No. 9 Aggies split four-set exhibition with No. 20 Baylor at Reed, 2-2

The beginning of something special.

That’s what Texas A&M head coach Jamie Morrison had to say on the top-20 exhibition matchup against No. 20 Baylor in Reed Arena on Wednesday.

His veteran and ninth-ranked Aggies tied the visiting Bears 2-2.

“I thought offensively we were there. It’s just the little things,” Morrison said after the match. “They gave them too many points. It’s as simple as that. You got to make people earn points.”

Ifenna Cos-Okpalla led the Aggies with a match-high 10 kills, while Logan Lednicky followed closed behind with nine. Additionally, Morgan Perkins finished with eight and an impressive .429 hitting percentage.

The tie came from an agreement between coaches to not play a fifth set.

The score was close for most of set one, until a 5-1 scoring run by Baylor put the Bears ahead at 24-20.

A kill by Cos-Okpalla attempted to shift momentum for the Aggies, but it was too late as Baylor won the opener, 25-22.

Set two began with a close score, until a 3-0 run by A&M brought the score to 19-15.

Lednicky and Cos-Okpalla racked up kills, bringing the exciting energy to Reed Arena that they’re known for. Later, a Taylor Humphrey block shut down the Baylor offense, giving the Aggies set point, and another kill by Cos-Okpalla gave A&M the set win with a score of 25-19.

Lednicky and Cos-Okpalla continued to rack up kills in the third set, as the score remained close.

Perkins, a senior middle blocker, made noise, ending the set with a .429 hitting percentage, as the Aggies finished the frame on a 4-1 run and won 25-20.

The fourth set featured a lineup full of freshmen, with Addi Applegate playing libero and Kirra Musgrove controlling the offense as setter. Simple errors and miscommunication by the A&M rookies led to Baylor dominating the entire set.

A late sub of Cos-Okpalla and Tatum Thomas looked to give the Aggies hope, but it was not enough to shift momentum. Baylor took the fourth and final set 25-9, ending the match in a 4-4 tie.

Morrison chose to play the freshmen in set four to give them experience and help them get ready.

“It’s about making sure when somebody’s number gets called, they’re ready to come,” Morrison said. “Very rarely as a coach do you get those opportunities to do that, and a match doesn’t have a check in the win or loss column. So for me, it was making sure they knew what it was like to play division one volleyball.”

With the preseason schedule finished, A&M will take on No. 11 Minnesota next on Aug. 25 in Sioux Falls, SD, as part of the AVCA First Serve Showcase.