Texas A&M Faces SMU in NCAA First Round

Friday, December 2

Austin, Texas

4:00 PM

Texas A&M

SMU

Buy Tickets

Dec 01, 2016 | Volleyball

Complete Match Notes (PDF)

By: Texas A&M Media Relations

Texas A&M Tournament Central: http://www.12thman.com/gameday/volleyball-vs-smu/wvball/113/

2016 NCAA VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP — FIRST ROUND
Texas A&M (21-8, 15-3 SEC) vs. SMU (25-7, 18-2 AAC)
Friday, Dec. 2, 4 p.m.
Gregory Gym, Austin, Texas
All-Time Series Record: First meeting

TV: Longhorn Network
Live Stream (WatchESPN): http://es.pn/2gDeoyJ
Stats: 12thMan.com/live
Twitter Updates: @AggieVolleyball

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M (21-8, 15-3 SEC) received an at-large bid to the 2016 NCAA Volleyball Championship and will face SMU in the first round, Friday at Gregory Gym in Austin, Texas. The first-ever meeting against the Mustangs, the automatic qualifiers from the American Athletic Conference, begins at 4 p.m. The match will be followed by a first-round match-up between No. 4 seed Texas, an at-large selection from the Big 12 Conference, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), the Western Athletic Conference automatic qualifier, at 6:30 p.m. The two winners will meet in the second round, Saturday at 7 p.m. at Gregory Gym, with the second-round winner earning a berth into a to-be-determined regional, Dec. 9-10.

Tickets: All-session and single-day tickets may be purchased at TexasSports.com/Tickets, by calling 512-471-3333, or in person at the Sandeep Soni Ticket Office in Bellmont Hall (Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.). Tickets based on availability. All-session reserved seats are sold out. All-session general admission tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for students and youth. Single-day tickets are $10 for reserved seating, $8 for adult general admission and $5 for students and youth.

Texas A&M, led by All-SEC Team selections Stephanie Aiple (Jr., 6-1, S), Jazzmin Babers (Sr., 6-2 MB) and Kaitlyn Blake (So., 6-2. MB), along with SEC All-Freshman Team member Hollann Hans (6-1, OH), closed out the regular season by winning 10 of its last 11 matches to tie Kentucky for third place in the Southeastern Conference standings. The Aggies, No. 25 in the NCAA Ratings Power Index (RPI) released on Monday, are making their sixth consecutive and 24th overall appearance in the NCAA tournament. This marks the Aggies' 20th appearance under 24th-year head coach Laurie Corbelli, making A&M one of only 14 teams in the nation that has made at least 20 NCAA tournament appearances since she was hired in 1993.

SMU (25-7) is making its second consecutive and second overall appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Mustangs, who fell to Purdue in last year's NCAA first-round match in Austin, earned an automatic bid after winning 13 of their last 14 matches of the regular season—including each of the last seven—to finish with a one game lead atop the American Athletic Conference standings with an 18-2 record.

Texas (22-4), which won the NCAA national championship in 1988 and 2012 and last year earned its third runner-up finish, is making its 33rd overall and 13th consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Longhorns, who enter postseason riding a three-match win streak and are 13-1 in home matches, received an at-large bid after finishing second in the Big 12 Conference. The second-place finish ended Texas' streak of five consecutive conference championships.

UTRGV (21-13) is making its first trip to the Big Dance after winning the Western Athletic Conference tournament to earn the league's automatic bid. The Vaqueros, who were the No. 5 seed in the WAC tournament, swept No. 2 seed Utah Valley in the championship match and enter the NCAA Championship riding a four-match win streak. UTRGV is one of three teams in the 64-team bracket making its first appearance in the NCAA tournament, joining North Dakota and Boise State.

