The Aggies opened SEC play on Sunday with a commanding 3-0 victory over Auburn at Reed Arena. Tennessee is looking to get into the win column after opening SEC play with 3-0 losses at both Arkansas and defending league champion Missouri. Kentucky extended its win streak to six with 3-1 victories at both LSU and South Carolina last weekend. The Wildcats are 12-2 overall and 2-0 in SEC play entering a home match against Alabama on Friday.
TEXAS A&M QUICK HITS:
- The 2014 season marks the 40th season of volleyball as an intercollegiate varsity sport at Texas A&M. The Aggies are 941-518-2 all-time.
- Texas A&M broke into the AVCA Top 25 Poll at No. 21 on Sept. 15, marking the Aggies' first top-25 ranking since a No. 21 showing in the 2009 final poll. A&M had dropped one spot to No. 22 in the Sept. 22 rankings after suffering back-to-back losses to sixth-ranked and undefeated Florida State but returned to No. 21 this week following wins against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Auburn.
- A&M is 2-2 against ranked opponents, having defeated both No. 6 USC and No. 13 San Diego at the USC Classic, Sept. 11-12, and falling in back-to-back matches against No. 6 Florida State at Reed Arena, Sept. 19-20.
- Junior middle blocker and team co-captain Shelby Sullivan has been nearly unstoppable as of late. The preseason All-SEC selection posted back-to-back career-highs in kills last week, tallying 19 while hitting .410 in the 3-1 victory against the Islanders and then posting 20 kills while hitting a blistering .826 in a 3-0 win against Auburn. For the week, Sullivan hit a combined .565, averaging 5.57 kills, 1.43 blocks and 6.50 points per set.
- Texas A&M, which tied for sixth place in the SEC standings last season with a 10-8 mark, is picked to finish sixth this year, according a preseason poll of the league's head coaches.
- Texas A&M head coach Laurie Corbelli is in her 22nd season at the helm of the Aggies and the 29th year of her head coaching career. The 1984 Olympic silver medalist is 552-321 overall and 452-215 at A&M, where she has directed the Aggies to 17 NCAA appearances.
- Corbelli returns four starters -- juniors and team captains Angela Lowak (6-0, OH) and Shelby Sullivan (6-2, MB) and sophomores Jazzmin Babers (6-2, MB) and Emily Hardesty (6-3, OH) -- and five other letterwinners from last year's team that went 19-12 and made a third consecutive appearance in the NCAA second round before being eliminated by Texas for the second straight year.
- There are eight newcomers on the A&M roster, including a six-person freshman recruiting class that was recognized by both Volleyball Magazine and PrepVolleyball.com. High school All-Americans Stephanie Aiple (6-1, S/OPP), who joined the team in January, and lefty Ashlie Reasor (6-1, OPP), as well as Kiara McGee (5-11, OH), Amy Nettles (5-4, L/DS), Olivia Thorpe (5-11, OH) and Uche Ukadike (5-11, MB) make up the freshman class.
RECENT RESULTS: #22 Texas A&M vs. Auburn, Sunday, Sept. 28
- Texas A&M middle blocker Shelby Sullivan was nearly unstoppable as she posted a career-high 20 kills with only one error in the 22nd-ranked Aggies' 25-11, 25-19, 25-15 SEC opening victory against Auburn on Sunday at Reed Arena.
- Sullivan hit a career-high .826 against the Tigers, setting an A&M SEC record and a Reed Arena record for hitting percentage when making 10 or more attack attempts. She also broke A&M records for kills (20) and points (25.0) in a three-set SEC match.
- Sullivan was 7-for-7 in attack attempts in the first set, and individually had more kills than the Auburn team. She also posted 11 kills in 12 attempts in the second set alone, giving her 18 kills after two sets, two more than the entire Auburn team.
- Middle blocker Jazzmin Babers pitched in a career-high .625 hitting percentage, posting 11 kills with only one error in 16 attempts.
- As a team, the Aggies hit above .400 in each set and finished the match with a .440 hitting efficiency, setting the school record for hitting percentage in an SEC match.
- A&M outblocked the Tigers, 9-3, and held Auburn to a .139 hitting percentage
- Freshman setter Stephanie Aiple finished with 35 assists and sophomore libero Victoria Arenas took match-high honors in digs with nine.
A&M SERIES RECORD VS. TENNESSEE:
- A&M has won the last two meetings to improve to 4-6 all-time against the Lady Vols since the teams first met in 1982.
- The Aggies are 2-1 against the Lady Vols in SEC matches only.
- A&M is 2-3 in matches played in Knoxville. The Aggies last played at Thompson-Boling in 2012, and got a crucial 15-25, 25-22, 25-20, 27-29, 15-9 victory against the then-defending SEC champion and preseason league favorite Lady Vols.
- A&M swept the Lady Vols last year in the only meeting, defeating UT, 25-17, 25-14, 25-10, at Reed Arena. Then-senior setter Allie Sawatzky led all players with 12 kills and directed the Aggies to their second highest hitting percentage of the season as A&M outhit the Lady Vols, .413 to .172. Sophomore middle blocker Shelby Sullivan had nine kills while hitting at a .562 clip and contributed three aces and two blocks to take match-high honors with 13 points.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE:
- Tennessee, 7-9 overall, opened SEC play last week with 3-0 road losses at Arkansas and defending league champion Missouri.
