No. 13 Texas A&M and Vanderbilt set for first-ever meeting on Friday
There’s a first time for everything.
And for the first time in 45 years, Vanderbilt has a volleyball program.
On Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT, No. 13 Texas A&M will take on Vanderbilt in Reed Arena for the first time.
The Maroon & White are currently 9-2 and on a four-game winning streak, following a 4-1 win against No. 21 Missouri on Wednesday evening.
For the 13th-ranked Aggies, their primary focus is on their side of the net.
“They run a fast offense,” head coach Jamie Morrison said of Vanderbilt. “I’m going to guess it's going to be a little bit like tonight, where you’ve got to serve somewhere specifically, but the biggest thing is our side.
“The number one thing that I’ll probably do first is watch our match and be like, ‘Hey, here’s one or two things we need to work on in practice that are about us tomorrow,’ and then sprinkle in one or two things about Vandy. But, if we play volleyball like (against Missouri), it’s going to be really hard to beat us.”
After a 45-year hiatus, the Commodores are off to a 4-6 start following their first SEC loss against No. 2 Texas, a sweep in Austin.
While it is their first season of competition, many of Vanderbilt's athletes have been on campus training together for a year.
As the ‘Dore begin their first official season in the SEC, A&M expects them to come out fiery and ready to compete.
“They’re really athletic and they’re going to work hard,” said Kyndal Stowers. “It’s their first time ever actually playing a season. Obviously, they had a year when they were all practicing, but they never really played a game. Sadly, I understand being there.
“There’s this part of you that just wants to get out there and give it all you have. It’s your first time actually playing in a game, so I’m sure that they all have it in them to leave it all out there. They’ve worked so hard all these years, so I’m definitely expecting a battle, a lot of good touches and some scrappiness on their side.”
Stowers and Logan Lednicky will be key factors for A&M’s offense, as the former racked up 16 kills while the latter had 13 against Missouri.
Middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla’s dynamic offensive and defensive capabilities will also be crucial, as the senior tallied nine kills and 10 blocks on Wednesday.
There is a first time for everything, and when the historical match begins on Friday night, the Aggies will look to get their first win against the Commodores and their second SEC win of 2025.
