Texas A&M Plays Host to Ole Miss Sunday at 1 p.m.

Texas A&M (8-5, 1-1 SEC) vs. Ole Miss (15-3, 1-2 SEC)
Sunday, Oct. 4, 1 p.m.
Reed Arena, College Station, Texas
SEC Network
 
Texas A&M-Ole Miss All-Time Series Record: A&M leads 10-0
A&M Home: A&M leads 3-0 | Away: A&M leads 3-0 | Neutral: A&M leads 4-0 | SEC Only: A&M leads 5-0
Last Meeting: A&M won, 3-2 (25-19, 18-25, 24-26, 25-16, 15-13), Nov. 28, 2014, Gillom Sports Center, Oxford, Miss.
Streak: A&M won 10
 

COLLEGE STATION, Texas  -- The Texas A&M volleyball team returns to Reed Arena Sunday to play host to the Ole Miss Rebels. First serve is slated for 1 p.m., and the match will be televised on the SEC Network with Paul Sunderland and Nell Fortner calling the action.
 
Texas A&M (8-5, 1-1 SEC) is coming off a 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-21) victory at Auburn in the Aggies' SEC road opener on Wednesday.
 
Ole Miss is 15-3 overall and 1-2 in SEC play after snapping a two-match losing skid and posting its first SEC victory of the season with a 3-1 (25-23, 25-19, 17-25, 25-23) win against South Carolina Friday night at the Gillom Sports Center in Oxford, Miss.
 
PROMOTIONS:

• Camper Reunion Day: Free admission to all volleyball summer campers. Tickets can be claimed at: http://12mf.info/?Sx5fA3  with promo code: REUNION!

 

• Princesses and Pirates Day: Stop by the Junior Aggie Club table for princesses and pirates-themed crafts. Be sure to take part in the pre-match treasure hunt set to take place at 12:45 p.m. in the volleyball practice gym.

 

• Sundays are Fundays at Aggie Volleyball: Buy one adult ticket and get up to four kids in for free. Take advantage of the free kids' court in the volleyball practice gym prior to first serve, and stick around for a post-match autograph session on the court.

 

• Sports Pass = Free Admission to Volleyball for A&M Students: The same sports pass that allows Texas A&M students to pull tickets for Aggie football games will give A&M students free admission to volleyball matches all season long. All Aggie students need to do is swipe their student ID at the student entrance to Reed Arena (north entrance).

 
A&M IN THE SEC

• This marks A&M's fourth season as a member of the SEC.
• Last year, A&M went 13-5 in SEC play, tying Alabama for fourth place.
• A&M's best SEC finish was in 2012, its inaugural season in the conference. The Aggies went 16-4, winning the SEC Western Division and placing second overall.
• A&M is 40-18 all-time in SEC matches, including 22-9 in home SEC matches.
• The Aggies are picked to finish fourth in the SEC in 2015 according to a preseason vote of the league's head coaches. Florida, the 2014 SEC champion after posting a perfect 18-0 record in conference play, is picked to defend its title.
• Senior middle blocker Shelby Sullivan was named to the nine-member Preseason Volleyball All-SEC Team for the second consecutive year. She was an All-SEC Team selection at the conclusion of each of the last two seasons and she was the 2014 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year.

 
A&M-OLE MISS ALL-TIME SERIES

• A&M leads the all-time series, 10-0, including 5-0 in SEC matches only.
• A&M is 3-0 against the Rebels in matches played in College Station.
• In its first-ever league match as a member of the Southeastern Conference, A&M swept Ole Miss, 25-21, 25-23, 25-16, on Sept. 14, 2012, at Reed Arena to notch the school's first SEC victory in any sport.
• A&M and Ole Miss met twice last year with the Aggies winning 3-1 (19-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-18) on Nov. 9 at Reed Arena and holding off the Rebels, 3-2 (25-19, 18-25, 24-26, 25-16, 15-13) on Nov. 28 in Oxford in the final  match of the regular season.
• In the most recent meeting, Texas A&M rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Ole Miss, 25-19, 18-25, 24-26, 25-16, 15-13 at the Gillom Sports Center. Shelby Sullivan led the Aggies with 18 kills – including the match winner – committing only one error while taking 27 swings for a .630 hitting percentage. Jazzmin Babers also posted double-figure kills with 12 while hitting .391 and pitched in a match-high six blocks. The Aggies hit above .300 for the sixth consecutive match as setter Stephanie Aiple directed the offense to a .325 hitting percentage while dishing out a then- career-high 57 assists. Libero Amy Nettles spearheaded the Aggies' back-row play, leading all players with 24 digs.
• A&M all-time records/results vs. Ole Miss:

H:  3-0    A:  3-0    N:  4-0    SEC:  5-0
Sept. 17, 1983         N       W      15-7, 12-15, 15-7, 15-1
Sept. 28, 1984         N       W      15-7, 15-3, 15-1
Aug. 30, 1991         H       W      15-6, 5-15, 15-12, 15-12
Oct. 30, 1992          N       W      7-15, 12-15, 15-7, 15-4, 15-12
Sept. 11, 1993         N       W      15-12, 15-8, 12-15, 15-0
Sept. 14, 2012         H       W      25-21, 25-23, 25-16
Nov. 23, 2012         A       W      25-9, 24-26, 27-25, 20-25, 15-10
Nov. 10, 2013         A       W      25-10, 25-20, 22-25, 25-21
Nov. 9, 2014           H       W      19-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-18
Nov. 28, 2014         A       W      25-19, 18-25, 24-26, 25-16, 15-13
 
TEXAS A&M RECENT RESULTS

• Texas A&M junior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers hit .765 with 14 kills in 17 attempts and added eight blocks to lead Texas A&M to a 25-14, 25-17, 25-21 victory over Auburn Wednesday night at Auburn Arena.
• Babers' .765 hitting percentage tied the A&M SEC match record for hitting percentage when making 15-19 attempts, a record she and Sullivan each posted last season.
• Babers began the match 11-for-11 in attack attempts -- including 6-for-6 in the first set and 2-for-2 in the second set -- before committing her first and only error that put Auburn within 11-10 in the third set.
• A&M, which outblocked the Tigers, 10-2, hit .481 for the match, breaking the school record for hitting percentage in a three-set SEC match and ranking fifth all-time.
• Sophomore setter Stephanie Aiple made her first start since suffering a foot injury in A&M's 3-2 victory over No. 15 Colorado State on Sept. 15.

 
TEXAS A&M QUICK HITS

• The match against Ole Miss will mark Laurie Corbelli's 699th match as head coach of the Aggies. She is 472-226 (.676) in her 23rd season at the helm of the Aggies and 572-332 (.633) in the 30th season of her head coaching career.
• A&M is 4-1 at Reed Arena this season. The Aggies won their first four home matches before suffering a 3-1 (21-25, 25-13, 27-25, 25-22) loss to Arkansas in the SEC season opener.
• Last year A&M went 7-2 in SEC home matches.
• A&M has used 11 different starting lineups over 13 matches. Sophomore setter Stephanie Aiple, senior middle blocker Shelby Sullivan and senior outside hitter Angela Lowak all have missed multiple starts due to injuries.
• After two matches in SEC play, A&M leads the league with a .304 hitting percentage in conference matches only.
• A&M is 8-0 when leading in attack percentage, 7-0 when leading in blocks, 6-0 when leading in points and 5-0 when leading in kills.
• The Aggies are 0-4 when dropping the first set and 7-1 when winning the first set.
• A&M is 3-0 in five-set matches.
• A&M's season schedule includes 10 matches against teams that reached at least the second round of the NCAA Championship tournament and were ranked in the top 25 or received votes in the final 2014 AVCA Division I Coaches Poll.
• Eight of A&M's matches are against teams ranked in the top 25 in this week's AVCA Top 25 Poll: No. 8 Stanford, No. 16 Minnesota, No. 17 Florida State and No. 20 Colorado State, as well as two matches each against No. 9 Florida and No. 21 Kentucky. A&M posted wins against both Minnesota and Colorado State and lost to Stanford and Florida State during the preconference season.
• The Aggies will be hosting their "Dig Pink" match on Friday, Oct. 16 as they host Alabama. Go to the volleyball page on 12thMan.com to learn more about joining the Aggies as they help raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer.

