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Texas A&M Returns to the Road to Face Georgia; Corbelli Going for Career Victory #600/#500

Texas A&M (11-7, 5-2 SEC) vs. Georgia (13-7, 1-6 SEC)

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Texas A&M (11-7, 5-2 SEC) vs. Georgia (13-7, 1-6 SEC)
Friday, October 21, 6 p.m. (7 p.m. ET)
Ramsey Center, Athens, Georgia
 
Video: SEC Network + (WatchESPN)
Stats: 12thMan.com/live
Twitter Updates: @AggieVolleyball
 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M head coach Laurie Corbelli aims to notch the 600th victory of her head coaching career as well as her 500th victory at A&M when she leads the Aggies against the Georgia Bulldogs, Friday in Athens, Georgia. First serve is at 6 p.m. (7 p.m. ET) at the Ramsey Center, and the match will be streamed live on SEC Network +, available on WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
 
Corbelli, who has led Texas A&M to seven consecutive victories against the Bulldogs, came up short in her first attempt to reach the milestone victory, as Texas A&M fell to No. 9 Florida, 3-1 (27-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-16), Sunday at Reed Arena in College Station. The loss snapped the Aggies' season-high five-match winning streak, and it also was Texas A&M's first SEC loss at home since the 2015 conference opener.
 
Georgia (13-7, 1-6 SEC) has not played since falling at Auburn, 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-19) on Wednesday, Oct. 12. It was the second consecutive loss for the Bulldogs, who also were swept at home by LSU on Oct. 9.
 
MORE ON CORBELLI
  • Texas A&M head coach Laurie Corbelli, the reigning SEC and AVCA South Region coach of the year, is quickly closing in on the 600th victory in her head coaching career and the 500th win in her A&M coaching career, needing just one more victory to reach each of the milestones.
  • Corbelli, the winningest coach in Texas A&M history, is 499-235 in her 24th season as head coach of the Aggies and 599-341 in the 31st year of her head coaching career.
  • Corbelli was 100-106 in her head coaching career when she was hired at Texas A&M in 1993 by then Texas A&M Athletics Director John David Crow. Prior to A&M, she had spent four seasons at the University of San Francisco (1986-89) and three seasons at Santa Clara (1990-92).
  • Corbelli's first career victory was Sept. 6, 1986, as the USF Lady Dons defeated Weber State, 3-1.
  • Her first win as head coach of the Aggies was a sweep against Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 3, 1993, at the Dan Gamel Invitational in Fresno, Calif.
  • Other career milestone victories for Corbelli:
#100      SCU d. Pepperdine      3-1          Nov. 21, 1992
#200      A&M d. Cal                 3-0          Sept. 19, 1997
#300      A&M d. Texas             3-1          Oct. 6, 2001
#400      A&M d. Loyola            3-0          Sept. 8, 2006
#500      A&M d. Texas State    3-0          Aug. 24, 2012
 
TEXAS A&M-GEORGIA ALL-TIME SERIES
  • A&M leads Georgia, 12-3, in the all-time series and has won the last seven meetings, including all five meetings as SEC foes.
  • A&M leads the series, 5-1, in matches played in College Station, 4-1 in matches played in Athens, and 3-1 in matches played at neutral sites.
  • Although A&M owns a lopsided lead in the SEC series, three of the five conference meetings have been decided in five sets, including both SEC matches contested in Athens.
  • In the only meeting last year, A&M never trailed in the match while using 15 players and hitting .402 as a team with 43 kills. The Aggies held Georgia to 21 kills and a -.012 hitting efficiency, both season lows by an A&M opponent in 2015.
  • Senior middle blocker Shelby Sullivan paced the Aggies' attack with 10 kills while hitting at a .692 clip. Defensively, middle blocker Jazzmin Babers tallied a match-high six blocks to lead the Aggies to 11-2 advantage. Libero Amy Nettles took match-high honors in digs with 12 as A&M outdug Georgia, 38-25.
  • Jasmine Eatmon had five kills to lead Georgia.
  • Georgia's most recent victory was in 1994, when the 19th-ranked Bulldogs defeated A&M, 3-1 (15-11, 7-15, 15-7, 15-6) at G. Rollie White Coliseum in College Station, Texas.
  • A&M's all-time results vs. Georgia:
 
