Texas A&M Begins Three-Match Road Swing at LSU

Friday, September 30

Baton Rouge, La.

7:00 PM

Texas A&M

LSU

Sep 29, 2016 | Volleyball

Complete Match Notes (PDF)

By: Texas A&M Media Relations

Texas A&M (7-6, 1-1 SEC) vs. LSU (5-8, 0-2 SEC)
Friday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m.
Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, La.

Video: SEC Network + (WatchESPN and the ESPN app)
Stats: 12thMan.com/live
Twitter Updates: @AggieVolleyball

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- TEXAS A&M BEGINS THREE-MATCH ROAD SWING AT LSU
Texas A&M begins a three-match road swing Friday as the Aggies take on LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. First serve is at 7 p.m., and the match will be broadcast on SEC Network +, available on WatchESPN and the ESPN app at http://es.pn/2cu4xpU

Texas A&M (7-6, 1-1 SEC), the defending SEC champion, dropped its conference opener at Alabama, 3-2, last Friday but then snapped a three-match losing skid with a convincing 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-19) sweep over Auburn on Sunday in the Aggies' SEC home opener at Reed Arena.

LSU (5-8, 0-2) is mired in a four-match losing skid after opening league play with a 3-2 (25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 23-25, 15-9) setback at Auburn on Friday and a 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-14) home loss against Arkansas on Sunday.

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 56-20 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 27-11 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.

TEXAS A&M-LSU ALL-TIME SERIES

Texas A&M is 25-15 all-time against LSU, the Aggies' most common opponent among teams in the SEC.
A&M holds a narrow 3-2 lead over LSU since the teams began meeting as SEC foes in 2012, including a 2-0 SEC record when playing at LSU.
The Aggies are 8-3 all-time in matches played in Baton Rouge and have gone home victorious in their last three trips to the Big Raggedy.
Neither team has won consecutive matches in the series since LSU won back-to-back non-conference tournament match-ups in 2006 and 2008.
In the only meeting last year, Texas A&M defeated LSU, 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-18), on Oct. 21, at Reed Arena, snapping a three-match home losing streak against the Tigers. Kiara McGee paced A&M with a match-high 13 kills. Jazzmin Babers added 12 kills, and senior Shelby Sullivan pitched in 10 kills while hitting .529. Stephanie Aiple dished out 40 assists as the Aggies led LSU, 45-31, in kills and outhit the Tigers, .376 to .103. A&M also outblocked the Tigers, 11-7, with Babers tallying eight blocks, tying the team season high for a three-set match. Amy Nettles tied for match-high honors in digs with 11 as A&M outdug the Tigers, 46-39. Gina Tillis led the Tigers with eight kills.
LSU's most recent win over the Aggies was Nov. 6, 2014, in College Station. The Tigers defeated A&M, 3-2 (20-15, 25-16, 25-9, 22-25, 15-13), marking the sixth five-set match over 10 meetings.
In 2012, A&M's inaugural season in the SEC, the Aggies defeated LSU, 3-1, in Baton Rouge and went on to win the SEC Western Division, snapping the Tigers' streak of seven consecutive division championships.
A&M's records/results vs. LSU under Corbelli:

Overall: 8-5    H: 2-3    A: 3-0    N: 3-2    SEC: 3-2
Sept. 16, 1995     N        W       15-0, 15-7, 15-6
Sept. 11, 1998     N        W       15-5, 15-5, 17-15
Sept. 1, 2002       H        W       30-32, 24-30, 30-16, 30-24, 15-10
Sept. 10, 2005     N        W       28-30, 30-17, 30-28, 29-31, 15-13
Sept. 1, 2006       N        L         32-30, 34-36, 23-30, 16-30
Aug. 29, 2008      N        L         25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 17-25, 18-20
Dec. 5, 2009         A        W       18-25, 26-24, 23-25, 25-23, 15-10
Aug. 28, 2010      H        L         9-25, 17-25, 22-25
Oct. 26, 2012       A        W       25-20, 22-25, 25-11, 25-16
Oct. 9, 2013         H        L         25-20, 25-16, 19-25, 18-25, 10-15
Nov. 13, 2013      A        W       25-21, 25-22, 25-22
Nov. 6, 2014        H        L         25-20, 16-25, 9-25, 25-22, 13-15
Oct. 21, 2015       H        W       25-19, 25-22, 25-18

