Texas A&M takes season-opener over Hawai'i in five-set thriller
The Fightin’ Texas Aggie volleyball team has kicked off their season with a win.
On Friday afternoon, the Maroon & White began the Texas A&M Invitational by taking care of business and downing Hawai’i in five sets, 3-2.
The Aggie volleyball team — consisting of five freshmen, five transfers and seven returners — relied on new and old talent to battle through the season opener.
“The returners made sure to set what the standards were and what the culture was,” Caroline Meuth said. “They allowed the new people to showcase what they could bring to the table.”
One of those newcomers to make a quick impact was Logan Lednicky. In her debut, she slammed 20 kills, but her performance did not come as a surprise to head coach Bird Kuhn.
“It wasn't a surprise to us because we’ve seen it all preseason,” Kuhn said. “Her and Caroline have big arms, and they have been playing like that for us for the past two weeks. We also still need balance.”
Meuth added to Bird’s comments on Lednicky: “She doesn't play like a freshman.”
After falling 25-18 in the first set, A&M wasted no time fighting back. The Aggies topped the Rainbow Wahine in the following set, 25-19.
Leading the team in kills was Meuth with 23. The graduate transfer from Notre Dame was the first transfer to commit to A&M, and although nervous at first, Meuth said Aggieland has changed her outlook on life.
“My favorite thing about being here is falling in love with life again,” Meuth said. “That was something I was hoping for but I didn't know it was going to hit me as hard as it did, falling in love with life and volleyball.”
The Aggies took the third set 25-23, but fell behind in the fourth due to powerful swings from the Rainbow Wahine, forcing a fifth. The back-and-forth match continued, and the Aggies remained confident. Brooke Frazier served bullets to stretch the Aggies’ lead, and a kill by Meuth concluded the match, 15-11.
“That’s the first thing I talked about when I stepped in the locker room was Brooke,” Kuhn said. “She was solid serving back there. She was moving the ball and hitting the zone. That execution at the end of the game is what you want to see out of your team.”
The Texas A&M Invitational continues on Saturday when the Aggies take on No. 25 San Diego at 1 p.m. at Reed Arena.
