Photo by: Russell James/Texas A&M Athletics
Texas A&M Setter Stephanie Aiple to Forego Senior Season
Jan 24, 2017 | Volleyball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M junior setter Stephanie Aiple, one of the most decorated players in Aggie volleyball history, is in the process of applying for a medical exemption from the SEC and will forego her senior season due to chronic back pain which she has endured since high school.
"Ever since I started having pain, doctors told me my back pain will always be with me," Aiple explained. "They said, 'We'll do whatever we can, but basically you are going to have to deal with this for the rest of your life,' so that's scary. I even debated with my parents on whether or not to play in college.
"I love playing volleyball, and I am so glad I decided to play for Texas A&M," added Aiple who is currently recovering from a recent surgery for a non-volleyball related hip injury suffered last summer that intensified throughout the past season. "It was all worth it for me because I was so happy and loved what I was doing, but I was in so much pain and I just can't put myself through another year of hurting so much. It was a really tough decision because volleyball has been a part of my family for so many years, but after long conversations we decided as a family that it was best for me and my body to not play anymore."
Aiple, the 2015 SEC Player of the Year after leading the Aggies to the Southeastern Conference championship as a sophomore, is the first player in Texas A&M history to receive AVCA All-America distinction three times, having been named AVCA Honorable Mention All-America for a third consecutive year following her 2016 junior campaign. The Round Rock, Texas, native ends her career ranked fifth in the Texas A&M career records with 3,413 total assists.
"On behalf of Texas A&M volleyball, we want to thank Stephanie for the three years in which she shared her amazing talent with us," Aggie volleyball head coach Laurie Corbelli said. "We wish her well in all her future endeavors and hope that everything she dreams for comes true."
This past season, Aiple helped lead the Aggies to a 21-9 record and a sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championship, averaging 10.85 assists per set and directing an A&M offense that ranked 11th in the nation and second in the SEC with 14.39 kills per set. The 6-1 setter, who started every match and played in all but two sets in 2016 despite missing the spring training season while recovering from a wrist surgery, also commanded the Aggies to a .259 hitting percentage, the eighth highest team season hitting percentage in program history.
Corbelli presented both Aiple and senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers with the team's Most Valuable Player award at the Aggies' end-of-the-season celebration dinner, held Saturday. It was the second consecutive year Aiple received both team MVP and All-SEC Team accolades.
The 2015 season was one of the most historic seasons in program history as Aiple led the Aggies to the SEC Championship—the first conference volleyball title in school history—and was voted the SEC Player of the Year by the league's coaches. She became only the second Texas A&M player and the first Aggie underclassman to ever earn conference player of the year laurels.
A league-leading six-time SEC Setter of the Week honoree and a two-time SEC Player of the Week selection as a sophomore, Aiple played in 29 of 31 matches—starting 28—and averaged 11.44 assists per set for the full season, ranking 15th in the nation and second in the SEC. She missed two matches after suffering a toe injury in the second set of a 3-2 victory over No. 15 Colorado State on Sept. 15. Aiple returned to action in the SEC opener against Arkansas on Sept. 27, coming off the bench in the Aggies' 3-1 loss to the Razorbacks. She returned to the starting lineup in the following match at Auburn and directed the Aggie offense to a .481 hitting percentage, the fifth highest hitting percentage in A&M history. Upon her return to the starting lineup, Texas A&M won 17 of its next 18 matches, including a monumental 3-2 victory at Missouri, where Aiple tallied a career-high 62 assists—including 14 assists in the decisive 15-10 fifth-set—and the Aggies clinched the SEC championship.
Aiple set a school SEC season record and was third in the conference with 11.50 assists per set as Texas A&M led the SEC team rankings in assists per set (13.46), was second in both hitting percentage (.275) and kills per set (14.32) and finished 16-2 in league play. Texas A&M went on to receive an all-time high No. 10 seed in the 64-team NCAA Championship field. The Aggies, who led the conference with 13.22 assists per set for the full season and ranked second in the league with 14.09 kills per set and a .272 hitting efficiency, marking the program's second highest hitting percentage since 1985, were eliminated by seventh-ranked Hawaii in the second round. They finished 24-7 overall and No. 18 in the final AVCA Top 25 Poll, as well as an all-time high No. 9 in the final NCAA Ratings Power Index (RPI).
