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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The defending Southeastern Conference-champion Texas A&M volleyball team officially reported to campus for team meetings and a dinner Monday evening and began two-a-day preseason practices Tuesday morning.
"It is one of the most fun and highly anticipated times of the year for volleyball coaches when their team reports and we start preparing to achieve the goals we have set," said 24-year Aggie head coach Laurie Corbelli. "As defending SEC champions, we know there will be a lot of teams coming at us even harder, so we have to be that much sharper, that much more prepared and that much more united. Those will be the things we will focus on during two-a-days as we prepare to open what is probably the most difficult preseason schedule in the country."
The reigning SEC and region coach of the year welcomed 23 student-athletes to the opening day of practice, the most players she has ever had on the roster. Fourteen are returning letterwinners -- including five starters and the libero -- from last year's celebrated team that won its last 14 regular season matches to finish 16-2 in SEC play and capture the program's first-ever conference championship. The Aggies, who went on to reach the second round of the NCAA Championship before falling to seventh-ranked Hawaii at Reed Arena, were No. 18 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) final Top 25 Poll, as well as an all-time high No. 9 in the final Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).
Senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers (Syracuse, N.Y.), selected to the AVCA All-America second team after hitting a school-record .412 last season, and junior setter Stephanie Aiple (Round Rock, Texas), the reigning SEC Player of the Year, highlight the talented group of returners. Senior and two-year starter Emily Hardesty (Plano, Texas), the only player who regularly played all six rotations last year, returns at the outside hitter position, as does junior Kiara McGee (San Antonio), who was thrust into a starting role last year after senior co-captain Angela Lowak went down with a nearly season-ending knee injury prior to the start of conference play. McGee stepped up to the challenge and went on to garner AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention accolades as well as the team's Most Improved Player award.
Junior lefty Ashlie Reasor (San Antonio), named AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention as a freshman, is a returning starter at the opposite hitter position.
"We have a lot of returning starters," Corbelli said. "Several of them, however, did not participate in the spring season due to various injuries. We need to stay healthy to be able to make the run we want to make: to repeat as SEC champs and go further in the NCAA tournament than last season."
Sophomore Kaitlyn Blake (Allen, Texas) will contend for the other middle blocker slot, previously held by three-year starter Shelby Sullivan. Sullivan, a two-time AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, ended her four-year tenure with a .379 career hitting percentage, shattering the previous school record of .342 which had stood since 1985.
Junior libero and dig leader Amy Nettles (San Antonio), the only player to see action in every set last season, returns as the cornerstone of the back row defense, along with senior defensive specialists Victoria Arenas (Cypress, Texas) and Katelyn Labhart (Whitesboro, Texas), junior Gabby Litwin (Allen, Texas), and sophomores Amy Houser (Houston) and Paige Panter (Southlake, Texas), who also trains as an outside hitter.
Senior Kaysie Shebeneck (Racine, Wis.), who has filled in as a starter at both the setter and opposite hitter positions throughout her career, sophomore outside hitter Margaret Connett (The Woodlands, Texas) and redshirt freshman middle blocker Montse Castro (Mexico City, Mexico) complete the list of returners vying for a spot on the court.
Corbelli also welcomes eight freshmen, including middle blocker Hollann Hans (Corpus Christi, Texas) and outside hitter Amanda Heller (Houston), who both graduated early from high school, enrolled at Texas A&M in January and trained with the Aggies during the spring season.
Rookies Maddie Douglas (Georgetown, Texas), Bay Guentert (Schulenburg, Texas), Kiana Peroff (Kaneohe, Hawaii) and Ellianna Shadricks (Washington, D.C.) also will be competing for playing time and provide depth at the front row attacking positions. Freshmen Lexi Lopez (Austin, Texas) and College Station native Haley Slocum, both all-state selections as high school seniors, will provide depth at setter.
"There is going to be a level of competition we have never seen before in our gym, especially during two-a days," Corbelli said when asked about the large contingent of newcomers. "Not only are they talented kids, but I also really like the drive and the attitudes that go along with it. I think they are going to fit in beautifully with our program."
Although one of Corbelli's biggest initial challenges is deciding who will fill Sullivan's spot in the middle, she has several potential solutions along with options.