TEXAS A&M TOURNAMENT NOTES

A&M is making its 24th overall appearance (1981, '82, '85, '86, '93, '94, '95, '96, '97, '98,' 99, 2000, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '09, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15, '16) since the inception of the tournament in 1981.
Only 10 programs have made more NCAA appearances than A&M: Arizona, BYU, Colorado State, Florida, Hawaii, Long Beach State, Louisville, Nebraska, Penn State, Southern California, Stanford, Texas, UC Santa Barbara and UCLA.
A&M is 16-2 in first-round matches under head coach Laurie Corbelli—A&M had a first-round bye in 1995—and 18-4 all-time in NCAA first-round matches.
A&M sports a 26-23 (.531) all-time record in the NCAA tournament, including a 24-19 (.558) mark during head coach Laurie Corbelli's A&M tenure.
The Aggies are 2-7 this year against teams in the NCAA tournament field, including 1-4 against seeded teams.
This is the fourth time in five years that the NCAA Selection Committee has sent A&M to Austin for an NCAA first round match. It marks A&M's sixth overall trip to Austin for an NCAA tournament match, as the Aggies also went to the capital city for second-round matches in 1985 and 1993.
A&M is 2-5 all-time in NCAA matches played in Austin, including 0-4 against Texas.
Last year, A&M received an all-time high No. 10 seed in the NCAA Championship after winning its first conference title and earning the SEC's automatic berth. The Aggies defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 3-0, in the first round and fell to seventh-ranked Hawaii, 3-0, in the second round at Reed Arena.
A&M's best finish in an NCAA tournament was a regional final appearance in both 1999 and 2001.
The Aggies are one of four teams from the SEC to be participating in the 2016 NCAA Championship. Co-SEC champions Florida and Missouri are the No. 11 and 15 seeds, respectively, and Kentucky also is in the field of 64.

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES

Thirty-two conferences were awarded automatic qualification, and the remaining 32 slots were filled with at-large selections to complete the bracket.
The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and placed within four regions. (The NCAA began the 16-team seeding in 2000). Nebraska earned the top seed followed by No. 2 Minnesota, No. 3 Wisconsin and No. 4 Texas.
Per the established bracketing principles, the top 16 seeds were provided the opportunity to host. Additionally, team pairings were determined by geographic proximity, with the exception that teams from the same conference were not paired during the first and second rounds.
Sixteen first-and second-round matches will be played Dec. 1-2 or 2-3 on the campuses of participating institutions.
Second-round winners will move on to regional play December 9 and 10. Regionals will be held at four non-predetermined campus sites, which will be announced after play concludes on December 3.
The regional winners will advance to the national semifinals and championship final co-hosted by the Ohio State University and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on December 15 and 17.
Nebraska is the defending national champion.
Penn State and Stanford have appeared in every NCAA tournament (36) since the first championship was held in 1981.

ALL-TIME SERIES NOTES

Texas A&M has never faced SMU, which started its program in 1996.
A&M is 2-0 all-time against UTRGV, previously known as Texas-Pan American. The teams first met in 1976 and most recently met Sept. 24, 2000, at G. Rollie White Coliseum in College Station, where the Aggies won, 15-3, 15-5, 15-1.
Texas A&M has faced Texas 96 times, more than any other team.
Texas holds a 73-23 lead in the all-time series and has won the last five meetings.
The Longhorns are 5-1 against Texas A&M in NCAA matches, including 4-0 in NCAA matches played in Austin.
The teams last met Sept. 14 at Gregory Gym, where then-No. 2 Texas defeated then-No. 16 Texas A&M, 25-21, 25-18, 25-21. It was the first meeting between the former longtime conference rivals since Texas A&M left the Big 12 Conference to join the Southeastern Conference in 2012.
Texas has won 13 consecutive matches against the Aggies in Austin.
Texas A&M's most recent victory against Texas was Sept. 16, 2010, as the unranked Aggies stunned the No. 8 Longhorns, 3-0, at Reed Arena in the Big 12 Conference season opener.
Texas A&M's last victory at Gregory Gym was Oct. 6, 2001.
The Longhorns were 21-11 against the Aggies in Big 12 matches during Texas A&M's 16 years in the league (1996-2011).

COMMON OPPONENTS

Texas A&M shares one common opponent this season with each of the other three teams in its sub-regional.
Texas A&M and SMU both faced Arizona of the Pac-12 Conference. Texas A&M defeated the Wildcats, 3-0 (25-16, 26-24, 25-20) at the Borderline Invitational on Sept. 9 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Mustangs suffered a 3-0 (25-11, 25-21, 25-21) loss at Arizona on Sept. 2.
Texas A&M and Texas both lost to then No. 6 Wisconsin. The Badgers defeated A&M, 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-22) on Sept. 16 at Reed Arena in College Station and then traveled to Austin, where Wisconsin came back to defeat the then-No. 2 Longhorns, 3-2 (21-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-21, 20-18) on Sept. 18 at Gregory Gym.
Texas A&M and UTRGV both faced UTEP. The Aggies defeated the Miners, 3-0 (25-16, 26-24, 25-15) on Sept. 10 in El Paso, Texas, and UTEP defeated UTRGV, 3-1 (21-25, 25-17, 25-12, 25-14) on Nov. 3, also in El Paso.

