Match #14: No. 9 Texas A&M 3, Alabama 0
S1: A&M, 25-19; S2: A&M, 25-9; S3: A&M, 25-18
Records: Texas A&M (12-2, 4-0), Alabama (8-6, 0-4)
Box Score
The Aggies keep the momentum rolling.
Texas A&M volleyball swept Alabama on Sunday afternoon in Tuscaloosa to improve its winning streak to seven.
The ninth-ranked Aggies, now 12-2 overall and 4-0 in SEC play, started slow but quickly bounced back to their dominant, top-10 style of play that they are known for.
“We played good volleyball from eight points in on,” head coach Jamie Morrison said after the match. “I thought we came out a little bit sloppy. We took a timeout, and I thought, from then on, we kind of dialed things in and really took it to them.
“Leading into the second set, I just talked about, there are no nights off in the SEC. It’s a good opponent, and I thought we played good volleyball.”
Leading the offense was senior outside hitter Emily Hellmuth with 12 kills and a .423 hitting efficiency. Senior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky also had 11 kills and a .429 hitting percentage.
“I thought (Hellmuth) did a great job tonight,” Morrison said. “I thought it was shot selection. I thought she was being aggressive at the right times. I thought she was managing at the right times, and that showed up in her hitting efficiency.”
The middle blockers continued to make an impact both offensively and defensively, as Morgan Perkins had seven kills and four blocks, while Ifenna Cos-Okpalla tallied six kills and four blocks. This match also marked a career high of five aces for Cos-Okpalla, contributing to A&M’s total of seven in the match.
Freshman outside hitter Megan Fitch also made her mark, contributing four kills and two blocks.
The first three points of the opener belonged to Alabama, as a few errors from the Aggies gave the Tide an early 8-3 lead and caused Morrison to call a timeout.
A&M responded with urgency, and kills from Hellmuth and Perkins put them back in the game.
Back-to-back aces from Cos-Okpalla tied the match, and a kill from Hellmuth gave the Aggies their first lead of the match.
From then on, A&M controlled the first set, and a block from Cos-Okpalla at 21-16 pushed Alabama to call a timeout to try and slow the Aggies down.
Despite the Tide’s efforts to break the momentum, the Aggies won the set 25-19.
While the second stanza began with a few early ties, the Maroon & White quickly regained control by going on a 12-point scoring run, highlighted by a second pair of aces from Cos-Okpalla and kills from Hellmuth and Perkins.
The Aggies were playing just like the top-10 team that they are, and they closed out the second in a dominant fashion, 25-9.
The final set began much like the second, with multiple ties and a close score, until a four-point scoring run put A&M ahead, 13-10.
Alabama came back with a few competitive sparks, but it was not enough to stop the Aggies' momentum, as A&M went on to win the final set, 25-18.
Sunday was crucial as it kept A&M’s momentum and confidence building as they look ahead to a matchup next week that will likely have major implications on the SEC title race.
On deck, the Aggies will take on a top-tier opponent as they return to Reed Arena to take on No. 3 Kentucky on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT.
