STARKVILLE, Miss. – Texas A&M got contributions from all 14 players as the Aggies notched their 20th victory of the season with a 25-14, 25-18, 25-10 sweep against Mississippi State tonight at the Newell-Grissom Building.
It is the fifth consecutive win for the Aggies, who improve to 20-8 overall and 12-5 in SEC matches. MSU, playing its final home match of the season, drops to 7-25, 2-15 SEC.
A&M sophomore outside hitter Emily Hardesty took match-high honors in kills with 10. Three A&M players had double-figure digs, including a team-high 12 by freshman libero Amy Nettles. Junior middle blocker Shelby Sullivan reached double figures in digs for the first time in her career with 11, and junior outside hitter Angela Lowak finished with 10 digs. Sullivan also tied her season-high with a team-best seven blocks as A&M outblocked the Bulldogs 9-0, the first time an A&M opponent has gone without a block this season.
A&M held a 5-4 advantage in the opening set when the Aggies went on a 7-1 run to pull away. The Aggies continued to widen the gap, hitting a blistering .500 in the frame with 19 kills and only one error. Leading 21-14, the Aggies closed out the set scoring four consecutive points, including a kill by freshman setter Stephanie Aiple to clinch the win.
Sophomore Kaysie Shebeneck took over setting duties for the final two sets. After the Bulldogs had equaled their largest lead of the match at 14-11 in the second set, Shebeneck got a dump kill and freshman opposite hitter Ashlie Reasor followed with consecutive kills to tie the score at 14-14. MSU then had an attack error to give the Aggies a lead they would not lose. Although A&M went on to build a 17-14 cushion, MSU managed to get back within 19-18 after A&M hit into the net. The Bulldogs were unable to tie the score, hitting wide on the ensuing play, and Hardesty followed with one of her five kills in the set. A&M continued to score, finishing the set on a 6-0 run overall with Sullivan and Shebeneck teaming for a block to close out the win.
A&M held a 13-7 lead in the third set, when the Aggies erupted for eight unanswered points. An A&M attack error and a MSU kill temporarily ended the Aggies’ scoring outburst, but Shebeneck quickly started another A&M rally with a kill. A&M would hold MSU scoreless for the remainder of the match, with freshman outside hitter Kiara McGee capping a four-point match-clinching run with her third kill of the set.
A&M, which improved to 4-0 in the all-time series against MSU, hit above .300 for the fifth consecutive match, outhitting the Bulldogs, .339 to .080.
Texas A&M closes out the regular season at Ole Miss, Friday at 4 p.m. at the Gillom Sports Center in Oxford. The match will be broadcast on SEC Network +, available on WatchESPN.
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Texas A&M Post-match Quotes:
Head Coach Laurie Corbelli:
On reaching 20 wins…
“It’s just a really rewarding feeling that this team has really improved as we have gone along the whole time, both individually and as a group, and to win tonight’s match in the fashion that we did. Our players prepared themselves really well. They played a close to flawless match, and I was just really thrilled that not only did we get 20 wins, but it was done in the way that it was done.”
On getting all 14 players into the match…
“It was a goal of ours to blend some of our support players that have had backup roles most of the year on the court a lot more tonight, not all at once, but in different spots. So we worked hard to find a good balance when we wanted to put different players on the floor and let them contribute and to show how much they have improved as well. So it felt really good to have the entire team, especially here at the end of the season, get to get on the floor and contribute to this win.”
On the highly efficient offense and not allowing MSU to get a single block…
“Our hitters are really making a lot better choices and, I don’t know, for some reason it seems like they are all jumping a little bit higher than normal and hitting a lot higher. We have been working really hard in the gym on some new attack options and they’ve responded really quickly, and I guess that’s kind of what has helped our offense. I think our setters, both are doing a beautiful job. To be a team in this country that has two setters that can run the team and not really miss a beat is really special. I thought [Kaysie] Shebeneck tonight, I call her name and she gives me a big smile and says, ‘Ok, I’m ready,’ and there she goes and takes the team. I don’t think a lot of teams have that, and we are really lucky to have that.”
Expectations for Ole Miss in the season finale on Friday…
It’s going to be incredibly tough. They are so athletic and they are a very efficient group. They play very efficient volleyball. And so our block is going to have to be super disciplined, our defense is going to have to be really well-placed, and our sideout game is going to need to be right on target in order to get that win. It’s going to be a challenge.”
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics