Match #17: No. 10 Texas A&M 3, Oklahoma 0
S1: A&M, 26-24; S2: A&M, 25-21; S3: A&M, 25-20
Records: Texas A&M (14-3, 6-1), Oklahoma (12-5, 4-3)
Box Score
Reed Arena glittered in gold, as did the Aggies.
On ‘Turn it Gold’ night, No. 10 Texas A&M radiated brightly, sweeping Oklahoma to secure its 14th win of the season and continue its strong start to conference play.
Friday also served as the first of two matches honoring seniors, as Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Logan Lednicky, Morgan Perkins and Ava Underwood received their flowers.
“We had some tears in the room,” head coach Jamie Morrison said. “The people who are here right now bought into the belief of what it could be. I don’t think there’s a greater honor for me than people buying into what I believe.”
The Aggies played the whole match with a consistent offensive balance.
Lednicky, an All-American, continues to rise in the Aggie record books as she advanced to ninth all-time in kills with 1,433.
“We’ve gotten to the point where we can slowly squeeze a team over a match,” Lednicky said. “Not have these highs and lows. Just consistently good volleyball.”
Kyndal Stowers and Lednicky led the team in kills with 10 each, followed by Cos-Okpalla’s eight and Perkins’ six. By the end of the second set, each of them had five kills, showing how efficient the offense can be when it is balanced.
The Aggie defense played systematically tonight as well, forcing the Sooners to finish with a .103 hitting percentage. Cos-Okpalla led the team with four blocks, yet the whole team played consistent defense the entire night.
The only flaw that has plagued the program tonight and all season is the continuous service errors. Once those are managed, the Maroon & White will be unstoppable.
The Aggies looked like a top-10 team as soon as the first set began, quickly taking the early lead.
The Sooners started a little rusty, but once they shook off the nerves, Oklahoma began to play more consistently. Their solid defense at the net and hustle for impressive digs caused them to take the lead at 23-22. Tied at 24-24, Stowers’ serve barely avoided an error as it wiggled its way over the net. Following a timeout, a joint Cos-Okpalla and Taryn Morris monster block ended the set 26-24.
The second stanza started like the first, with the star-powered Aggies quickly getting a 3-0 lead. From here, the Maroon & White were on fire. The balanced offensive system really shone on the court, with Cos-Okpalla ending the set with five swings for five kills on the night, 25-21.
In the third frame, the Sooners began to show glimpses of their usually efficient offense. Their captain, Alexis Shelton, was quieter in the previous sets but began to demonstrate her offensive capabilities. The score was quite narrow until the Aggies reached the 10-point marker. From there on, the Sooners lost all momentum, and the Aggies returned to their groove.
Near the end of the set, the Aggies subbed in freshman Megan Fitch, who had an outstanding performance last Sunday in Starkville. Fitch quickly ended the match with a strong kill, resulting in the first time the Sooners have been swept all season, 25-20.
For the seniors, it was an emotional night. For Underwood and Lendicky, both longtime teammates and roommates, the night carried special weight.
“We grew up wanting to play here,” Lednicky said. “Living out a childhood dream together — it’s bittersweet.”
“We do everything together,” Underwood added. “There’s no one else I’d rather do it with. It’s a dream come true and more than I could ever ask for.”
If the Maroon & White can play this efficiently, the next stretch of conference play is going to be dominant.
“We have nine more guaranteed matches right now,” Morrison said. “I’m 99.9 percent sure we’re going to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, but that’s not guaranteed. We have nine more opportunities for this group to express who they are.”
Next up for the Maroon & White is Arkansas on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT, where the 12th Man will honor the rest of this remarkable senior class.
