A&M volleyball team sweeps two matches on opening day

Alicia Kastmo was designated the X-factor by Texas A&M head volleyball coach Laurie Corbelli before the 2011 season started.

On the opening day of the season, Kastmo proved to be more than a factor, dominating A&M's straight-set victory over Creighton then producing a solid effort in a sweep of Texas-San Antonio in the Texas A&M Invitational on Friday at Reed Arena.

"I am more [comfortable] than last year," Kastmo said. "Last year was my first year to play right side, and I feel really good about our team chemistry being together for a year now not losing anybody. We feel we are competing really well as a unit."

The 6-foot-4 Kastmo was nearly perfect in the opener, getting 12 kills with no errors in 19 attempts in A&M's 25-22, 25-17, 25-16 victory over Creighton.

"It's been a long time since we've had an attacker in double figure kills with no errors," Corbelli said. "We've had some players with double figure kills and one or two errors which is also phenomenal. She was difficult to stop no doubt."

Kastmo outhit All-Big 12 outside hitter Kelsey Black, who had 10 kills. Last season Black doubled all Aggies in kills, leading or tying for the team lead in every match but the last.

Black said she was more than happy to receive help on the offensive end.

"I tell [Kastmo] every day, 'You are built for excellence. I don't know if you realize it,'" Black said. "It's a huge joke on our team because Alicia is made physically to do what she did today, and it's really, really exciting to see her so comfortable in her position and being able to go out with confidence and just attack people right and left."

Black added 11 digs, tying for the team high with Tori Mellinger.

A&M bettered or equaled the Bluejays in every statistical category, outhitting Creighton .308 to .196 and nailing nine aces to the Bluejays' two.

"I thought serving was definitely a key," Corbelli said. "We have a few players backing up pretty deep and putting it in the air with a pretty strong float on it, and it can be difficult to receive because it has movement and you are waiting for it so long."

The closest A&M came to dropping a set Friday happened in the second game of its 25-23, 25-21, 25-21 victory over UTSA in the nightcap.

The Roadrunners led the second game 13-6, but the Aggies tied it at 15. After an Elise Hendrickson kill put A&M ahead 20-19, Kastmo followed with a decisive kill of an overpass and another kill after a Chelsea Ringel dig.

Middle blocker Lindsey Miller had her best run in helping the Aggies overcome the slow start with nine kills and three blocks.

Black led A&M with 16 kills against UTSA.

"The biggest thing for me that we have been working a lot on is just figuring out when I can score," Black said. "I've realized, as crazy as it sounds, that I don't have to swing full speed to score. I can snap the ball down in front of people. I can put the ball on the deep line, or I can move the ball to a different spot on a person. There are many things other than just swinging hard, and it makes it so much easier."

Kastmo again played well, finishing with 13 kills and a team-leading .423 attack percentage against UTSA.

Mellinger had 17 digs against UTSA, while Ringel had 12 and Black had 10.

A&M sophomore setter Allie Sawatsky was efficient in both matches with 32 and 42 assists. She also added 13 total digs and seven kills.

UTSA's Whitney Walls and Dempsey Thornton each had nine kills, while Kelsey Jewasko had 17 digs.

A&M will play Creighton again at 12:30 p.m Saturday.

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NOTES -- Black did not lead the Aggies in kills last season against Nebraska in the final match of the season. Kastmo led A&M that night. ... A&M libero Mellinger played outside hitter in the third set of A&M's opener against Creighton. Nebraska transfer Megan Pendergast replaced Mellinger, who had two kills in six attempts. ... Creighton held on to beat UTSA 25-15, 25-19, 25-27, 16-25, 16-14 to open the A&M Invitational.