Texas A&M’s junior middle blocker Kaia Castle produced a standout performance in a competitive matchup against sixth-ranked Wisconsin on Friday evening at Reed Arena. Despite the 19th-ranked Aggies ultimately falling short in a five-set contest, Castle established a new career milestone with an exceptional showing against the Badgers’ formidable defensive presence.
Playing against a Wisconsin team that dominated at the net with 17 total blocks, Castle demonstrated remarkable efficiency by recording 19 kills without committing a single attacking error on 33 attempts for a .576 hitting percentage. Her career-best outing represented a significant improvement over her previous standard of 12 kills, which she had achieved twice during her time with Ohio State and matched earlier in the week against fourth-ranked Stanford.
Castle accounted for more than a quarter of Texas A&M’s total offense, contributing 19 of the team’s 69 kills in a match where the Aggies struggled with 28 attacking mistakes overall. The Badgers controlled the early momentum, taking the first set before Wisconsin ultimately claimed victory with a 15-11 decision in the fifth set after the teams split the second, third, and fourth sets.
Castle’s impressive performance highlights the emergence of another dependable offensive weapon for Texas A&M as the program navigates a demanding nonconference schedule. The Aggies will resume play Tuesday evening when they host SFA at Reed Arena.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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