Texas A&M volleyball caps 3-0 weekend with two wins on Saturday
Bird Kuhn and the Aggies are champions of the Texas A&M Invitational after defeating UAlbany and UTSA on Saturday to finish a 3-0 weekend. The Aggies didn't drop a single set on the day, sweeping both the Great Danes and the Roadrunners at Reed Arena.
Match One: Texas A&M 3, UAlbany 0
Texas A&M swept the UAlbany Great Danes on Saturday afternoon (25-18, 25-22, 25-11), securing their second victory in the Texas A&M Invitational.
Camille Conner dominated on the court with six kills and a hitting percentage of .857, while Morgan Christon clocked seven kills and three blocks. Freshman Faye Wilbricht had two kills to close out the match, marking the first points of her collegiate career.
“We always talk about how great we are going to be and challenge ourselves to play at that level,” head coach Bird Kuhn said postgame. “I think we had moments where we executed at a high level, and sometimes we did not, but in a game with momentum like that, I am proud of the subs and the way we got our bench involved.”
Conner smashed a service ace to kick off the first set, quickly bringing the momentum up on the court as the Aggies racked up an almost-uncontested 9-2 lead. Albany made a strong attempt to catch up with a four-point run, but Christon shut them down with the set-ending kill.
The Aggies held their ground in the second set despite Albany’s impressive five-point streak that brought the score to 23-22 before a service error halted their progress. Junior Destiny Cox slammed a kill to seal a 25-22 set victory.
Cox opened the third set with another kill, setting the tone for the frame as the Aggies found their rhythm and blew through the Great Danes. Mallory Talbert led the Aggies to a nine-point scoring run from the service line. Wilbrecht ended the set with two kills, completing the sweep.
Freshman setter Nisa Buzlutepe stepped up to the challenge over the last two sets, racking up six total assists and proving the talent of the Aggies’ youngsters.
“It was awesome to see Nisa (Buzlutepe) go in. She came in and was a spark for our team and was getting balls right to the target,” Conner said. “Also, seeing Faye (Wilbricht) come in and get two kills as well. It’s just really exciting to see our freshmen step up.”
Match Two: Texas A&M 3, UTSA 0
Texas A&M secured their second-straight sweep Saturday night, dominating all three sets (25-14, 25-17, 25-18) against UTSA at Reed Arena.
The Aggies were named tournament champions following their third victory in the Texas A&M Invitational.
Camille Conner, who was named tournament MVP, charted six kills a match-high 38 assists. Morgan Christon and Lauren Davis commanded the court with 13 and 12 kills, respectively, while London Auston-Roark nailed two service aces and two blocks.
“It’s cool to see our team and how we continue to grow and not just grow as a team chemistry-wise, but on the court executing and playing clean,” head coach Bird Kuhn said postgame. “We talk about it all the time. It’s how great are we going to be. It’s not about the opponent, but the game plan versus the opponent and then our own game on our side of the ball. That is what’s good to see right now.”
Texas A&M flew out of the gates with a seven-point scoring streak led by Austin-Roark on the serve, bringing the Aggies to a 7-1 lead. The Roadrunners mustered some solid returns but could not find their footing as the Aggies continued to dominate, cementing the set victory with another seven-point run.
The Roadrunners fought hard at the beginning of the second set to keep the score tight until the Aggies pulled away with kills from Destiny Cox and Mallory Talbert brought the score to 16-9. Texas A&M maintained the lead for the remainder of the set as Davis slammed a kill to end the set at 25-17.
The third set started off close, with the Roadrunners reluctant to give up the fight. The Aggies pulled away with a service ace from libero Macy Carrabine to bring the score to 20-16, followed by consecutive kills and the game-winning point from Christon to wrap up the set, 25-18.
Following the game, Conner and Talbert were named to the All-Tournament Team after their performance throughout the weekend.
“Every individual achievement always boils down to the team. That is something that is a part of our core values; talking about family,” stated Talbert. “Anything that me and Camille get, or anyone on the team, it boils down to the team and how hard we have worked to get here and how hard we have worked to win this tournament.”
The Aggies will travel to San Marcos next week to square off against Texas State. First serve is scheduled at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 14.
