Texas A&M Continues Road Swing at Arkansas

Wednesday, October 5

Fayetteville, Ark.

8:00 PM

Texas A&M

Arkansas

Oct 04, 2016 | Volleyball

Complete Match Notes (PDF)

Babers approaching 1,000 career kills

By: Texas A&M Media Relations

Texas A&M (8-6, 2-1 SEC) vs. Arkansas (3-12, 1-2 SEC)
Wednesday, October 5, 8 p.m.
Barnhill Arena, Fayetteville, Arkansas

TV: ESPNU (Holly McPeak & Courtney Lyle)
Stats: 12thMan.com/live
Twitter Updates: @AggieVolleyball

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M senior middle blocker and reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Week Jazzmin Babers leads Texas A&M into Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Wednesday as the Aggies take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at 8 p.m. The match, A&M's second of a three-match conference road swing, will be televised on ESPNU with Holly McPeak and Courtney Lyle calling the action.

Babers, who needs only seven kills to reach 1,000 for her career, and the defending SEC-champion Aggies (8-6, 2-1 SEC) began their longest conference road swing of the season with a 22-25, 25-14, 25-13, 25-6 victory against LSU on Friday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La. Babers posted her first double-double of the season with 10 kills and 10 blocks as the Aggies held the Tigers to the fewest points scored by an A&M opponent in a four-set match since the 25-point rally scoring format went into effect in 2008. Furthermore, the Tigers' six points in the fourth set are the fewest points ever scored by a LSU team in a non-fifth rally-scoring set.

It was the second consecutive victory for A&M, which had rebounded from an SEC-opening 3-2 loss at Alabama on Sept. 23 with a 3-0 sweep against Auburn in the Aggies' SEC home opener on Sept. 25.

Arkansas (3-12, 1-2 SEC) is coming off a 3-2 (25-15, 20-25, 25-14, 20-25, 15-10) setback at Ole Miss on Sunday. It was the second consecutive loss for the Razorbacks, who opened conference play with a sweep at LSU before suffering a 3-0 SEC home-opening loss against Missouri on Sept. 30.

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 season played its first-ever SEC season opener on the road and fell to Alabama, 3-2, is in its fifth year as a member of the SEC and is 57-20 overall in SEC matches only.
The Aggies, who went 8-1 in SEC away matches and 8-1 in SEC home matches in 2015, are 28-11 all-time in SEC away matches and 29-9 in SEC home 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 Preseason All-SEC Team.
Babers, who needs only seven kills to reach 1,000 kills for her career, is the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Week after her 10-kill, 10-block performance at LSU, the Aggies' only match last week.

A&M-ARKANSAS ALL-TIME SERIES

A&M leads the all-time series against Arkansas, 5-2, including 3-0 in matches played in Fayetteville.
All seven contests have been as SEC opponents, with the teams' first meeting occurring in 2012, A&M's inaugural year in the league.
In six of the seven all-time meetings, the team that won the first set ended up losing the match.
Neither team has registered a sweep in the series. The first meeting in the series was decided in five sets, and the last six meetings have gone four sets.
The teams met twice last year—in A&M's first and last match of the SEC season—with each team getting a road victory despite dropping the first set.
Last year, Arkansas handed A&M its only home loss of the regular season and spoiled the Aggies' SEC season opener with a 3-1 (21-25, 25-13, 27-25, 25-22) victory on Sept. 27 at Reed Arena. The Razorbacks, who fought off two set points en route to winning the third set, outhit A&M .276 to .207 for the match. Arkansas' Pilar Victoria led all players with 20 kills, and Chanell Clark-Bibbs took match-high honors in blocks with nine. Kiara McGee led A&M with 14 kills while hitting .314. Shelby Sullivan hit .476 with her 12 kills, and Emily Hardesty finished with 11 kills and posted her third double-double of the season by adding 11 digs. Libero Amy Nettles took match-high honors in digs with 18. Aggie setter Kaysie Shebeneck made her third consecutive start before Stephanie Aiple, who had missed the previous two matches after going down with a toe injury against Colorado State on Sept. 15, returned to the lineup midway through the second set.
The teams also met in the final match of the 2015 regular season (Nov. 28) at Barnhill Arena, where A&M won its record-14th consecutive SEC match with a 25-27, 25-16, 25-23, 25-23 victory over the Razorbacks. McGee led A&M with 15 kills, and Hardesty and Babers also posted double-digit kills with 13 and 10, respectively, as Aiple dished out 47 assists. Babers took match-high honors in blocks with nine, and Nettles and defensive specialist Gabby Litwin led in digs with 14 and 10, respectively. As a team, A&M outhit Arkansas, .291 to .185 for the match and led in kills, 65-54. A&M also led in assists (61-52), digs (59-55) and blocks (13-11).
Victoria, the 2015 SEC leader in kills and points per set, led all players with 19 kills and 15 digs.
A&M's all-time record/results vs. Arkansas

