ATHENS, Ga. – The Texas A&M volleyball team fell in five sets (13-25, 27-25, 19-25, 25-20, 13-15) to the Georgia Bulldogs (11-3, 2-1 SEC) at the Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday.
Freshman Logan Lednicky led the Aggies (10-5, 2-2 SEC) with a career day in kills, as she finished with a match-leading 27. Graduate transfer Elena Karakasi recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 44 assists and 10 digs, while Lauren Hogan added a team-best 13 digs. Molly Brown turned in a career high in blocks, she totaling a team-high seven on the day.
The Aggies opened the first set strong, after an early two-point brace and went on a three-point run to lead 5-2. Despite Lednicky having the hot hand for the Aggies with four early kills, the Bulldogs responded with a run of their own to take a commanding lead. Georgia ran away with a 14-1 run for a 25-13 opening-set win.
Set two saw a close fight early with the Bulldogs eventually gaining a slight lead on the Aggies, before Lednicky sparked a three-point run, leveling the score at 15-all. It was a back-and-forth battle as the teams were tied at 25. The Aggies pushed through and finished the set with two straight points courtesy of a kill from Caroline Meuth, taking the set 27-25.
The Bulldogs came out fast in the third set to gain a 10-5 advantage. The momentum continued for Georgia through the set, before the Aggies pushed with a three-point run late, cutting into their deficit, trailing 20-17. The late rally from the Maroon & White fell short as the Bulldogs pulled away to take the third set 25-19.
With A&M looking to force a fifth set, they brought the energy early to pressure Georgia into taking an early timeout. The Bulldogs fought back to tie the game 9-9. Lednicky continued to drive the Aggies’ offense, matching a career high in kills, giving A&M the lead. A pair of tips over the block by Meuth helped the Maroon & White maintain a three-point lead, sitting in front, 16-13. The Aggies continued to surge as Lednicky reached a career high 24 kills, before a block by Meuth and Brown sealed it, 25-20.
In a race to 15, Georgia were the early aggressors as the Bulldogs pulled away 8-5 at the halfway point in the set. Georgia continued to extend its lead by five points giving them a 13-8 advantage. The Aggies rallied with Brooke Frazier behind the service line, quickly erasing the five-point deficit tying the game at 13. Following a Georgia timeout, the Bulldogs responded with two points of their own to finish the match 15-13 to take the victory.
UP NEXT
The Aggies look to bounce back tomorrow with a repeat fixture against the Georgia Bulldogs. The match begins at 11 a.m. CT and airs on SEC Network.
BIRD BITS
Head coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn
On Logan Lednicky’s performance…
“It’s a balancing act. Anytime you’re trying to have a balanced offense, it’s nice to see Logan step up when her teammates around her are struggling. All around, we just need to be more consistent in how we’re competing and figuring it out sooner.”
On Brooke Frazier’s performance off the bench…
“We call it sparks off the bench, and Brooke came in and she did her job. That’s what we ask them to do. It’s point-by-point how we’re going to execute and do our jobs. Brooke came in and did that, and we love seeing that.”
Story by Sam Thornton, Athletics Communications