- Most recently, the Lady Vols were outhit by Missouri, .281 to .099 in the 25-19, 25-15, 25-16 loss in Columbia, Mo. Kendra Turner led UT with eight kills. Lexi Dempsey had a team-high 11 digs, and Shealyn Kolosky and Iesha Bryant had four blocks apiece. The Tigers posted seven aces to UT's one.
- Jamie Lea leads the Lady Vols and is 16th in the SEC with 2.84 kills per set for the full season, but she is being held to a .162 hitting percentage. Turner is averaging 2.76 kills per set while hitting .203
- Iesha Bryant is ninth in the league with 1.07 blocks per set, and Bridgette Villano is 11th in digs with a 3.51 average.
- The match against the Aggies marks the start of a four-match home stand for the Lady Vols, their longest of the season. UT is 2-2 in home matches this season.
A&M SERIES RECORD VS. KENTUCKY
- Kentucky has won the last six matches against A&M to take a 6-5 lead in the all-time series.
- A&M is 0-3 against the Wildcats in SEC matches only and 0-3 in matches played in Lexington.
- The Aggies' most recent victory against the Wildcats was Oct. 4, 1985, in College Station.
- Last year, then-No. 16 Kentucky ended A&M's five-match win streak, winning all three sets by the minimum two points in a 26-24, 25-23, 26-24 contest at Memorial Coliseum.
- Sierra Patrick led A&M with 10 kills and 12 points. Heather Reynolds had a match-high 18 digs, the most digs by an A&M player in a three-set match in 2013. Lefty setter Allie Sawatzky added 15 digs and also recorded 26 assists to tally her league-leading 18th double-double of the year. Victoria Arenas also reached double figures in digs with 10. Jazzmin Babers took team-high honors in blocks with five, and Shelby Sullivan, who had eight kills while hitting at a .412 clip, had two aces to finish with 11.5 points. Kentucky, which outhit A&M .171 to .161 for the match, was led by Whitney Billings' 15 kills. Alexandra Morgan added 10 kills and led all players with eight blocks.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY:
- The Wildcats, who climbed one spot to No. 13 in this week's AVCA Top 25 Poll, are riding a six-match win streak and are 12-2 overall and 2-0 in the SEC entering a home match against Alabama on Friday.
- Most recently, Kentucky opened SEC play with 3-1 road victories at LSU and South Carolina.
- Kentucky is 7-1 at Memorial Coliseum, with the only loss being against then-No. 6 USC on Sept. 5. Texas A&M defeated USC, 3-1, the following week in Los Angeles.
- Both of Kentucky's losses have been against ranked opponents. In addition to the USC loss, the Wildcats fell, 3-2, at No. 17 North Carolina on Sept. 12. A&M is the third ranked opponents for the Wildcats.
- Kentucky leads the SEC with 12.94 assists and 14.12 kills per set for the full season, ranking 34th and 43rd, respectively, in the nation.
- The Wildcats have three players averaging more than 3.0 kills per set: Shelby Workman (3.25), Lauren O'Conner (3.14) and Anni Thomasson (3.08).
- Libero Jackie Napper is averaging 4.87 digs per set for the full season, ranking second in the SEC.
- Jazzmin Babers entered the week ranked 34th in the nation with 1.33 blocks per set and currently ranks fourth in the SEC. Earlier this season, the redshirt sophomore set a school record with 13 block assists against UTSA (Aug. 30). Her 14 total blocks against the Roadrunners ties for second in the A&M record books.
- Shelby Sullivan leads the Aggies' attack and ranks fourth in the SEC with a .386 hitting percentage. She also leads A&M with 3.98 points and 3.20 kills per set, ranking with seventh and 10th, respectively, in the SEC. She is second on the team and eighth in the league with 1.13 blocks per set.
- Sullivan, who is coming off back-to-back career-high kill and points performances (19 kills, 20.5 points vs. TAMU-CC; 20 kills, 25.0 points vs. Auburn) has posted double-figure kills in a team-leading eight matches, including in six of the last seven matches. Over the last six matches combined -- which included four matches against Top 15 teams -- Sullivan is hitting .467 with 3.87 kills, 1.22 blocks and 4.67 points per set.
- Stephanie Aiple entered the week fifth in the SEC and 42nd in the nation with 10.78 assists per set. The freshman had a career-high 56 assists in the 3-2 victory at No. 6 USC on Sept. 11 and had a 54-assist performance in the four-set victory over TAMU-CC. Most recently, she dished out 35 assists in the sweep against Auburn, directing the Aggie offense to a season-high .440 hitting percentage.
- Libero Victoria Arenas has tallied double-digit digs in a team-best eight matches, including three matches in which she has posted 20 or more digs. She had a career high and a team season-high 28 digs in a 3-2 loss to UTSA. Arenas, who has been A&M's designated libero in all but one set this season, leads the Aggies and is fifth in the SEC with 4.02 digs per set for the full season.