TEXAS A&M RECENT RESULTS

No. 19 Texas A&M opened the home portion of its SEC schedule with a 26-24, 25-18, 25-19 victory over Auburn on Sunday at Reed Arena.
A&M's Ashlie Reasor led all players with 14 kills while hitting .391, and freshman outside hitter Hollann Hans reached double-figure kills for a team-leading fifth consecutive match, pitching in 10. Kiara McGee and Jazzmin Babers added eight kills apiece, and Stephanie Aiple kept the Tigers guessing as she contributed seven kills—one shy of her career-high—and also dished out 34 assists while directing the A&M offense to a 50-36 lead in total kills and a .270 to .123 advantage in hitting efficiency.
Defensively, libero Amy Nettles took match-high honors in digs with 16, and defensive specialist Victoria Arenas added 14 to help the Aggies to a 56-38 lead in team digs. Middle blocker Kaitlyn Blake had four blocks as she continued her streak of leading or tying for the A&M lead in blocks in every match this season, and Babers added three blocks to give her 471 blocks in her career, moving her into fifth place in the A&M all-time career records for total blocks.
The complete recap along with quotes is available at http://bit.ly/2cCXO0H.

TEXAS A&M NOTES

Texas A&M leads the SEC with 13.88 assists per set in conference matches only.
The Aggies are holding conference opponents to a .188 hitting efficiency, second best in the league.
A&M ranks 28th in the nation and third in the SEC with 2.70 blocks per set for the full season.
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. 2 Minnesota, No. 3 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-No. 15 Florida State and No. 19 Ohio 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

Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Blake, who has led or tied for the team lead in blocks in all 13 matches, leads the SEC and is ranked sixth in the nation with 1.70 blocks per set.
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.
Redshirt senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers needs 17 kills to become the 17th player in program history to join the 1,000-kills club. The last player to join the club was middle blocker Lindsey Miller (2009-12), who finished with 1,025 in her four-year career.
Babers has started every match of her career (105).
Junior setter Stephanie Aiple is fifth in the SEC and 37th in the nation with 10.71 assists per set.
Aiple is coming off back-to-back seven-kill performances, coming within one kill of tying her career high which she set as a freshman against San Diego and tied 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 868 career digs and needs only 132 more to become the 21^st player in Texas A&M history to join the 1,000-digs club. As a sophomore, Nettles played in every set as the team's libero and finished with 444 digs, ranking seventh in the Texas A&M season record books.
Nettles has led the Aggies in digs in a team-best nine matches this season and is currently averaging 3.28 digs per set. In SEC matches only, she is averaging 4.12 digs per set, eighth best in the conference.
Freshman outside hitter Hollann Hans has started seven of the last eight matches. She led A&M in both kills and points while posting back-to-back double-doubles in kills and digs against then-No. 2 Texas and No. 6 Wisconsin, marking the first two double-doubles of her career.
Hans has posted double-figure kills in a team-high five consecutive matches, including 12 kills in only two sets played at Alabama.
Hans leads A&M and is tied for fifth in the SEC with 4.40 kills per set in conference matches only. She also leads the Aggies and ranks eighth in the SEC with 4.70 points per set in conference matches only.
Hans and junior outside hitter Kiara McGee have led or tied for team-high honors in kills in a team-leading six matches this season.
McKee, who had a team-high 17 kills while hitting a career-high .485 against Alabama, is hitting .412 in SEC matches only, ranking seventh in the league.
Junior opposite hitter Ashlie Reasor hit .382 with 3.62 kills and 4.06 points per set during the first week of conference play. The lefty had season highs in both kills (15) and points (16.5) against Alabama while hitting .375. She took match-high honors in kills with 14 while hitting .391 in the sweep against Auburn.
Senior Emily Hardesty, the most experienced outside hitter on the team after serving as a starter each of the last two seasons was held out for four matches and played sparingly against Texas and Wisconsin after suffering a nagging injury against Minnesota. She played in the last three sets against Alabama and did not play against Auburn.
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.

ALL IN THE (COACHING) FAMILY

Laurie Corbelli, the reigning SEC and AVCA South Region coach of the year, is 495-234 in her 24th season as head coach of the Aggies and 595-340 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.

TEXAS A&M IN THE AVCA RANKINGS

After being ranked in the AVCA Top 25 in the first five polls of the season, Texas A&M dropped out of the Top 25 this week following its 3-2 loss at Alabama in the SEC opener on Sept. 23.
The Aggies, who were No. 19 last week, are receiving votes and are listed 27th.
The Aggies had received a No. 16 ranking in the preseason poll, matching their highest preseason ranking by the AVCA since they were No. 16 in 2005. Texas A&M was No. 13 in the AVCA's 1997 preseason poll, marking the highest preseason ranking in program history.
Earlier this season, the Aggies received a season-high No. 14 showing on Aug. 29, marking the program's highest ranking in the AVCA poll since a No. 13 showing on Sept. 5, 2005.

TEXAS A&M IN THE NATIONAL/SEC STATS

As a team, A&M is tied for second in the SEC and ranked 28th in the nation with 2.70 blocks per set.
The Aggies are third in the SEC and 35th in the nation with 13.96 kills per set.
A&M also is third in the SEC with 12.80 assists per set for the full season.
In SEC matches only, A&M is first in the league with 13.88 assists per set, second in opponent hitting percentage (.188), and third in blocks per set (.262)

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 moved into third place in the A&M records for block assists against Alabama, surpassing Lindsey Miller (2009-12), who had 409 in her career. Babers now has 415 career block assists and needs 37 more block assists to take over second place in the career records.
Babers had three blocks against Auburn to give her 471 for her career and move her into sole possession of fifth place in career total blocks. She needs 14 total blocks to surpass Kelli Kellen (1986-89) for fourth place.
Babers ranks sixth in career total points (1,248.5) since rally scoring began in 2001, and she currently ranks second in career hitting percentage (.367).
Junior setter Stephanie Aiple moved into the top 10 in career assists earlier this season and currently ranks ninth with 2,745. She needs 218 assists to pass Chris Zogata (1983-86) for eighth place.

SCOUTING LSU

LSU (5-8. 0-2 SEC), is aiming to end a four-match losing skid and also get its first home victory of the season after opening 0-6 at the Pete Maravich Center.
Most recently, the Tigers fell to Arkansas, 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-14), Sunday in Baton Rouge. Junior outside hitter Gina Tillis led LSU with 11 kills, and libero Cheyenne Wood took team-high honors in digs with 12.
The Tigers, who were outhit .374 to .218 by the Razorbacks, committed nine service errors and had no aces.
LSU opened SEC play with a 3-2 loss at Auburn.
Tillis, who has posted double-figure kills in a team-best nine matches, leads LSU with 3.31 kills and 3.71 points per set.
Junior middle blocker Khourtni Fears leads the Tigers and is 91st in the nation with a .350 hitting efficiency. She is 13th in the league with 1.03 blocks per set.
LSU is being outhit .216 to .211 for the full season and .281 to .196 in SEC matches only.
LSU, which placed 12th in the SEC standings last year after losing All-American middle blocker Briana Holman, who transferred to Nebraska following the 2014 season, and also being hammered by injuries last year, was picked to finish eighth this year according to a preseason vote of the league's head coaches.
Head coach Fran Flory (Texas '84) is 332-223 in her 19th season at the helm of the Tigers and 412-303 in the 25th season of her head coaching career.

TEXAS A&M-LSU CONNECTIONS

LSU coach Fran Flory was a former assistant coach at Texas A&M in 1987 under former Aggie head coach Al Givens.
Flory and Texas A&M setter Stephanie Aiple's aunt, Diane Watson, were teammates at the University of Texas in 1983. Watson, a member of the Texas Women's Athletics Hall of Honor, later coached Aiple at Round Rock High School.
Scott Woodward, a 1985 graduate of LSU and formerly a director of external affairs at his alma mater, is in his first year as director of athletics at Texas A&M.
Baton Rouge native Erin Boyette is in her fifth season as Texas A&M's volleyball athletic trainer. The former Erin Greenwich graduated cum laude from LSU in 2010 and served as the Tigers' graduate assistant athletic trainer for volleyball while pursuing her master's degree, which she received from LSU in 2012.
LSU football offensive line coach and running game coordinator Jeff Grimes is married to the former Sheri Hermesmeyer, who played volleyball at Texas A&M from 1988-91.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Texas A&M plays a pair of road matches nest week to conclude its three-match road swing. The Aggies take on Arkansas, Wednesday, Oct. 5, with first serve slated for 8 p.m. at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. The match will be televised on ESPNU with Holly McPeak and Courtney Lyle calling the action.
Texas A&M wraps up the road swing at Ole Miss on Sunday, Oct. 9 before returning home to play host to South Carolina on Friday, Oct. 14.

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.