 
TEXAS A&M PLAYER QUICK HITS

• Redshirt junior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers has started every match of her career (74) and is hitting .360 for her career.
• Babers, who enters the weekend second in the SEC and 22nd in the nation with 1.40 blocks per set,  has led or tied for the team lead in blocks in 12 of 13 matches this season.
• Babers, who has posted double-figure blocks twice this season, had eight block assists in the sweep at Auburn, giving her 304 for her career and moving her from ninth place in the A&M all-time career records to seventh place. Babers needs 89 more block assists to move into fifth. Cindy Lothspeich holds the school record with 456 block assists from 1994-97.
• Offensively, Babers is hitting .421 for the full season, ranking fifth in the SEC and 29th in the nation. She has led or tied for the team lead in kills in a team-high five matches and also has led or tied for the team-high in points in a team-leading five matches.
• Senior middle blocker Shelby Sullivan is hitting .378 this season and .379 for her career, putting her on pace to shatter the A&M career record for hitting percentage (.342) held by Sherri Brinkman (1983-85).
• Outside hitter Angela Lowak is out indefinitely after suffering a knee injury (dislocated patella) at Florida State on Sept. 19. The senior co-captain had posted double-figure kills in four consecutive matches leading up to the FSU match, and she was leading the team with 3.22 kills per set before suffering the injury.
• Sophomore libero Amy Nettles has led or tied for the team lead in digs in every match this season. She is averaging a team-high 3.84 digs per set for the full season, ranking seventh in the SEC.
• Nettles, who has posted double-figure digs in a team-leading 10 matches, is the only A&M player to have played in all 51 sets this season. She also is the only player to reach 20 or more digs in a match this season, posting a season-high and tying her career high with 27 in the 3-2 win against No. 15 Colorado State and notching 20 digs in a 3-1 win against Milwaukee.
• Sophomore outside hitter Kiara McGee is hitting .343 over the last three matches and averaging 2.9 kills and 3.45 points per set during that span. For the season, McGee is hitting .204 with 2.71 kills and 3.11 points per set.
• Junior outside hitter Emily Hardesty and sophomore setter Stephanie Aiple lead A&M in double-doubles with three apiece.
• The versatile freshman Kaitlyn Blake has started seven matches as either an opposite hitter or middle blocker. She is hitting .268 and averaging 2.08 kills and 0.84 blocks per set for the season. The Allen High School product had a career-high and team match-high 14 kills while hitting .321 in the loss to Iowa State.
• Junior setter Kaysie Shebeneck made her first three starts of the season at No. 18 Florida State, at Florida A&M and at home against Arkansas, replacing sophomore starter Stephanie Aiple, who suffered a foot injury in the second set against Colorado State. Shebeneck, who led the Aggies to a 3-2 victory against the Rams, is averaging 8.88 assists per set and directed the Aggie offense to a .500 hitting percentage against Florida A&M, marking the third highest hitting percentage in program history. Shebeneck started four matches at setter last season. As a freshman, she started five at the opposite hitter position.
• Aiple is ranked 30th in the nation and third in the SEC with 11.13 assists per set. After missing two matches with a foot injury suffered against No. 15 Colorado State on Sept. 15, Aiple returned to the court in the second set against Arkansas on Sept. 27 and returned to the starting lineup against Auburn on Sept. 30.
• Freshman 6-7 outside hitter/middle blocker Montse Castro has returned to the team after spending two weeks competing for Mexico at the Women's U20 World Championship in Puerto Rico. Castro, believed to be the tallest player in the history of the A&M program, has yet to appear in a match.
• Four players -- Jazzmin Babers, Katelyn Labhart, Angela Lowak and Shelby Sullivan -- each received their Aggie Ring on Friday, Sept. 25, celebrating one of the most revered and symbolic traditions at Texas A&M. The tradition began with the Class of 1889.

 
SCOUTING OLE MISS

• Ole Miss is 15-3 overall and 1-2 in SEC matches.
• The Rebels, 2-1 in away matches, snapped their first two-match losing skid of the season with a 3-1 (25-23, 25-19, 17-25, 25-23) victory against South Carolina on Friday in Oxford to improve to 9-2 in home matches.
• Ole Miss had reeled off 10 consecutive victories before suffering back-to-back 3-0 losses against No. 5 Florida and rival Mississippi State to begin SEC play.
• Ole Miss was picked to finish eighth in the SEC according to a preseason vote of the league's head coaches. Last year Ole Miss went 8-10 to finish seventh.
• Senior Nakeyta Clair entered the weekend leading the SEC and ranking fourth in the nation with a .449 hitting percentage. She leads the Rebel starters with 3.17 kills per set
• Ole Miss leads the league with 1.77 aces per set for the full season, while A&M is last with 0.92 per set.
• Freshman right-side hitter Kathryn Cather leads the Rebels and is second in the league with 0.46 aces per set for the full season.
• In SEC matches only, junior libero Kristen Brashear, who posted five aces in the 3-0 loss to Mississippi State, is tied for third in the league with 0.50 aces per set
• Steven McRoberts (Harding University, 1993) is in his second season as head coach of the Rebels.

 
UPCOMING

• A&M hits the road next weekend, taking on defending SEC champion and preseason favorite Florida on Friday, Oct. 9 in Gainesville and facing South Carolina on Sunday Oct. 11 in Columbia. The match against the Gators begins at 6 p.m. (CT) and will be broadcast on SEC Network +. The match against the Gamecocks begins at 12 p.m. (CT) and will be televised by the SEC Network.

 
SULLIVAN SENIOR CLASS AWARD

• Texas A&M middle blocker Shelby Sullivan has been selected as a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award for volleyball. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
• From Richardson, Texas, Sullivan is one of 30 candidates representing NCAA Division I volleyball student-athletes who were selected based on their notable achievements in four areas: competition, classroom, character and community.
• In the classroom, the 2014 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year for volleyball sports a 3.841 cumulative grade-point average as a student in Texas A&M's highly regarded Mays Business School five-year Professional Program in which she is simultaneously earning a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree in finance.