Aggie volleyball posts another sweep with dominant win over Mississippi State
After over a week off for the Aggies since the sweep of Auburn, Texas A&M Volleyball (19-6, 11-4) returned home to earn a 3-0 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs (13-15, 2-14). After taking the first meeting against the Bulldogs, the Aggies secured the season sweep of Mississippi State with the match sweep tonight.
Set One: Texas A&M 25-19
Set one was kicked off with sloppy play by each team. Taylor Voss earned the Aggies a point on a free ball, and it wasn’t until the midway points that the Aggies caught fire. Texas A&M began to pull away with a lead behind strong hitting from Hollann Hans and Treyaunna Rush, going up 13-11 and forcing a Mississippi State timeout. The Aggies went on a 4-0 run with Hans on the service line, who recorded two aces during the run. She led the way on offense with seven kills in the set. Lauren Davis recorded one of her three kills at set point to claim set one for the Aggies, 25-19.
Set Two: Texas A&M 25-14
The Aggies found themselves down 7-4 early in set two, but two back to back kills by Mallory Talbert and a service ace by Karly Basham quickly knotted up the score. Once again, the Aggies broke loose midway through the set, going on a 6-0 run and finding themselves with a comfortable lead of 17-12. Offense was huge in set two as the Aggies hit a .484 clip; Rush led the way with five. Camille Conner led the Aggies from the service line during the run, picking up an ace. Makena Patterson and Karly Basham each recorded an ace of their own. Behind strong hitting, the Aggies cruised to the 25-19 set win, setting up the sweep.
Set Three: Texas A&M 25-22
Texas A&M started off hot in set three. A bullet of an ace by Hans sent the ball flying into the stands off the arms of the Bulldogs’ Kanani Price. Set three was more of a battle than the previous two sets – the score remaining close through the 20-point mark. Despite the Bulldogs having the better hitting percentage, the Aggies were able to close it out with kills in key moments and by capitalizing on Mississippi State errors. Hans led the Aggies with four kills, followed behind Mallory Talbert with three. Talbert’s kill at set point gave the Aggies a 25-22 set win and match sweep.
Postgame:
“It was a great team win. 3-0 in the SEC – we’ll take that,” said head coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn. “They fought and we grinded point after point. There’s always things we have to clean up but in general, a 3-0 sweep is good for us in the SEC.
“We were down at the beginning almost every set. I loved our composure and our defensive transition kept us in it. That was a positive. We would obviously like to see a better start and be more efficient, but I was proud of the way we stayed composed and really finished.”
“Shout out to the passers,” said junior setter Camille Conner. “I was really able to see the block and decide whether to attack or set up one on ones. The training we’re doing [in practice] has really translated into the matches.”
“Playing in this gym means so much,” said freshman defensive specialist Karly Basham. “It really helps our energy and helps us stay composed.”
Up Next:
The Aggies return home on Sunday to host Ole Miss in the final home game of the regular season. Four Aggies, including Camila Gomez, Hollann Hans, Makena Patterson and Haley Slocum, will be honored on Senior Night. First serve is set for 3:00 pm.