"We have Kaitlyn Blake, Hollann Hans, Maddie Douglas and others all competing as middles," Corbelli said. "That is challenging because a couple of them are very, very good in other spots, and it would be nice to have them there as well."
As far as the leadership role previously held by Sullivan and Lowak, who were valuable, respected team leaders as well as outstanding ambassadors for the program and Texas A&M, Corbelli will be relying on the entire senior class to play an part in taking on that all-important intangible role.
"Babers and Labhart for sure are going to be carrying a lot of the leadership responsibility, but all of the returning seniors learned a lot from the Lowaks and Sullivans of the world," Corbelli said. "This senior class is very strong-willed. They are strong-minded, and they are confident athletes. I believe the whole class will show up with their leadership, holding their teammates accountable, leading by example, leading vocally, but also being very supportive of their teammates. It's the best of both worlds."
Texas A&M one of only 13 teams in the nation to make at least 19 NCAA tournament appearances since Corbelli was hired in 1993, begins the season August 26 against Nevada in the opening match of the North Texas Challenge in Denton, Texas. During the rigorous 11-match pre-conference schedule alone, the Aggies will face six teams that ended last season ranked in the top 20, including Final Four participants Minnesota and longtime archrival Texas. Minnesota, an NCAA semifinalist and the reigning Big Ten Conference champion, and Texas, the NCAA runner-up and a five-time defending Big 12 Conference champion, were No. 3 and 2, respectively, in last year's final AVCA poll.
Texas A&M makes its home debut and wraps up non-conference play Sept. 16 at Reed Arena as the Aggies play host to Wisconsin of the Big Ten. The Badgers are coming off a season in which they reached the NCAA Sweet 16, were No. 7 in the final RPI and No. 10 in the final coaches' poll.
The Aggies begin defense of their SEC title on Friday, Sept. 23 at Alabama, the first of an 18-match conference slate. Texas A&M makes its home conference debut against Auburn on Sunday, Sept. 25.
Season tickets are available for purchase at 12thManFoundation.com.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the team on Facebook and on Twitter and Instagram by following @AggieVolleyball.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The defending Southeastern Conference-champion Texas A&M volleyball team officially reported to campus for team meetings and a dinner Monday evening and began two-a-day preseason practices Tuesday morning.
"It is one of the most fun and highly anticipated times of the year for volleyball coaches when their team reports and we start preparing to achieve the goals we have set," said 24-year Aggie head coach Laurie Corbelli. "As defending SEC champions, we know there will be a lot of teams coming at us even harder, so we have to be that much sharper, that much more prepared and that much more united. Those will be the things we will focus on during two-a-days as we prepare to open what is probably the most difficult preseason schedule in the country."
The reigning SEC and region coach of the year welcomed 23 student-athletes to the opening day of practice, the most players she has ever had on the roster. Fourteen are returning letterwinners -- including five starters and the libero -- from last year's celebrated team that won its last 14 regular season matches to finish 16-2 in SEC play and capture the program's first-ever conference championship. The Aggies, who went on to reach the second round of the NCAA Championship before falling to seventh-ranked Hawaii at Reed Arena, were No. 18 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) final Top 25 Poll, as well as an all-time high No. 9 in the final Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).
Senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers (Syracuse, N.Y.), selected to the AVCA All-America second team after hitting a school-record .412 last season, and junior setter Stephanie Aiple (Round Rock, Texas), the reigning SEC Player of the Year, highlight the talented group of returners. Senior and two-year starter Emily Hardesty (Plano, Texas), the only player who regularly played all six rotations last year, returns at the outside hitter position, as does junior Kiara McGee (San Antonio), who was thrust into a starting role last year after senior co-captain Angela Lowak went down with a nearly season-ending knee injury prior to the start of conference play. McGee stepped up to the challenge and went on to garner AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention accolades as well as the team's Most Improved Player award.
Junior lefty Ashlie Reasor (San Antonio), named AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention as a freshman, is a returning starter at the opposite hitter position.
"We have a lot of returning starters," Corbelli said. "Several of them, however, did not participate in the spring season due to various injuries. We need to stay healthy to be able to make the run we want to make: to repeat as SEC champs and go further in the NCAA tournament than last season."
Sophomore Kaitlyn Blake (Allen, Texas) will contend for the other middle blocker slot, previously held by three-year starter Shelby Sullivan. Sullivan, a two-time AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, ended her four-year tenure with a .379 career hitting percentage, shattering the previous school record of .342 which had stood since 1985.
Junior libero and dig leader Amy Nettles (San Antonio), the only player to see action in every set last season, returns as the cornerstone of the back row defense, along with senior defensive specialists Victoria Arenas (Cypress, Texas) and Katelyn Labhart (Whitesboro, Texas), junior Gabby Litwin (Allen, Texas), and sophomores Amy Houser (Houston) and Paige Panter (Southlake, Texas), who also trains as an outside hitter.
Senior Kaysie Shebeneck (Racine, Wis.), who has filled in as a starter at both the setter and opposite hitter positions throughout her career, sophomore outside hitter Margaret Connett (The Woodlands, Texas) and redshirt freshman middle blocker Montse Castro (Mexico City, Mexico) complete the list of returners vying for a spot on the court.
Corbelli also welcomes eight freshmen, including middle blocker Hollann Hans (Corpus Christi, Texas) and outside hitter Amanda Heller (Houston), who both graduated early from high school, enrolled at Texas A&M in January and trained with the Aggies during the spring season.
Rookies Maddie Douglas (Georgetown, Texas), Bay Guentert (Schulenburg, Texas), Kiana Peroff (Kaneohe, Hawaii) and Ellianna Shadricks (Washington, D.C.) also will be competing for playing time and provide depth at the front row attacking positions. Freshmen Lexi Lopez (Austin, Texas) and College Station native Haley Slocum, both all-state selections as high school seniors, will provide depth at setter.
"There is going to be a level of competition we have never seen before in our gym, especially during two-a days," Corbelli said when asked about the large contingent of newcomers. "Not only are they talented kids, but I also really like the drive and the attitudes that go along with it. I think they are going to fit in beautifully with our program."
Although one of Corbelli's biggest initial challenges is deciding who will fill Sullivan's spot in the middle, she has several potential solutions along with options.
"We have Kaitlyn Blake, Hollann Hans, Maddie Douglas and others all competing as middles," Corbelli said. "That is challenging because a couple of them are very, very good in other spots, and it would be nice to have them there as well."
As far as the leadership role previously held by Sullivan and Lowak, who were valuable, respected team leaders as well as outstanding ambassadors for the program and Texas A&M, Corbelli will be relying on the entire senior class to play an part in taking on that all-important intangible role.
"Babers and Labhart for sure are going to be carrying a lot of the leadership responsibility, but all of the returning seniors learned a lot from the Lowaks and Sullivans of the world," Corbelli said. "This senior class is very strong-willed. They are strong-minded, and they are confident athletes. I believe the whole class will show up with their leadership, holding their teammates accountable, leading by example, leading vocally, but also being very supportive of their teammates. It's the best of both worlds."
Texas A&M one of only 13 teams in the nation to make at least 19 NCAA tournament appearances since Corbelli was hired in 1993, begins the season August 26 against Nevada in the opening match of the North Texas Challenge in Denton, Texas. During the rigorous 11-match pre-conference schedule alone, the Aggies will face six teams that ended last season ranked in the top 20, including Final Four participants Minnesota and longtime archrival Texas. Minnesota, an NCAA semifinalist and the reigning Big Ten Conference champion, and Texas, the NCAA runner-up and a five-time defending Big 12 Conference champion, were No. 3 and 2, respectively, in last year's final AVCA poll.
Texas A&M makes its home debut and wraps up non-conference play Sept. 16 at Reed Arena as the Aggies play host to Wisconsin of the Big Ten. The Badgers are coming off a season in which they reached the NCAA Sweet 16, were No. 7 in the final RPI and No. 10 in the final coaches' poll.
The Aggies begin defense of their SEC title on Friday, Sept. 23 at Alabama, the first of an 18-match conference slate. Texas A&M makes its home conference debut against Auburn on Sunday, Sept. 25.
Season tickets are available for purchase at 12thManFoundation.com.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the team on Facebook and on Twitter and Instagram by following @AggieVolleyball.