SMU NOTES

SMU enters the tournament riding a seven-match win streak, having dropped only two sets during the streak.
The Mustangs defeated Connecticut, 3-1, in the final match of the regular season to win the American Athletic Conference with an 18-2 record, one game ahead of Cincinnati.
SMU's most recent loss was a 3-0 setback at Cincinnati on Nov. 4.
The Mustangs' Morgan Heise was named the AAC Libero of the Year for a third consecutive year. The senior from Hempstead, Texas, averages 5.16 digs per set, ranking 20th in the nation.
Setter Kendall Patterson was named AAC Freshman of the Year. She ranks 32nd in the nation with 10.94 assists per set and 21st in the country with 1,258 total assists. She also leads the AAC with 0.33 aces per set.
Junior outside hitter Katie Hegarty leads the Mustangs with 3.79 kills and 4.38 points per set while hitting .254.
Senior middle blocker Janelle Giordano leads SMU and is 27th in the nation with 1.34 blocks per set.
As a team, SMU is outhitting its opponents, .231 to .165.
Five players average two or more kills per set.
SMU sophomore outside hitter Brittany Adams is the daughter of former Texas A&M standout women's basketball player Yvonne (Hill) Adams, who was the Aggies' starting guard from 1989-91. Hill led Texas A&M in scoring average, field goals made, field goal percentage, free throws made, free throw percentage, free throws attempted, blocked shots, minutes played and steals each of her two seasons at Texas A&M.

TEXAS A&M RECENT RESULTS

Texas A&M closed out the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 26 at Auburn, where senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers became the Aggies' all-time leader in career total blocks after posting a match-high 11 blocks in the 19-25, 25-12, 25-21, 25-23 victory over the Tigers.
Babers, who earlier this season became A&M's all-time career leader in block assists, led the Aggies to 20 blocks on the day, breaking the team record for most blocks in an SEC match. The Aggies, who tied the school SEC record with 32 block assists, also set a team SEC season record as they finished the conference season averaging 2.99 blocks per set.
Junior outside hitter Kiara McGee led all players with 16 kills while hitting .313. Junior opposite Ashlie Reasor finished with eight kills while hitting .467. Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Blake pitched in eight blocks in the Aggies' record-setting block performance, and senior outside hitter Emily Hardesty came off the bench to add a career-high six blocks. Senior defensive specialist Victoria Arenas led the Aggies in digs with 13.
Auburn, which had four players in double-figure kills, including a team-high 15 by Brenna McIlroy, led A&M in kills (54-50), attacks (150-119), aces (7-3) and digs (53-50). The Tigers, however, finished with 33 attack errors, the most by an A&M opponent this season, as A&M outhit Auburn, .311 to .140, and held the Tigers to five team blocks.

BUILDING BLOCK RECORDS

Senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers had 11 blocks against Auburn in the regular season finale to give her 560 blocks for her career, smashing the previous record of 552 held by Cindy Lothspeich (1994-97).

Texas A&M all-time career total blocks leaders:
#       Name                           Years                    Total Blks
1.      Jazzmin Babers          2013-Present      560
2.      Cindy Lothspeich       1994-97               552
3.      Amber Woolsey         1996-99               547

Babers broke the A&M all-time career record for block assists against Tennessee on Nov. 6 and now has 492, shattering the previous school record of 456 block assists held by Lothspeich.

Texas A&M all-time career blocks assist leaders:
#       Name                           Years                    Blk Assists
1.      Jazzmin Babers          2013-Present      492
2.      Cindy Lothspeich       1994-97               456
3.      Amber Woolsey         1996-99               451

Babers, who sports a 1.27 blocks per set average for her career, is 10th in the career records with 68 block solos.
Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Blake is quickly moving up in the Texas A&M season block assists records. She had six block assists against Auburn to give her 142 for the year, putting her within three block assists of moving into a tie for third place. Blake needs 13 block assists to break the record of 154 set by Amber Woolsey in 1999.

Texas A&M all-time season blocks assist leaders:
        #       Name                           Year                      Blk Assists
      1.      Amber Woolsey         1999                     154
        2.      Melissa Munsch         2004                     147
        3.      Amber Woolsey         1998                     145
        4.      Kaitlyn Blake              2016                     142
        5.      Jazzmin Babers          2015                     135
        6.      Cindy Lothspeich       1997                     134
        7.      Amber Woolsey         1997                     131
        8.      Jazzmin Babers          2013                     128
        9.      Cindy Lothspeich       1996                     127

Texas A&M leads the SEC and is ranked 11th in the nation with 2.89 blocks per set for the full season. The Aggies led the SEC with 2.99 blocks per set in conference matches only, breaking the school SEC season record of 2.65 blocks per set posted last year. It also was A&M's highest block average in a conference season since recording 3.09 blocks per set in 2004.