"I am most proud of my sophomore year in college," Aiple reflected. "Our team was so good. We were all so close. The friendships were amazing and I will keep going back to those friendships just because they were so great, but winning an SEC championship was by far my proudest moment of being a volleyball player. That was so awesome. Most people don't get to say that they have won an SEC championship. That was really cool for me."
Aiple began her college career by becoming the most decorated freshman in the history of Texas A&M volleyball, as she was the first Texas A&M freshman to be named AVCA Honorable Mention All-America and the second Aggie to ever be named AVCA Region Freshman of the Year. In addition, the rookie was the first Texas A&M player to be named the ESPNW national player of the week (Sept. 17) after leading the Maroon and White to back-to-back wins against No. 6 USC and No. 13 San Diego.
A three-time SEC Freshman Player of the Week, Aiple appeared in 28 of 30 matches, starting 26 overall, as the Aggies went 21-9. She received Texas A&M's Co-Best Offensive Player award after averaging 10.76 assists per set and orchestrating an offense that ranked 22nd in the nation in hitting percentage (.263) and set an all-time school record with a .283 conference hitting percentage.
When asked what she is going to miss most, Aiple answered, "Competing with my best friends. And my parents were always there for me, always there at the end of every match telling me how proud they were of me. That is something I'm going to miss a lot.
"I want to thank my parents and all my friends, whether they were friends in volleyball or friends outside of volleyball, who consistently supported me," Aiple added. "I also want to thank all my coaches, from my club coach when I was 11 years old to my college coaches, Laurie Corbelli and John (Corbelli), Steve (Greene) and Trevor (Johnson). They made my experience so awesome here at Texas A&M.
"I also want to thank the Texas A&M medical staff, from our athletic trainer, Erin Boyette, who took me in from Day 1 and did so much for me and my health, to Dr. (Rick) Seabolt, Dr. (Laura) Marsh, Dr. (J.P.) Bramhall and physical therapist Matt Kee. Whether it was medication, the injections, the rehab or even just the 'you can do this,' they really helped me throughout my career to be successful and kept me somewhat healthy and out on the floor. And obviously I thank God, because I don't know where I would be without Him and I prayed about this decision for so long."
Majoring in recreation, park and tourism sciences, Aiple aspires to be an events coordinator following her projected graduation in May 2018.
Aiple's Career Stats:
Season SP MP K K/S E TA Pct A A/S SA SA/S SE DIG D/S RE BS BA TB B/S BE BHE Points Pts/S
2014 104 28 84 0.81 34 193 .259 1119 10.76 15 0.14 18 200 1.92 0 1 44 45 0.43 7 11 122.0 1.17
2015 100 29 73 0.73 24 156 .314 1144 11.44 8 0.08 17 189 1.89 0 1 59 60 0.60 6 15 111.5 1.11
2016 106 30 103 0.97 35 220 .309 1150 10.85 6 0.06 14 188 1.77 0 3 76 79 0.75 6 13 150.0 1.42
TOTAL 310 87 260 0.84 93 569 .293 3413 11.01 29 0.09 49 577 1.86 0 5 179 184 0.59 19 39 383.5 1.24
Aiple's Honors
2016 (Junior)
2015 (Sophomore)
2014 (Freshman)
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.
"Ever since I started having pain, doctors told me my back pain will always be with me," Aiple explained. "They said, 'We'll do whatever we can, but basically you are going to have to deal with this for the rest of your life,' so that's scary. I even debated with my parents on whether or not to play in college.
