Two trains on the same track.
Both left the station undefeated. Both were derailed by TCU on the road.
Now both are picking up steam again.
The collision course arrives on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT as No. 13 Texas A&M hosts No. 21 Missouri to start SEC play.
“We're really looking forward to SEC play, and I think it's one of the best conferences in the country right now,” head coach Jamie Morrison said on Monday. “It obviously starts off with a top-25 matchup. We're gonna have a lot of those at Reed Arena and then throughout SEC play as a whole, so we're looking forward to the challenge.”
The Aggies (8-2) have won nine consecutive sets as they swept all three matches they played in the Texas A&M Invitational.
Likewise, Mizzou (8-3) is coming in hot as they recently won the Leatherneck Classic, where the Tigers only dropped one set.
The Maroon & White know what they are up against. Both Morrison and Mizzou head coach Dawn Sullivan were hired in the same week of December 2022.
Since then, they have strived to bring their respective programs to levels never seen before.
“They’re a well-coached volleyball team,” Morrison said of Missouri. “Whoever took that Missouri job had to restore Missouri back to what it had been, and I think Dawn has done a really good job of that. They’re well coached, work hard, serve tough, pass well and play the game in the right way. It’s a battle of fundamentals in my opinion.”
The Aggies demonstrated a grand level of star power at their home tournament. Emily Hellmuth racked up a combined 35 kills, while Maddie Waak choreographed the team to wins with her 107 total assists over the weekend.
Further, All-Americans Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and Logan Lednicky provide firepower that makes A&M a matchup problem.
But as conference play begins, junior setter Margot Manning officially announced that she will be taking a medical redshirt this season following a knee injury suffered in the preseason.
“My heart goes out to Margot,” Morrison said. “This isn’t the first time that something’s happened to that knee, and I’ve been around for all of them. Her ability to serve was a big part of the reason why we went on the run we had last year. We’re gonna miss that, but we’ll find a way to adjust.”
Still, the Aggie steam continues to build, and against Mizzou, the 12th Man will serve as the burning fuel for the program’s engine, as they have home-court advantage.
Wednesday also coincides with Fish Camp Night, which will ensure a large student turnout.
“The student section is something that makes college sports, college sports,” Morrison said. “It’s something that makes it unique, special and fun. I’m looking forward to putting that center stage.”
When the whistle blows at 6 p.m., two top-25 trains will clash in the battle of momentum and fundamentals.
The Ags are confident that they will be the ones who stay on the rails.
