She’s a difference maker for us in so many matches. All the way around, we had really good performances.”
The Aggies face a rematch against the Italian Junior National Team tomorrow at 6 p.m. at the Palazzetto dello Sport before heading out to Maribor, Slovenia, on Wednesday.
Player blogs and photo galleries of A&M’s European Tour can be seen by clicking on the European Tour volleyball logo at AggieAthletics.com.
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