Overall:  12-3   H:  5-1   A:  4-1   N:  3-1   SEC:  5-0
Nov. 13, 1982      N        W      15-12, 15-5, 15-10
Sept. 10, 1984      H        W      15-3, 3-15, 15-8, 16-14
Oct. 31, 1985       A        W      9-15, 15-4, 15-7, 15-11
Sept. 27, 1986      N        W      15-6, 15-13, 12-15, 15-11
Dec. 4-6, 1986     N        L       15-5, 4-15, 10-15, 6-15
Sept. 4, 1992        N        W      2-15, 14-16, 15-12, 15-9, 15-11
Oct. 8, 1993         A        L       6-15, 5-15, 12-15
Oct. 28, 1994       H        L       11-15, 15-7, 7-15, 6-15
Aug. 31, 1997      A        W      15-9, 15-7, 15-6
Sept. 17, 1999      H        W      15-11, 15-5, 15-12
Nov. 11, 2012      A        W      15-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-18, 15-10
Sept. 29, 2013      H        W      25-20, 25-17, 25-12
Nov. 24, 2013      A        W      25-22, 21-25, 25-19, 20-25, 15-9       
Oct. 24, 2014       H        W      22-25, 25-21, 29-27, 22-25, 15-8
Nov. 8, 2015        H        W      25-11, 25-11, 25-19
 
TEXAS A&M QUICK HITS
  • Texas A&M, which has played 14 of its 18 matches away from home, is 6-2 at away sites.
  • The Aggies have won five of their last six matches and are in fourth place in the SEC standings.
  • The loss to No. 9 Florida on Sunday snapped the Aggies' five-match win streak, their longest win streak of the season. The 3-1 loss at Reed Arena also ended a 10-match SEC home winning streak that began Oct. 4, 2015.
  • The Aggies' match against Florida marked the first time Texas A&M played consecutive home matches this season, having also played host to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday.
  • In addition to playing its first 10 matches of the season on the road, Texas A&M's grueling preconference schedule included five ranked opponents, more than any other team in the SEC.
  • All five of Texas A&M's preconference losses were against ranked opponents, including losses to current No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Minnesota and No. 4 Wisconsin. The other two preconference losses were against now-No. 12 Florida State and No. 19 Ohio State, who both escaped with 3-2 victories against the Aggies.
  • According to the NCAA's toughest schedule report released Monday, Texas A&M has played the toughest schedule in the SEC and the 19th most difficult schedule in the nation. When combining past opposition with future opposition, A&M has the 11th toughest cumulative schedule in the nation, highest in the SEC.
  • A&M is 20th in the nation in kills per set (14.20), 23rd in blocks per set (2.70) and 25th in hitting percentage (.265).
  • Texas A&M is 10-2 when leading in blocks and 0-5 when trailing in blocks.
  • The Aggies are 10-2 when winning the first set and 1-5 when dropping the opening set.
  • In SEC matches only, A&M is second in the league for opponent hitting percentage (.147), as well as assists (13.77) and kills (14.81) per set.
  • After going 7-0 in five-set matches last year, the Aggies are 0-3 in five setters this season.
  • A&M fell one spot to 37 in the NCAA RPI released on Monday.
 
SCOUTING GEORGIA
  • Georgia, 13-7 overall and 1-6 in SEC matches only, has not played since the Bulldogs fell at Auburn, 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-19), on Wednesday, Oct. 12.
  • It was the second consecutive loss as well as the second consecutive sweep since the Bulldogs defeated South Carolina, 3-1 (19-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-18) on Oct. 7 in Athens.
  • Georgia, which went 12-1 in preconference play, is 8-3 in home matches.
  • The Bulldogs are second in the SEC with 1.49 aces per set, while A&M is last with a 0.92 ace average for the full season.
  • Junior outside hitter Maddie Lobenstein leads the Bulldogs and is 14th in the SEC with 3.64 points per set for the full season.
  • Libero Cassidy Anderson is fourth in the league with 0.43 aces per set and fifth with 3.97 digs per set for the full season.
  • Lizzy Stemke is 79-94 in her sixth year at Georgia and in her head coaching career.
 
TEXAS A&M IN THE SEC
  • Texas A&M is picked to win the SEC in 2016 according to the SEC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Aggies received seven of the 13 first-place votes and 137 total points to finish atop the preseason poll.
  • Last year, Texas A&M dropped its SEC opener for the first time, falling to Arkansas, 3-1, at Reed Arena. The Aggies went on to go 16-2 in SEC matches to capture the first conference championship in program history.
  • Texas A&M, which this year opened SEC play on the road for the first time and fell to Alabama, 3-2, is in its fifth season as a member of the SEC.
  • The Aggies are 60-21 in SEC matches since joining the league in 2012.
  • Texas A&M has won three consecutive SEC road matches and is 3-1 overall in conference away matches. The Aggies opened SEC play with a 3-2 setback at Alabama but defeated LSU, Arkansas and Ole Miss during a three-match road swing earlier this month.
  • The Aggies, who went 8-1 in SEC home matches and 8-1 in SEC away matches in 2015, are 30-10 all-time in SEC home matches and 30-11 all-time in SEC away matches.
  • Junior setter Stephanie Aiple, who last year became the Aggies' first player to be named SEC Player of the Year, and senior redshirt middle blocker Jazzmin Babers, an AVCA second-team All-American in 2015, both were named to the 2016 Preseason All-SEC Team.
 
