Texas A&M volleyball will look to improve its winning streak to seven as the Maroon & White travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.
At 3-0 in SEC play and 11-2 overall, the ninth-ranked Aggies have proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with.
A&M enters the weekend following a 3-1 road win over South Carolina on Wednesday, marking its sixth-straight win. Additionally, the Aggies have won 18 of their previous 20 sets.
This run of success has helped A&M grow in confidence and build on momentum with each match.
“You just go into each game even more confident,” Kyndal Stowers said earlier this week. “You know, we’ve played some really good teams. South Carolina is really good. Missouri is really good, so is Vanderbilt. Having that under your belt and having that extra confidence boost makes it a little bit easier to go into each game. Having that chemistry as a team of like, ‘Yeah, we're all here.’ We're all in the same mindset, and we’re all just ready to battle.”
All-American Logan Lednicky and Stowers will be key in keeping the Ags’ momentum alive, as they each tallied 18 kills in their win against the Gamecocks.
Senior setter Maddie Waak, the heart of the Aggie offense, dished out 46 assists and currently leads nationally in assists per set. Her ability to move the ball around and create a balanced offense has been a major reason for A&M’s consistency throughout this current win streak.
The SEC’s Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week, senior middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla has been dominant at the net, as she had seven kills and 10 blocks on Wednesday.
While A&M brings momentum into Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide enters the match looking to end a four-game losing streak. Alabama currently sits at 8-5 overall and 0-3 in conference play.
Notably, Sunday marks the Crimson Tide’s first SEC home match of the season, and all of their wins have come inside Foster Auditorium.
Still, the Aggies have shown strength and composure in tough environments throughout the season. Maintaining focus will be important against Alabama and as the Ags look towards one of their toughest tests yet.
A Wednesday test with No. 3 Kentucky awaits A&M upon its return to Reed Arena. That’s a matchup that could have major implications for the SEC title race.
Thus, carrying a seven-game winning streak and added momentum into that match would be huge for the Aggies’ confidence.