HOMECOMING

Several Texas A&M players grew up in the shadows of the University of Texas and will be making a homecoming of sorts when the Aggies travel to Austin to open the NCAA Tournament.
Junior setter Stephanie Aiple is a product of Round Rock High School, where she was coached by her aunt, Diane Watson, a two-time All-American outside hitter at Texas (1985-86) and a 2013 inductee to the Texas Women's Athletics Hall of Honor.
Freshman setter Lexi Lopez hails from Austin and attended Vandegrift High School, and freshman middle blocker Maddie Douglas is from nearby Georgetown, Texas.
Lopez, Douglas and Aiple all played club ball for Austin Juniors, as did senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers, who attended Midway High School in Waco, Texas, but now lists her hometown as Syracuse, N.Y.

AGGIES GARNER SEC SEASON HONORS

Texas A&M's Stephanie Aiple, Jazzmin Babers and Kaitlyn Blake were named to the 18-member All-SEC Team, and the Aggies' Hollann Hans was named to the seven-member SEC All-Freshman Team.
It is the third consecutive appearance on the All-SEC Team for Babers. Aiple, the 2015 SEC Player of the Year as a sophomore, made her second consecutive appearance on the team, while Blake is making her first appearance on an all-SEC team.

TEXAS A&M QUICK HITS

With a 21-8 record, Texas A&M has reached the 20-win milestone for the third consecutive year and the 17th time in 24 years under head coach Laurie Corbelli.
Texas A&M ranks 13th on the NCAA's toughest schedule report.
Seven of A&M's eight losses were against teams that were ranked in the AVCA Top 25 when the match was played.
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. 1 Minnesota, No. 3 Wisconsin and No. 5 Texas. The other two preconference losses were against now-No. 16 Florida State and No. 26 Ohio State, who both escaped with 3-2 victories against the Aggies during the first two weeks of the season.
Texas A&M won its final six home matches to finish with an 8-2 home record. Both losses were against Top 10 opponents: current No. 3-ranked Wisconsin, and current-No. 11 Florida.
The Aggies are 10-3 in away matches, including 7-2 in away SEC matches. A&M is 3-3 at neutral sites.
A&M dropped one spot to No. 25 in the NCAA RPI released on Monday.
The Aggies received votes in this week's AVCA Top 25 Poll and are listed 30th.
Texas A&M has won 10 of its last 11 matches and 15 of its last 17.
Texas A&M is 11th in the nation in both kills (14.36) and blocks (2.89) per. A&M also is listed 19th in the country with 303 team total blocks and is 23rd in assists per set (13.30). The Aggies are 27th in the nation with a .262 hitting efficiency.
In SEC matches only, A&M led the league in opponent hitting efficiency (.171) and blocks (2.99) and digs (15.75) per set.
Texas A&M has led its opponent in hitting percentage in 24 of 29 matches. The Aggies are 21-3 when leading in hitting percentage and 0-5 when trailing in hitting percentage.
A&M is 17-2 when winning the first set and 4-6 when dropping the opening set.
After going 7-0 in five-set matches last year, the Aggies are 1-3 in five setters this season.

TEXAS A&M IN THE SEC
Texas A&M broke or tied a combined 15 school SEC team season and single match records in 2016 as the Aggies went 15-3 and tied Kentucky for third in the final conference standings:
Texas A&M SEC season records set in 2016:
Kills per set: 14.69 (previous: 14.47, 2012)
Assists per set: 13.72 (previous: 13.68, 2012)
Block solos: 31 (previous: 26, 2012)
Block assists: 338 (previous: 294, 2015)
Total blocks: 200 (previous: 172, 2015)
Blocks per set: 2.99 (previous: 2.65, 2015)

Texas A&M SEC match records set/tied in 2016:
Hitting percentage, 5-set match: .392 vs. Georgia, Oct. 21 (all-time school record for 5-set match)
Service aces, 5-set match: 6 at Alabama (tied)
Attack attempts, 4-set match: 177 vs. LSU
Digs, 4-set match: 103 vs. LSU
Block assists, 4-set match: 32 vs. Tennessee; at Auburn
Total blocks, 4-set match: 20 at Auburn
Block solos, 4-set match: 6 at Kentucky
Fewest points allowed, 4-set match: 58 [22-25, 25-14, 25-13, 25-6], (all-time school record for 4-set match)
Block assists, 3-set match: 28 vs. Tennessee