- A&M is 8-0 when winning the first set and 1-3 when dropping the first set. The win against TAMU-CC was the first time this season A&M came back to win after dropping the opening set.
- A&M has used three different starting lineups. Middle blockers Jazzmin Babers and Shelby Sullivan and outside hitters Angela Lowak and Emily Hardesty have started every match. Opposite hitter Ashlie Reasor has started 10 matches with freshman defensive specialist Amy Nettles starting in the back row for Reasor against VCU and TAMU-CC. Sophomore Kaysie Shebeneck started the first three matches at setter, and freshman Stephanie Aiple has started each of the last nine. Sophomore Victoria Arenas has been the first-set designated libero in all 12 matches.
- Babers and Sullivan, both AVCA All-South Region honorable mentions in 2013, have made 42 consecutive starts dating back to the 2013 season opener. In addition, Sullivan has played in 153 consecutive sets.
- A&M is 2-2 against ranked opponents with wins against No. 6 USC and No. 13 San Diego and two losses to No. 6 Florida State.
RANDOM NOTES:
A&M Celebrates 40 Years of Women's Athletics
The 2014-15 academic year marks the 40th season of women's varsity athletics at Texas A&M. As part of a year-long celebration, numerous recognitions and activities will be held leading up to the official 40th anniversary date on June 15, 2015.
Although some Aggie women's sports teams were already participating in intercollegiate competitions as early as 1971, it wasn't until the Texas A&M Athletic Council's milestone decision on June 15, 1975, that women's athletics were brought under the umbrella of the Texas A&M Athletics Department. Individual women's sports celebrating their 40th seasons under the Athletics Department are golf, swimming and diving, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball.
Over the past 40 years, Texas A&M's women's sports have accounted for 19 national titles, 44 conference championships and four Olympic medals. Volleyball has made 24 postseason appearances and won one conference divisional title
Aiple Named ESPNW National Player of the Week:
Honors continue to accumulate for Texas A&M freshman setter Stephanie Aiple, who on Sept. 17 was named the espnW national volleyball player of the week for her performances in the Aggies' back-to-back victories over then-No. 6 USC and then-No. 13 San Diego at the USC Classic in Los Angeles. Aiple, the first Texas A&M player to earn the espnW national honor, also was named to the USC Classic all-tournament team following the victories over the favored Trojans and Toreros, and is a two-time SEC Freshman Volleyball Player of the Week.
Freshman Recruiting Class Recognized:
Texas A&M volleyball's freshman class received honorable mention in Volleyball Magazine's list of the nation's top 10 recruiting classes. A&M is the only Texas school mentioned in the listing, which recognized 15 classes as honorable mention in addition to the top-10 ranked teams. High school All-Americans Stephanie Aiple (6-1, S), and Ashlie Reasor (6-1, OPP) headline the Aggies' six-member freshman class, which was ranked 17th in the nation by Prepvolleyball.com earlier this year. Kiara McGee (5-11, OH), Amy Nettles (5-4, L), Olivia Thorpe (5-11, OH) and Uche Ukadike (5-11, MB) complete the heralded class.
SEC Preseason Poll:
Texas A&M, which tied for sixth place in the SEC standings last season with a 10-8 mark, is picked to finish sixth this year, according to a preseason vote of the league coaches. Florida is picked to win the team championship, having received the maximum 12 first-place votes for 144 points. Kentucky is projected to finish second, having received 129 points. Defending SEC champion Missouri received the only other first-place vote and is picked to place third with 114 total points, followed by LSU (105 points) and Alabama (102 points). A&M received 89 points and Arkansas is seventh with 87 points. Georgia (65 points), Auburn (54), Ole Miss (50) and Tennessee (33). South Carolina (29) and Mississippi State (13) round out the 13-team poll. Vanderbilt does not sponsor volleyball.
Sullivan Named to Preseason All-SEC Team:
Texas A&M junior middle blocker Shelby Sullivan was named to the 2014 Preseason Volleyball All-SEC Team, announced by the conference office earlier this month. Sullivan, who earned All-SEC Team honors as a sophomore after hitting .386 and averaging 2.75 kills per set, is one of nine members on the star-studded team, which was voted on by the league's 13 head coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players. Preseason league-favorite Florida led all schools with three selected to the team: Alex Holston, ?iva Recek and Taylor Unroe. Others named to the preseason team are Carly Kan and Whitney Little of Missouri, Krystal Rivers of Alabama, Brianna Holman from LSU and Kentucky's Morgan Bergren, who is the only player on the 2014 preseason team who was not on the 2013 season-ending All-SEC Team.
Preseason Success:The Aggies played in three pre-conference tournaments. They won the season-opening Texas A&M Invitational, August 29-30 at Reed Arena. A&M tied Iowa and UTSA with a tournament-best 2-1 record but was awarded the championship based on sets won-lost ratio. A&M also won Ohio's Baymont Inn & Suites Invitational, Sept. 5-6 in Athens, Ohio. A&M went 2-0 at the USC Classic, but a tournament champion was not crowned.