Texas A&M junior outside hitter Hollann Hans had six aces to obliterate the program’s 35-year-old all-time record for aces in a season with 64, and senior libero and team captain Amy Houser also capped her career in record-setting fashion as the Aggies came from behind to defeat LSU, 23-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 15-7, in both team’s season finale today at Reed Arena.
It was the 12th five-set match of the season for the Aggies, who close out the first season under head coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn riding a season-best four-match winning streak to finish 17-13, including 10-8 in Southeastern Conference matches. LSU, playing its third consecutive five-set match and attempting to avenge a 3-2 loss to the Aggies earlier in the season in Baton Rouge, ends the season 12-17 overall and 7-11 in SEC matches.
Hans, who also annihilated the school all-time record for aces per set in a season with a 0.53 average, led all players with 26 kills and 32 points and also pitched in 15 digs to complete her SEC-leading 16th double-double of the season. She finishes the season averaging a school-record 5.30 points per set in SEC matches only, demolishing the previous record of 4.20 points per set, held by Jazzmin Babers since 2015. Hans’ 0.61 aces per set in conference matches also is a school season record in SEC matches, bettering the previous record of 0.38 aces per set, which Hans set last season. She now has 124 aces in her three-year career, ranking seventh in the A&M all-time career records.
Houser, the lone senior on the squad, posted double-figure digs for the 22nd consecutive match with 19. The performance gave her 479 digs for the season, breaking the record for most digs by an A&M player in a season in the 25-point rally scoring era and ranking fourth in the all-time program records.
Aggie sophomore setter Camille Conner orchestrated a balanced offense, dishing out 50 assists while also adding 10 kills to record her 12th double-double of the season. Junior opposite hitter Sydnye Fields had 11 kills—one shy of her career high—while hitting at a .444 clip, and junior outside hitter Brookah Palmer added 10 kills and had a career-high four blocks.
A&M freshman defensive specialist Allison Fields led all players and tied her career high with 20 digs, and freshman middle blocker Mallory Talbert led the Aggies with a career-high five blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Makena Patterson also was clutch, coming off the bench in the fourth set and finishing the match with four crucial kills with no errors and also adding two blocks in the final two sets to help the Aggies close out the victory.
Taylor Bannister led the Tigers with 10 kills, and Whitney Foreman had a 12 blocks, the most by an A&M opponent this season. Libero Raigen Cianciulli had a team-high 17 digs.
As a team, A&M led in kills (68-42) and hitting percentage (.190 to .151), despite committing a season-high 37 attack errors. The Aggies also led in assists (63-41), aces (9-4) digs (72-41) and points (85-66). LSU outblocked A&M, 19-8, to record the most blocks by an opponent this season.
