It’s time to bounce back.
Following their first SEC loss to No. 3 Kentucky on Wednesday, Texas A&M volleyball is back and ready to reset.
The ninth-ranked Aggies will hit the road for Starkville as they take on Mississippi State on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.
After breaking a seven-match win streak, A&M will need to bounce back and fight hard, as the Bulldogs will not be an easy opponent.
At 13-2 overall, the Bulldogs have proven themselves to be tough competitors, and the Ags will need to play with urgency and stay consistent if they want to come out on top.
“I know their offense is humming at a pretty good rate,” A&M head coach Jamie Morrison said. “When I look at statistics, they’ve got a couple of really good servers.
“They’re playing a good brand of volleyball, and it seems like they’re playing an aggressive brand of volleyball.”
Before Wednesday’s loss at Reed Arena, A&M hadn’t lost since a metroplex back-to-back in early September.
That fruitless DFW trip lit a fire that led to seven consecutive wins and a 4-0 start to conference play.
For A&M, maintaining balance and composure will be key. Senior setter Maddie Waak, the leader of the Aggie offense, recently surpassed 3,000 career assists and continues to lead the country in assists per set with an 11.48 average.
Waak’s ability to move the ball around efficiently and consistently to create one-on-one opportunities for her hitters will be key in keeping the A&M offense balanced.
You can expect All-American opposite hitter Logan Lednicky to continue to make noise, as the senior tallied 21 kills vs. Kentucky.
The outsides, Kyndal Stowers and Emily Hellmuth, have each taken turns leading in kills and will both need to play aggressive to put the Aggies on top.
Defensively, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla has continued to be a problem at the net for opponents. The All-American middle blocker was named the SEC’s Player of the Week, as well as Defensive Player of the Week, for the second consecutive week.
While Cos-Okpalla did not make as much noise against Kentucky, the senior is averaging 1.57 blocks per set, which puts her at sixth nationally.
As they go into this match, the Aggies sit at 12-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play, and while they may not face an easy opponent, if A&M can stay disciplined and play like the top-10 team they have proven themselves to be, they have the chance to restart and begin a new win streak.
A&M has been here before, and if history repeats itself, Wednesday’s loss might be the spark for another run.
