Sunday, August 26, 2007

North Carolina A&T Aggies open season with pair of losses


HIGH POINT, The Schmiedel era didn’t start out the way first-year head volleyball coach Lyndsay Schmiedel wanted, but she saw something she wanted to see on Friday – improvement.

The Aggies lost both matches during the first day of the Triad Challenge being played at High Point University and UNC-Greensboro. High Point defeated the Aggies 3-0 (30-16, 30-12, 30-22) in the afternoon match. Later in the day, Kennesaw State defeated the Aggies 3-0 (30-21, 32-30, 30-23). On Friday the Aggies played in High Point, but will play at UNCG on Saturday.

“It was fine,’’ said Schmiedel about her head coaching debut. “It’s great to be in this position. Although you would like to win, I told them along as I’m seeing improvement we’re going to be okay. It’s a long season.”

Schmiedel’s debut did not include all-conference setter Brenden Chatman who sat out the Friday matches. In her place, Schmiedel turned to senior Kaycee Anderson, who has never played the position before. The difficult adjustment to Anderson at the setter position instead of Chatman, a four-year starter, was an apparent in the first match against the Panthers.

The Aggies recorded a -.125 hitting percentage and produced just 13 kills in the first match. Anderson, who normally plays as an attacker, also had four ball-handling errors in the first contests.

However, the second match against Kennesaw State saw a renewed Aggies team. Anderson finished with 28 assists and had one ball-handling error. Krystal Cooper finished with eight kills and a .259 hitting percentage, while junior Avignon Williams had 10 kills, three blocks and .368 hitting percentage.

After dropping the first game to the Owls, the Aggies put together their best showing of the day in Game 2. The Aggies took a 20-16 lead thanks to a block assist by Williams and Cooper. The Owls fought back to take the lead 24-23.

Thanks to two Nyra Taborn kills, a kill by Janae Mitchell and an attack error by the Owls, the Aggies took a 27-24 lead. But attack errors would help the Owls regain the lead at 30-29. Kills by Sarita Gulley and Lindsey Plotner would seal the game. The Owls clinched the match by ending the third game on a 7-0 run.

“I thought Kaycee did a good job for having to play out of position today,’’ said Schmiedel. “We’re going to keep trying to get better and put people where they need to be so we can be successful.”

The Aggies play Saturday at 11 a.m., against Radford at UNCG. They play UNCG at 7 p.m.

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