"I love playing volleyball, and I am so glad I decided to play for Texas A&M," added Aiple who is currently recovering from a recent surgery for a non-volleyball related hip injury suffered last summer that intensified throughout the past season. "It was all worth it for me because I was so happy and loved what I was doing, but I was in so much pain and I just can't put myself through another year of hurting so much. It was a really tough decision because volleyball has been a part of my family for so many years, but after long conversations we decided as a family that it was best for me and my body to not play anymore."
Aiple, the 2015 SEC Player of the Year after leading the Aggies to the Southeastern Conference championship as a sophomore, is the first player in Texas A&M history to receive AVCA All-America distinction three times, having been named AVCA Honorable Mention All-America for a third consecutive year following her 2016 junior campaign. The Round Rock, Texas, native ends her career ranked fifth in the Texas A&M career records with 3,413 total assists.
"On behalf of Texas A&M volleyball, we want to thank Stephanie for the three years in which she shared her amazing talent with us," Aggie volleyball head coach Laurie Corbelli said. "We wish her well in all her future endeavors and hope that everything she dreams for comes true."
This past season, Aiple helped lead the Aggies to a 21-9 record and a sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championship, averaging 10.85 assists per set and directing an A&M offense that ranked 11th in the nation and second in the SEC with 14.39 kills per set. The 6-1 setter, who started every match and played in all but two sets in 2016 despite missing the spring training season while recovering from a wrist surgery, also commanded the Aggies to a .259 hitting percentage, the eighth highest team season hitting percentage in program history.
Corbelli presented both Aiple and senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers with the team's Most Valuable Player award at the Aggies' end-of-the-season celebration dinner, held Saturday. It was the second consecutive year Aiple received both team MVP and All-SEC Team accolades.
The 2015 season was one of the most historic seasons in program history as Aiple led the Aggies to the SEC Championship—the first conference volleyball title in school history—and was voted the SEC Player of the Year by the league's coaches. She became only the second Texas A&M player and the first Aggie underclassman to ever earn conference player of the year laurels.
A league-leading six-time SEC Setter of the Week honoree and a two-time SEC Player of the Week selection as a sophomore, Aiple played in 29 of 31 matches—starting 28—and averaged 11.44 assists per set for the full season, ranking 15th in the nation and second in the SEC. She missed two matches after suffering a toe injury in the second set of a 3-2 victory over No. 15 Colorado State on Sept. 15. Aiple returned to action in the SEC opener against Arkansas on Sept. 27, coming off the bench in the Aggies' 3-1 loss to the Razorbacks. She returned to the starting lineup in the following match at Auburn and directed the Aggie offense to a .481 hitting percentage, the fifth highest hitting percentage in A&M history. Upon her return to the starting lineup, Texas A&M won 17 of its next 18 matches, including a monumental 3-2 victory at Missouri, where Aiple tallied a career-high 62 assists—including 14 assists in the decisive 15-10 fifth-set—and the Aggies clinched the SEC championship.
Aiple set a school SEC season record and was third in the conference with 11.50 assists per set as Texas A&M led the SEC team rankings in assists per set (13.46), was second in both hitting percentage (.275) and kills per set (14.32) and finished 16-2 in league play. Texas A&M went on to receive an all-time high No. 10 seed in the 64-team NCAA Championship field. The Aggies, who led the conference with 13.22 assists per set for the full season and ranked second in the league with 14.09 kills per set and a .272 hitting efficiency, marking the program's second highest hitting percentage since 1985, were eliminated by seventh-ranked Hawaii in the second round. They finished 24-7 overall and No. 18 in the final AVCA Top 25 Poll, as well as an all-time high No. 9 in the final NCAA Ratings Power Index (RPI).
"I am most proud of my sophomore year in college," Aiple reflected. "Our team was so good. We were all so close. The friendships were amazing and I will keep going back to those friendships just because they were so great, but winning an SEC championship was by far my proudest moment of being a volleyball player. That was so awesome. Most people don't get to say that they have won an SEC championship. That was really cool for me."
