Aggies fall below .500 after being swept at home by Arkansas
Texas A&M volleyball (12-13, 5-10) fell to the Arkansas Razorbacks (18-8, 9-6) in three sets (18-25, 20-25, 20-25) on Wednesday night at Reed Arena despite multiple attempts to even the score.
“It’s really the momentum. When you get a two- or three-point run, and then you give away five, it snowballs. That’s where you talk about controlling the momentum,” Texas A&M head coach Bird Kuhn said postgame. “I think right in the middle of each set, we lose that. That’s where you have to lock in and have that composure as a team.”
Outside hitter Morgan Christon dominated on the court, playing all six rotations as she slammed 14 kills, eight digs and a block to propel the Aggies forward. Lauren Davis and Treyaunna Rush spiked five kills each, while Camille Conner scooped 12 digs and put up 25 assists.
The first set started close as each team exchanged blows, but the Razorbacks hit a five-point streak to send the score to 17-10. Texas A&M responded with a kill by Davis and a double block, keeping themselves afloat. Despite the Aggies’ efforts to close the gap, punctuated by late-game kills by Christon and Mallory Talbert, Arkansas took the set, 25-18.
Starting with another close exchange, the Aggies held the score close in the second set before the Razorbacks once again pulled away to a 20-15 lead. Another scoring streak caused the Aggies to fall behind, and despite a late comeback to bring the score to 21-19, Arkansas brought the frame to a 25-20 conclusion.
The Aggies found their momentum in the third set as they kept pace with the Razorbacks, bringing the score to 21-19 before Arkansas forged ahead. The set was marked with intense volleys as each team scrambled for footing, and multiple drives from the Aggies saw the Razorbacks stumbling.
Christon’s set-high five kills and three blocks kept the Aggies in the running late in the frame. Ultimately, Arkansas capitalized on Texas A&M errors to draw the frame and the game to a close, 25-20.
“We had moments where we grinded, but it’s consistency,” Kuhn said. “That’s what it always comes back to. That’s the game of volleyball: momentum and consistency.”
Texas A&M will travel to Baton Rouge on Nov. 21 to go head-to-head with the LSU Tigers. The match is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.
