Jamie Morrison provides program update ahead of spring slate

Texas A&M head volleyball coach Jamie Morrison discussed one of the most competitive spring slates he has ever developed to prepare for a strong 2025 fall schedule. On Tuesday's edition of TexAgs Live, Morrison covered the upcoming Maroon & White scrimmage on Wednesday.

Key notes from Jamie Morrison interview

• From the beginning, there were some coaches who came in and said, “These aren't my people.” But I came in and was like, “These are people that I care about.” It's not only your people. It's your culture. I set that bar early. It’s a cool melting pot creating something beautiful.
   
• We have our first opportunity this weekend to see where we are at. We are excited to see what this new iteration of volleyball looks like at Texas A&M. In the past, we have had these RPI-friendly matches to warm up for the season. It wasn't immediate, just a steady arc to get there. The first day will probably be two teams in the top 15 going up against each other. So we need to get in there, get beaten up a little.
   
• We are playing at a really high level. We have a very experienced team. They know they can be playmakers and do stuff they've never thought of before. We've had a few of those players, and it makes me smile every time. That's what you want to see: Your players outgrow your coach.
   
• We play SMU twice, Baylor and TCU. There's no day off in the spring. Spring sets it up for the fall. We don't get the opportunity to coach our players during the summer.
   
• I pulled some stuff from the men's game, and it's throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. We come back in the summer for only two weeks to prep before Minnesota. Hopefully, your players will take off during the summer. It's on them. We allow getting into the gym or working out, but getting plays and practicing is up to them. I think they need to find space. We talk a lot about filling up your soul. We all need our minds to be ready for the grind and the college volleyball season, but it's good to have that time off.
   
• We are experimenting, and we talk about how you learn. You learn in an easy environment; then, you make it feel more game-like. Then, you put some pressure on it, and you score it. It's OK for errors to happen because the fall is what matters. We want to win. We are competitive. We are fiery, and that's a win.
   
• We have 12 returning players. One transfer came in, Kyndal Stowers, who is going to be a special volleyball player. We had four freshmen. They were the No. 3 or No. 4 class in the country. If I were to define one thing, I do not doubt that we will have the best practice in history. We have the deepest roster, and if we play our cards right and compete, we will peak.
   
• We are recruiting for character. It's a level of human being and a team. A level of love in our gym... Someone had a little argument, and I stopped practice. Then, it was all good. They said they loved each other. That's the idea we want, but we will get sassy and compete, but that's the environment we want to be in.
   
• The first opportunity to see them is at the Maroon & White Game tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
   
• The hardest thing to change in a program is changing culture. We have a group that relies on setting the tone for what Texas A&M will be now and 20 years from now. They are all a piece of what’s going on within this. Transfers see a flame and go and catch the flame, and it becomes one. There’s a lot of care in and outside of the gym.
   
• You have to look at the past to learn and look at the future to plan. It's important to also be in the present. That last Wisconsin game caught us off guard, and it was our team that gave us everything in that moment. It hurt that it ended that way, and they didn't get what they wanted. We get to the point where we don't care what the logo on the chest is. It's taking care of business.
   
• Our team has realized that the path we are on is not devastating for our team. It hurts, but it's a piece of sport. They were ready to take a break, get back in the gym, grind and work for what's coming. When I go around, I get compliments that they love watching the team play, and that's the biggest compliment I can get as a coach.
   
• We have that level of respect, and as a program, you want to get to that point, but you want to make it last and be consistent in that. Can they think of us the way they think of Wisconsin? Can we do that year in and year out? That’s where we are at as a staff. We’re trying to push that forward.