AGGIE PLAYER NOTABLES

Senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers has started every match of her career (121).
Babers leads the Aggies, is sixth in the SEC and 39th in the nation with a .365 hitting percentage in all matches.
In the match at Arkansas on Oct. 5, Babers surpassed 1,000 career kills, becoming the 17th A&M player to reach four-digit kills. She now has 1,128 kills, ranking 13th in the A&M career records.
Junior setter Stephanie Aiple is fourth in the SEC and 39th in the nation with 10.80 assists per set for the full season.
Aiple commands an A&M offense that leads the SEC and ranks 11th in the nation with 14.36 kills per set.
In the win at Georgia on Oct. 21, Aiple directed the Aggie offense to a .392 hitting efficiency, the highest hitting performance in a five-set match in school history. Five players had double-figure kills as A&M also posted the highest hitting percentage in a five-set match by an SEC team this season.
Aiple is fifth in the A&M career records with 3,375 assists.
Aiple leads Texas A&M with four double-doubles.
Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Blake leads the SEC and is sixth in the nation with 1.52 blocks per set for the full season. She also leads the league and is 12th in the country with 160 total blocks.
Blake has 142 block assists this season, ranking fourth in the A&M all-time single-season records. She needs only four block assists to take over sole possession of third place, six block assists to take over second place and only 13 block assists to break the all-time record of 154 set by Amber Woolsey in 1999.
Blake has led or tied for the team lead in blocks in 22 of 29 matches.
Blake hit a career-high .632 (13-1-19) in the win against Mississippi State on Nov. 11. It is the highest hitting percentage by an A&M player this season and was the third highest by an SEC player in a conference match this season.
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.
Freshman outside hitter Hollann Hans leads A&M with 3.54 points per set for the full season and is second on the team with 3.03 kills per set.
Hans also leads A&M and SEC freshmen and is eighth overall in the league with 0.27 aces per set for the full season.
Hans has led or tied for the team lead in points in a team-high eight matches.
Hans also has led or tied for the team lead in kills in 12 matches, ranking second on the team.
Hans is tied for the team lead with 18 double-figure kill performances overall.
Hans has three doubles-doubles (kills and digs), including back-to-back double-double performances in three-set matches against then-No. 2 Texas and No. 6 Wisconsin.
Hans was named the SEC Freshman Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday after she posted career and match highs with 20 kills and 22.5 in the four-set win against LSU on Nov. 23.
Junior outside hitter Kiara McGee leads the Aggies with 3.19 kills per set for the full season and is second on the team with 3.48 points per set.
McGee has led or tied for the team lead in kills in a team-high 13 matches
McGee is tied for the team lead with 18 double-figure kill performances.
Junior libero Amy Nettles has led or tied for the team lead in digs in a team-high 21 of 29 matches this season.
Nettles leads A&M and is eighth in the SEC with 3.60 digs per set in conference matches only.
Nettles has posted double-figure digs in a team-leading 20 matches this season, including five matches in which she has recorded 20 or more digs.
Nettles has appeared in a team-leading 277 consecutive sets, a streak which began Oct. 15, 2014, of her freshman campaign.
Nettles posted her 1,000th career dig in the win against Alabama on Nov. 3, with the milestone dig falling in for a kill. She is the 21st player in A&M history to record 1,000 or more digs, and she currently has 1,095 digs in her career.
Nettles, Babers and Blake and have played in all 105 sets this season.

ALL IN THE (COACHING) FAMILY

Head coach Laurie Corbelli along with her husband, Aggie Associate Head Coach John Corbelli, have led the Aggies to 20 NCAA appearances and a 509-236 record in their 24th season at A&M. The Corbellis posted their 500th victory at Texas A&M in the win at Georgia on Oct. 21, and it also marked the 600th win of Laurie Corbelli's head coaching career.
Their son, Russell Corbelli, who graduated from Texas A&M in May, is serving as the volunteer assistant coach this season and recently earned his real estate license.

2017 TEXAS A&M SIGNING CLASS
Texas A&M signed four heralded student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. All four signees are mentioned in PrepVolleyball.com's top 250 list of the Class of 2017 Senior Aces, including three who are in the top 100:

Camille Conner, S, 6-1, Katy, Texas (Seven Lakes, High School)
Morgan Davis, MB, 6-4, Orlando, Fla. (Bishop Moore Catholic High School)
Makena Patterson, MB, 6-3, Phoenix, Ariz. (Xavier College Preparatory)
Samantha Sanders, OH, 6-2, Waco, Texas (Midway High School)

VOTE FOR BABERS

Jazzmin Babers is one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award and is the only representative from the SEC.
Fans are encouraged to vote daily via computer through December 5 at seniorclassaward.com to help select the winner.
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. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

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.

Vote daily for Jazzmin Babers for Senior CLASS Award at seniorclassaward.com