Texas A&M just sent a message: they're not here to play nice. A clean sweep over Vanderbilt, and now it's on to the SEC semifinals against Texas.
AGGIES HANDLE BUSINESS
Logan Lednicky didn't hold back. 14 kills. That's how you lead from the front. Alongside him, Kyndal Stowers and Ifenna Cos-Okpalla each dropped 11 kills, showing the kind of depth that makes A&M a serious threat.
Vanderbilt tried to make it interesting. Down six, they went on a seven-point run to take a 25-24 lead. But then? Timeout. Reset. A&M closed it out with a 3-0 run. Maddie Waak's 40 assists showed why she's a force to reckon with. Head Coach Jamie Morrison wasn't shy about it: “She does a lot more than throw the ball up there, that's the best server in the country.”
THIS IS WHERE IT CHANGED
Even with some hiccups—12 attack errors and 15 service errors—the Aggies showed resilience. Morrison knows they can clean it up. “We’re going to find our volume and we are going to be an aggressive serving team.”
Aggie defense? No solo blocks, but 14 block assists. It's a team effort, and Cos-Okpalla knows it. “I do my best to close, take away any angles.”
TEXAS, YOU'RE NEXT
Next up, it's Texas. A rematch of their Halloween showdown, where A&M edged out Texas in five sets. Morrison's confident: “I think we're one of the best four teams in the country.” Beat Texas, and they might just prove it.
Texas A&M is ranked No. 11 in the RPI, but a win over Texas could change everything. Monday's showdown at 7:30 p.m. is set to be a thriller. You could feel it coming. A&M's looking for that top eight seed to guarantee some home-court advantage at Reed Arena.
A&M's on a mission. Texas better be ready.
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Source: statesman.com