Aiple began her college career by becoming the most decorated freshman in the history of Texas A&M volleyball, as she was the first Texas A&M freshman to be named AVCA Honorable Mention All-America and the second Aggie to ever be named AVCA Region Freshman of the Year. In addition, the rookie was the first Texas A&M player to be named the ESPNW national player of the week (Sept. 17) after leading the Maroon and White to back-to-back wins against No. 6 USC and No. 13 San Diego.
A three-time SEC Freshman Player of the Week, Aiple appeared in 28 of 30 matches, starting 26 overall, as the Aggies went 21-9. She received Texas A&M's Co-Best Offensive Player award after averaging 10.76 assists per set and orchestrating an offense that ranked 22nd in the nation in hitting percentage (.263) and set an all-time school record with a .283 conference hitting percentage.
When asked what she is going to miss most, Aiple answered, "Competing with my best friends. And my parents were always there for me, always there at the end of every match telling me how proud they were of me. That is something I'm going to miss a lot.
"I want to thank my parents and all my friends, whether they were friends in volleyball or friends outside of volleyball, who consistently supported me," Aiple added. "I also want to thank all my coaches, from my club coach when I was 11 years old to my college coaches, Laurie Corbelli and John (Corbelli), Steve (Greene) and Trevor (Johnson). They made my experience so awesome here at Texas A&M.
"I also want to thank the Texas A&M medical staff, from our athletic trainer, Erin Boyette, who took me in from Day 1 and did so much for me and my health, to Dr. (Rick) Seabolt, Dr. (Laura) Marsh, Dr. (J.P.) Bramhall and physical therapist Matt Kee. Whether it was medication, the injections, the rehab or even just the 'you can do this,' they really helped me throughout my career to be successful and kept me somewhat healthy and out on the floor. And obviously I thank God, because I don't know where I would be without Him and I prayed about this decision for so long."
Majoring in recreation, park and tourism sciences, Aiple aspires to be an events coordinator following her projected graduation in May 2018.
Aiple's Career Stats:
Season SP MP K K/S E TA Pct A A/S SA SA/S SE DIG D/S RE BS BA TB B/S BE BHE Points Pts/S
2014 104 28 84 0.81 34 193 .259 1119 10.76 15 0.14 18 200 1.92 0 1 44 45 0.43 7 11 122.0 1.17
2015 100 29 73 0.73 24 156 .314 1144 11.44 8 0.08 17 189 1.89 0 1 59 60 0.60 6 15 111.5 1.11
2016 106 30 103 0.97 35 220 .309 1150 10.85 6 0.06 14 188 1.77 0 3 76 79 0.75 6 13 150.0 1.42
TOTAL 310 87 260 0.84 93 569 .293 3413 11.01 29 0.09 49 577 1.86 0 5 179 184 0.59 19 39 383.5 1.24
Aiple's Honors
2016 (Junior)
- AVCA Honorable Mention All-America
- PrepVolleyball.com Honorable Mention All-American
- AVCA All-South Region Team
- All-SEC Team
- Preseason All-SEC Team
- Texas A&M MVP
- espnW "12 to Watch" List
- North Texas Challenge All-Tournament Team
2015 (Sophomore)
- SEC Player of the Year
- AVCA Honorable Mention All-America
- PrepVolleyball.com All-American Honorable Mention
- AVCA All-South Region Team
- All-SEC Team
- Texas A&M MVP
- 2-time SEC Player of the Week (11/2, 11/30)
- 6-time SEC Setter of the Week (10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/23, 11/30)
- PrepVolleyball.com Setter of the Week (9/8)
- PrepVolleyball.com College Aces: No. 8 Setter
2014 (Freshman)
- AVCA Honorable Mention All-America
- AVCA All-South Region Team
- AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year
- SEC All-Freshman Team
- Texas A&M Co-Best Offensive Player Award
- ESPNW National Player of the Week (9/17)
- 3-time SEC Freshman Player of the Week (9/8, 9/15, 11/24)
- USC Classic All-Tournament Team
- Ohio/Baymont Inn & Suites Invitational All-Tournament Team
- Texas A&M Class of 2018 Class Stars Award (Athletics)
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.
Players Mentioned
S
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