TUCSON, Ariz. – It was not the prettiest display, but it got the job done.
 
After grinding out the first two sets in the season opener, the Aggies (1-0, 0-0 WAC) switched in another gear to close out the Lady Hornets (0-1, 0-0 SWAC) of Alabama State in three sets (25-23, 26-24, 25-14) in the first of three matches at the Cactus Classic.
 
"Ugly play happens a lot the first weekend and there was a lot of that," said Head Coach Mike Jordan. "We need to set it better and some of our attackers need to be more physical and score points. I'm glad we won but we need to raise the bar and be more physical."
 
SET ONE
The Crimson and White came out a little flat and fell behind to an early 0-3 deficit in the first set. However, a pair of ASU errors followed by a Taylor Snow solo block and a Molly Johnson kill eventually gave the Aggies a 6-4 advantage.
 
The two sides would find themselves knotted at 12 when the Aggies rattled off a quick 4-1 run fueled by back-to-back kills from Johnson and Lia Mosher, giving the Aggies a 16-13 lead.
 
Alabama State ultimately went ahead 22-19 when leading attacker Katie Birtcil connected on a pair of swings to bring the Aggies within one.
 
With both teams tied at 22, Snow took over as she secured her second solo block and the final two kills to give the Aggies a 25-23 set one victory.
 
SET TWO
Despite some sloppy sequences from both sides, the Aggies used the momentum gained in the opening set to open set number two with an early 7-3 lead.
 
Later, a solo rejection from Johnson put the Aggies up 11-7. ASU was able to work their way back and eventually took a 13-12 lead when the Aggies posted four straight points, including back-to-back aces from setter Rylee Fay.
 
The Aggies looked as though they would close out the set without much resistance after a kill from Katie Birtcil put the Aggies ahead 23-20. However, Alabama State battled back to tie the set at 24.
 
Bianca Perez then found Mari Sharp on the outside for a kill for point No. 25 while the combo of Mosher and Ryleigh Whitekettle stuffed an Alabama State attack for the deciding point.
 
SET THREE
The two sides went back-and-forth to start the third set as the scoreboard read 8-8 through the first 16 points. A kill from Jayde Shelton then kickstarted a 4-0 run that eventually turned into a 9-1 run. This burst gave the Aggies a comfortable 17-9 lead and control of the match.
 
Birtcil continued to overpower the Lady Hornets as she tallied three kills within the Aggies' next five points.
 
Freshman outside hitter Ashley Herman took a late opportunity to secure the first kill of her college career while giving the Aggies a 24-13 lead.
 
The set and match would then conclude when an Alabama State attack found the outstretched arms of Shelton and Snow and fell to the floor on the Lady Hornets' side.
 
MATCH NOTABLES

• Katie Birtcil led the way offensively as she tallied 18 kills on an impressive .395 hitting percentage. This also marked the highest kill total in a three-set match for any Aggie since Birtcil recorded 22 kills in a win over Stephen F. Austin on Oct. 21, 2021.
• Junior Libero Darian Markham recorded 15 digs to mark 15-straight matches with double-digit digs.
• Rylee Fay paced the Aggies with 18 assists but was followed closely behind in the assist column by Bianca Perez who compiled 16 helpers of her own in the two-setter approach.
• Taylor Snow looked dominant at the net in her first outing as an Aggie, picking up four total blocks (2 solo, 2 block assists) in the win.
• Taylor Snow, Morgan Stewart, Ashley Herman, Bianca Perez, Mia Peterson and Kaylee Peterson each made their collegiate debuts.
• As a team, the Aggies held the Lady Hornets to a mere .079 hitting percentage to mark the lowest hitting percentage for an Aggie opponent since they limited Chicago State to the same efficiency on Oct. 7, 2021.

 
UP NEXT
The Aggies return to the court at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night to take on Cactus Classic host Arizona. Fans can view a live stream of the evening contest on the Pac-12 Network.
 
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