Match #20: No. 9 Texas A&M 3, Ole Miss 0
S1: A&M, 25-23; S2: A&M, 25-23; S3: A&M, 25-14
Records: Texas A&M (17-3, 9-1), Ole Miss (10-11, 2-8)
Box Score
Aggies keep on rolling.
No. 9 Texas A&M shook off Rebel pressure to secure a sweep over Ole Miss on Sunday afternoon in Oxford.
The victory marked the Aggies’ 10th win in their last 11 matches, showcasing the power the team holds in the SEC.
With the win, the Maroon & White improved to 17-3 overall and 9-1 in conference play, continuing this dominant stretch of the season.
“The aspect I am most proud of is the amount of grit that our team showed,” head coach Jamie Morrison said. “I never thought there was panic. I thought there was constant problem-solving, and we ended up pulling that out in three.”
Reigning SEC Offensive and Player of the Week Logan Lednicky’s 16 kills moved her up to sixth all-time in program history with 1,486. Emily Hellmuth also had herself an efficient night as her eight kills helped her reach the 1,000-career kill benchmark.
The Aggies saw two shaky sets to start the match. Their season-long struggle with errors was on display on Sunday. However, like in Friday’s win at LSU, once they found their balance and got into a groove, they played up to their reputation.
Despite the errors, the Aggie offense hit with solid consistency, finishing with a .336 hitting percentage. This was due to Lednicky hitting at a .355 clip and Kyndal Stowers, who hit .385 with 12 kills.
The national leader in assists per set Maddie Waak had a well-organized passing system, finishing the match with 45 assists.
Five Aggie aces also helped the dependency of the team, with two coming from Lednicky, two by Tatum Thomas and one from Ifenna Cos-Okpalla. Cos-Okpalla contributed nine kills and also led the team in blocks with three as she anchored the net during long rallies.
Ole Miss quickly got to a 9-3 lead from a 5-0 run in the first set, aided by back-to-back aces from Bella Bonanno.
After that, Lednicky’s mastery of the game began to show as the Aggies tied the set 12-12. A&M then went on a 5-1 run, finding a groove to get ahead of the Rebels. They narrowed the lead, but a powerful Lednicky kill to put her at No. 6 all-time sealed the set, 25-23.
The second stanza started neck-and-neck as both programs exchanged good rallies until the excessive errors crept in. The Rebels, who were controlling their first touch much better, went on a 6-0 run for a 12-7 lead.
Five attack errors and five service errors from the Ags almost let the Rebels run away with it at 19-13. However, after a recharging timeout, the Aggies played like a top-10 team and took the lead behind an effective Stowers, 21-20. A 4-0 run after an Ole Miss timeout secured the claw-back, 25-23.
“I told them I wanted to break up the rhythm that they have,” Morrison said. “We have to respond and play good volleyball. I think we did just that.”
The third frame started neck-and-neck once again. Cos-Okpalla played productively, refusing to let the Rebels escape with the lead. Tied 9-9, Ole Miss lost all of their resistance as they were plagued by errors, giving A&M a commanding lead at 19-11.
The Aggies, on the other hand, found their rhythm and minimized their errors to four total during the set. Ole Miss had little fight left to give as another service error, plus an all-star slam from Lednicky, finished the match, 25-14. The dynamic Ags held the Rebels to a .000 hitting percentage during the set.
The sweep marks a triumphant road trip weekend. Though the Ags struggled with continuous errors, they also corrected their mistakes mid-game, which is an indicator that they have the traits to be a powerhouse program.
The already dominant Aggies have been consistently improving, even in their slightest errors with each match. Under Jamie Morrison’s leadership, it exhibits that they are a force to be reckoned with.
Next week, the Maroon & White will have their biggest test of the season so far as they clash with No. 2 Texas on Halloween at 6:30 p.m. CT.
