Match #9: No. 14 Texas A&M 3, New Hampshire 0
S1: A&M, 25-17; S2: A&M, 25-14; S3: A&M, 25-18
Records: Texas A&M (7-2, 0-0), New Hampshire (6-6, 0-0)
Box Score
Back home and back in rhythm as the Aggies cruised to two back-to-back sweeps after two unfortunate back-to-back losses.
No. 14 Texas A&M showed its dominance as the Maroon & White swept the New Hampshire Wildcats in a fiery Reed Arena Friday night, 3-0.
This match was a vast improvement from the first encounter with the Wildcats in the 2024 season, where the Aggies held on for a close five-set victory.
“I was thinking about that before we came into this match,” said A&M head coach Jamie Morrison. “I think it’s what we talked about the entire week with a sense of urgency. No matter who we are playing, we have to play at a high level. I think we’re doing that, and you’re seeing that.”
Senior Emily Hellmuth made her presence known on the court as she stood out with a .364 hitting percentage and led the team in kills with 13.
“I think she’s really taken it to heart,” Morrison said. “I think she’s hit over .300 for three straight matches. I told her she has the tools to go out and be an All-American, and she wants to.”
Following Hellmuth was Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, who racked up 12 kills and led the team in blocks with 2.5.
“I think if you look at the offensive efficiency, it’s range of power,” Morrison said of Cos-Okpalla. “I think she’s a really powerful athlete. She’s able to hit from a lot of places around the court.
“There aren’t a lot of middle blockers who are good at both of those skills. I think that’s what sets her apart.”
Cos-Okpalla heard the remarks of her coach, which brought a warm smile to her face during the postgame press conferences.
“I take plenty of pride,” Cos-Okpalla said. “I would say a lot of it is this program and this culture. My plays have changed so much since [Morrison] has gotten here.
“I tell people that if I were anywhere else, I don’t think I’d be the player I am today.”
Cos-Okpalla also led the team with an impressive .688 hitting percentage as she demonstrated why she is on the AVCA Player of the Year watchlist.
“It feels good,” Cos-Okpalla said. “It’s a flow state. I am grooving through things and letting my teammates depend on me and lean on me. To put up numbers like that against a great team means a lot.”
Logan Lednicky led the team in digs with 14, as she also added eight kills and an ace to the board.
Senior Maddie Waak remained consistent as she ended the game with 37 assists.
The Aggies started the match with two attack errors, which led to a tight back-and-forth skirmish to the midpoint of the first set. UNH took advantage of A&M’s miscommunication during serve-receives, causing eight total errors in the set.
However, Kyndal Stowers did not let that stop her as she dominated on the offense and defense with six kills and two blocks during the set.
Set one ended with a powerful Cos-Okpalla spike, and set two started with the same.
The Aggies carried the momentum from the latter half of the first set into the second stanza as they quickly fell into rhythm, going on a 5-0 run to start.
The Maroon & White vastly improved as they hit .289 in the first set and elevated it to a .472 clip in the second.
The Wildcats went into the third set with the same energy from the first. Strong tenacity from Cos-Okpalla and Hellmuth helped the Aggies claw their way through the battle.
After the disappointing losses last week, the Maroon & White found their confidence as they bounced back to their top-15 self.
“It feels good,” Cos-Okpalla said. “Honestly, I’d like to say that wasn’t us last week. Sometimes losses happen, but it’s all about the response. I think we responded very well so far.”
The Aggies hope to continue their winning streak as they play their final match of their Texas A&M Invitational on Saturday at 3 p.m. vs. Loyola Marymount.