AGGIE PLAYER NOTABLES
  • Junior setter Stephanie Aiple has 2,944 career assists, ranking ninth in the A&M career records. She needs 19 more assists to move into sole possession of eighth place, surpassing Chris Zogata, who had 2,962 from 1983-86.
  • Aiple is fifth in the SEC and 29th in the nation with 10.81 assists per set.
  • Aiple, the reigning SEC Player of the Year, also ranks fifth in the SEC with 10.96 assists per set in conference matches only.
  • Redshirt senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers had 10 kills against Arkansas on Oct. 5, giving her 1,003 for her career. Babers, who now has 1,028 career kills, became the 17th player in program history to join the 1,000-kills club and the first player to reach the milestone since 2012, when middle blocker Lindsey Miller finished her four-year career with 1,025.
  • Babers had four blocks against Florida to give her 494 total blocks for her career, moving her into sole possession of third place in the A&M career records for total blocks, surpassing former two-time All-American Sherri Brinkman (1983-85).
  • Babers also is third in the A&M career records for block assists with 435, needing only 17 more to take over second place and needing a total of 22 block assists to break the all-time record of 456 held by Cindy Lothspeich (1994-97).
  • Babers is fifth in career points with 1,306.5 (since rally scoring began in 2001).
  • Babers has started every match of her career (110).
  • Babers leads the Aggies and is fifth in the SEC with a .366 hitting percentage for the full season. She is seventh in the league with a .382 hitting efficiency in SEC matches only.
  • Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Blake, who has led or tied for the team lead in blocks in 16 of 18 matches, leads the SEC and is fifth in the nation with 1.58 blocks per set.
  • Blake is third in the SEC with a 1.38 block average in conference matches only.
  • Blake, an all-tournament selection at both the North Texas Challenge and the Puerto Rico Clásico, tied a school record for block assists in a four-set match with 12 in a 3-1 victory at North Texas on Aug. 27, and she also tied the school record for total blocks in a four-set match with 13 against the Mean Green.
  • Blake's 13 blocks against North Texas ranks fourth in the nation for most blocks in a four-set match this season.
  • Blake has twice been named SEC Player of the Week this season. She has earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors once and also is a one-time SEC Offensive Player of the Week this season.
  • Junior outside hitter Kiara McGee leads the Aggies with 3.22 kills and 3.48 points per set while hitting .247 for the full season
  • In SEC matches only, McGee leads A&M with 3.38 kills per set.
  • McGee has led or tied for the team lead in kills in a team-high 10 matches.
  • McGee is tied with freshman Hollann Hans for the team lead with 10 double-figure kill performances.
  • Hans leads A&M and is 13th in the SEC with 3.67 points per set in conference matches only. She is second on the team with 3.26 kills per set in SEC matches and 3.35 kills per set for the full season.
  • Hans also leads A&M with two double-doubles for the full season, having posted back-to-back double-double performances against then-No. 2 Texas and No. 6 Wisconsin.
  • Junior libero Amy Nettles, who has received the team's best defensive player award each of the last two seasons, has 937 career digs and needs only 63 more to become the 21st player in Texas A&M history to join the 1,000-digs club.
  • Nettles has led or tied for the team lead in digs in a team-high 13 matches this season.
  • Nettles leads A&M and is seventh in the SEC with 3.92 digs per set in conference matches only.
  • For the full season, Nettles leads A&M and is eighth in the league with 3.44 digs per set.
  • Nettles has posted double-figure digs in a team-leading 12 matches this season, including in each of the last four matches.
  • Nettles, has appeared in 236 consecutive sets, a streak which began Oct. 15, 2014.
  • Nettles, Babers, Blake and McGee have played in all 64 sets this season.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
  • Texas A&M returns home Wednesday, Oct. 26, for a pivotal match against Missouri, which is 8-0 in SEC play and receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 Poll. First serve is at 8 p.m. at Reed Arena, and the match will be televised on ESPNU.
  • The Aggies close out the month with a re-match against South Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 30 in Columbia. First serve is at 3 p.m. (CT) at the Carolina Volleyball Center.
 
 
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook and on Twitter and Instagram by following @AggieVolleyball.