Every SEC matchup is a fierce battle at the net.
For this duel, one team takes its first SEC road trip, while the other hosts its first home conference game.
No. 9 Texas A&M (10-2, 2-0) rides with an army of momentum into Columbia on Wednesday night to face South Carolina (6-6, 0-2) at 6 p.m. CT.
The Maroon & White are marching in with a five-match win streak as they return to where they were ranked in the preseason. The Aggies won six of seven sets in their first two SEC games of the season, which likely caused an eruption of joy among younger fans. The matches against Mizzou and Vandy gave the 12th Man a glimpse into the dominant consistency the Ags are playing with.
But the road won’t be an easy journey.
Head coach Jamie Morrison knows that.
“I think they’re a dangerous team,” Morrison said of South Carolina earlier this week. “Their record isn’t necessarily indicative of how good they are. I think you’re seeing it across the country and within the SEC right now. Every night is a battle, and it’ll be just that against them.”
The Gamecocks had a rough start to SEC play, being dealt sweeps by both Tennessee and Kentucky. Despite this, South Carolina has proven to be a competitive volleyball team as they are 5-1 at home, with their only loss coming from a five-set thriller against rival Clemson.
As the Aggies prepare for the battlefield, Morrison has reinforced that consistency is the team’s strongest weapon.
“It’s not about who we’re playing,” Morrison said. “It’s not about the score or any of those things because at some point here — South Carolina, Alabama — one of these teams will light on fire. Anybody can beat anybody. We can’t make it about who we’re playing. We have to make it about what we do and who we are every single day.”
The Aggie arsenal holds depth and variety. Maddie Waak is the commander on the court as she controls the game with her precise passing. Her 11.51 assists per set put her atop the national leaderboard, transforming A&M’s offense into one of the most efficient in the SEC.
“I’ve said it until I’m blue in the face: She’s the most underrated setter in the country,” Morrison said of Waak. “She is one of the best in the country, if not the world, at setting middle blockers. She can dish the ball from pretty much every spot on the floor to every spot on the floor.”
Meanwhile, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla was named SEC Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week after relentless performances vs. Mizzou and Vandy, resulting in 15 kills, 15 blocks and five aces. Her versatility makes her formidable at the net. The Aggies will need her to help forge the path to victory on the road.
The Maroon & White seek to prove their strengths in Wednesday’s duel in Columbia.
If A&M sticks to its mission of staying grounded and playing consistent volleyball, there is no doubt the Ags will be crowned victorious.