H: 2-2    A: 3-0    N: 0-0    SEC: 5-2
Oct. 12, 2012        A        W      21-25, 25-15, 25-16, 23-25, 15-3
Nov. 4, 2012          H        W      23-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-17
Oct. 25, 2013        H        W      27-29, 25-20, 25-23, 25-22
Oct. 15, 2014        H         L      25-20, 12-25, 21-25, 25-27
Nov. 19, 2014        A        W      25-17, 25-19, 19-25, 25-20
Sept. 27, 2015       H         L      25-21, 13-25, 25-27, 22-25
Nov. 28, 2015        A        W      25-27, 25-16, 25-23, 25-23

TEXAS A&M RECENT RESULTS

Texas A&M set a record for fewest combined set points allowed in a four-set match since the 25-point rally scoring era began in 2008, storming back after a sluggish first set to defeat LSU, 22-25, 25-14, 25-13, 25-6, Friday, Sept. 20 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
It marked the first time this season that A&M won a match after dropping the first set.
The Tigers' 58 combined set points smashed the previous record low of 67 points set by Missouri on Nov. 2, 2014. In addition, LSU's six points in the final set tied the A&M record for fewest points allowed in a non-fifth set, first accomplished in a 25-22, 25-6, 25-18 sweep against South Carolina in the final match of the 2013 regular season.
A&M also set school records for most blocks in a four-set SEC match (15) and most block assists in a four-set SEC match (28).
Outside hitter Kiara McGee led the Aggies with 16 kills while hitting a career-high .519. Middle blocker Jazzmin Babers and freshman outside hitter Hollann Hans pitched in 10 kills apiece, marking Hans' team-leading sixth consecutive match with double-figure kills. Setter Stephanie Aiple tied her career high with eight kills and dished out 42 assists while directing the Aggies' offense to a .344 hitting efficiency.
Defensively, Babers had a season-high 10 blocks to record her first double-double of the year and lead the Aggies to a 15-4 advantage in blocks. Defensive specialist Victoria Arenas had a team-high 13 digs.
A&M held the Tigers to a .074 hitting efficiency, the third lowest hitting percentage by an A&M opponent this season.
In the fourth set, A&M outhit the Tigers, .389 to -.267.

TEXAS A&M QUICK HITS

Only two of Texas A&M's 14 matches have been home matches. The Aggies are 4-2 in away matches, 1-1 in home matches and 3-3 at neutral sites.
Texas A&M is tied for the conference lead with 3.00 blocks per set in SEC matches only.
The Aggies are holding conference opponents to a .149 hitting efficiency, second best in the league.
For the full season, the Aggies are averaging 2.78 blocks per set, second best in the SEC and ranking 22nd in the nation.
A&M ranks third in the SEC full-season stats for opponent hitting percentage (.175), assists per set (12.80) and kills per set (14.02).
Texas A&M had a grueling preconference schedule, having faced 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. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Wisconsin and No. 4 Texas. Texas was the NCAA runner-up last year and Minnesota was an NCAA semifinalist.
The other two preconference losses were against now-14 Ohio State and No. 16 Florida State, who both escaped with 3-2 victories against the Aggies.
After going 7-0 in five-set matches last year, the Aggies are 0-3 in five setters this season.
Texas A&M returns five starters plus the libero from last year's team that went 24-7 overall, won the SEC with a 16-2 record, and was 18th in the final AVCA poll after advancing to the second round of the NCAA Championship. Laurie Corbelli, in her 24th season as head coach of the Aggies, also welcomed eight freshmen as well as a redshirt freshman.
Returning starters include 2015 SEC Player of the Year Stephanie Aiple (Jr., 6-1, S), AVCA second-team All-American Jazzmin Babers (RS-Sr., 6-2, MB) and AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention selection Kiara McGee (Jr., 5-11, OH), as well as Emily Hardesty (Sr., 6-3, OH) and Ashlie Reasor (Jr., 6-1, OPP). The Aggies also return junior libero Amy Nettles, who received the team's best defensive player award and was the only Aggie to see action in all 115 sets last year.

AGGIE PLAYER NOTABLES

Redshirt senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers needs seven kills to become the 17th player in program history to join the 1,000-kills club. She will be the first player to reach the milestone since 2012, when middle blocker Lindsey Miller finished her four-year career with 1,025.
Babers has started every match of her career (106).
Babers was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. It is the sixth time she has received the honor during her career and her first time to garner the accolade this season.
Babers recorded a match-high and personal season-best 10 blocks in the 3-1 victory at LSU. Babers also hit .333 with 10 kills to notch her first double-double of the season.
The 10-block performance gave Babers 481 blocks for career, putting her within four blocks of taking over fourth place in the Texas A&M all-time career records for total blocks.
Babers enters this week tied for second in the SEC with 1.42 blocks per set in conference matches only. For the full season, she leads the Aggies with a .331 hitting efficiency.
Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Blake, who has led or tied for the team lead in blocks in 13 of 14 matches, leads the SEC and is ranked fourth in the nation with 1.64 blocks per set.
Blake is tied with Babers for second place in the SEC with 1.42 blocks per set 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 was named both the SEC Player of the Week and the SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12, after averaging an impressive 2.44 blocks per set while leading the Aggies to sweeps against Arizona, New Mexico State and UTEP at the Borderline Invitational. It was the first time in her career Blake has received either accolade.
Junior setter Stephanie Aiple is fifth in the SEC and 40th in the nation with 10.69 assists per set.
After back-to-back seven-kill performances against both Alabama and Auburn, Aiple tied her career high with eight kills at LSU. Aiple, who is hitting .400 over the last three matches, first reached eight kills in a match as a freshman against San Diego and tied her record at Arkansas last year.
Junior libero Amy Nettles, who has received the team's best defensive player award each of the last two seasons, has 875 career digs and needs only 125 more to become the 21^st player in Texas A&M history to join the 1,000-digs club.
Nettles has led the Aggies in digs in a team-best nine matches this season and is averaging a team-leading 3.16 digs per set for the full season. In SEC matches only, she is averaging 3.33 digs per set.
Nettles played in every set as the team's libero last year and finished with 444 digs, ranking seventh in the Texas A&M season record books.
Senior defensive specialist Victoria Arenas leads the Aggies and ranks seventh in the conference with 3.73 digs per set in SEC matches only.
Freshman outside hitter Hollann Hans has posted double-figure kills in a team-leading six consecutive matches, including 12 kills in only two sets played at Alabama.
Hans leads A&M and ranks 13th in the SEC with 3.89 points per set in conference matches only. She also leads the Aggies with 3.56 kills per set in SEC matches.
Against then-No. 2 Texas and No. 6 Wisconsin, Hans led A&M in both kills and points while posting back-to-back double-doubles in kills and digs, recording the first two double-doubles of her career.
Hans and junior outside hitter Kiara McGee are tied for the team lead with seven double-figure kill performances.
McGee ranks fifth in the SEC with a .449 hitting efficiency in conference play after besting her career high in hitting percentage (minimum 10 kills) in two of the last three matches. McGee had a team-high 17 kills while hitting a then-career-high .485 against Alabama, and she had a team-high 16 kills while hitting a new career-high .519 at LSU.
Several players made their first appearance of the season against UTEP at the Borderline Invitational, including senior setter Kaysie Shebeneck, who played the entire second set. Freshman setter Lexi Lopez and freshman middle blocker Maddie Douglas made their Texas A&M career debuts, subbing in late in the third set. Lopez had an ace and an assist in the first two plays of her career, and Douglas had the match-ending kill.
Shebeneck and Douglas also played the latter part of the fourth set at LSU, with Shebeneck helping the Aggies to a .389 hitting efficiency in the final frame, and Douglas posting the first block of her career.

ALL IN THE (COACHING) FAMILY

Laurie Corbelli, the reigning SEC and AVCA South Region coach of the year, is 496-234 in her 24th season as head coach of the Aggies and 596-340 in the 31st year of her head coaching career. She along with her husband, Aggie Associate Head Coach John Corbelli, have led the Aggies to 19 NCAA appearances.
Their son, Russell Corbelli, who graduated from Texas A&M in May, is serving as the volunteer assistant coach this season while also pursuing his real estate license.
Not related to the Corbelli's but in his first year as a member of the Aggie family is assistant coach Trevor Johnson, who served as an assistant coach at Baylor last year.

CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS

Senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers is ranked in the top 10 in the Texas A&M all-time career records in block assists, total blocks and points, and she is on pace to finish in the top 10 for career hitting percentage and block solos.
Babers had a personal season-best 10 blocks against LSU, giving her 481 for her career and putting her within three blocks of tying Kelli Kellen (1986-89) for fourth place.
Babers is third in the A&M records with 424 career block assists. She needs 27 more block assists to move into a tie for second place with former All-American Amber Woolsey, who tallied 451 block assists from 1996-99.
Babers ranks sixth in career total points (1,264.0) since rally scoring began in 2001, and she currently ranks second in career hitting percentage (.366).
Junior setter Stephanie Aiple moved into the top 10 in career assists earlier this season and currently ranks ninth with 2,787. She needs 176 assists to pass Chris Zogata (1983-86) for eighth place.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS

Arkansas (3-12, 1-2 SEC) will be aiming to get back into the win column and end a two-match losing skid after getting swept at Barnhill Arena by Missouri, 25-18, 25-16, 25-17, on Friday and then suffering a 25-15, 20-25, 25-14, 20-25, 15-10 setback at Ole Miss on Sunday.
Senior Danielle Harbin is coming off her first double-double performance of the season, posting a match-high 22 kills along with 10 digs in the loss to the Rebels.
Harbin entered the week ranked third in the SEC and 54th in the nation with 3.95 kills per set. She also is fifth in the league and 65th in the country with 4.40 points per set.
Sophomore libero Valle Okiana leads the Razorbacks and is fifth in the SEC with 3.78 digs per set.
Arkansas, playing without Pilar Victoria, last year's SEC leader in kills and points per set, is last in the league in opponent hitting percentage (.248), assists (11.09) and kills (11.76) per set for the full season.
Against Ole Miss, Arkansas had more kills (55-53) but was outhit, .246 to .148, and outblocked, 11-4, by the Rebels.
Jason Watson (BYU '95) is 3-12 in his first season as head coach of the Razorbacks and 203-159 in the 12th season of his head coaching career. He previously served as the head coach at BYU (2005-07) and Arizona State (2008-15) before becoming the third head coach in the history of the Arkansas volleyball program.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Texas A&M wraps up its three-match road swing at Ole Miss on Sunday, Oct. 9 before returning home to play host to South Carolina on Friday, Oct. 14. First serve against the Rebels is at 3 p.m. at The Pavilion in Oxford, Miss. The match will be televised on SEC Network.

DIG PINK

In conjunction with October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Texas A&M volleyball team has announced that it will hold its annual "Dig Pink" fund raiser match Sunday, Oct. 16 when the Aggies play host to the nationally ranked Florida Gators in a highly anticipated match-up at Reed Arena. First serve is set for 4 p.m., and all fans wearing pink to the match can purchase tickets at the entrance for only $3.
The Aggies are currently accepting donations for their "Dig Pink" initiative and encourage fans to visit their online fund raiser page, https://giving.side-out.org/campaigns/11634. All funds raised will be donated to The Side-Out Foundation and applied toward a clinical trial specifically for patients with Stage 4 breast cancer, the most advanced form of the disease and the least funded area of research.

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.