Texas A&M Hosts Ole Miss on Military Appreciation Day

Texas A&M Aggies (13-13, 6-8 SEC) vs. Ole Miss (13-15, 3-11 SEC)
Sunday, Nov. 11, 2 p.m.
Reed Arena
College Station, Texas
 
Television: SEC Network (Talent: Tiffany Greene, Missy Whittemore)
Twitter Updates: @AggieVolleyball
 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M (13-13, 6-8 SEC) and Ole Miss (13-15, 3-11 SEC) will be meeting for the first time this season on Sunday, and both teams will be aiming to return to the win column when the Aggies play host to the Rebels at Reed Arena. First serve is at 2 p.m., and the match will be televised on SEC Network with Tiffany Greene and Missy Whittemore calling the action.
 
The match will feature the two top point-producing outside hitters in the Southeastern Conference as A&M's Hollann Hans and Ole Miss' Emily Stroup go head-to-head. Stroup leads the SEC with 5.29 points per set, while Hans is a close second with 5.13 points per set in conference matches.
 
Texas A&M, in sixth place in the SEC standings with four matches remaining, is coming off a 3-2 (25-19, 27-29, 25-15, 27-29, 15-8) setback against South Carolina on Friday at Reed. It was the Aggies' record-ninth SEC five-set match and their 11th five-set match overall this season.
 
Ole Miss, whose assistant coach, Tori (Mellinger) Plugge, was a standout libero and outside hitter at Texas A&M from 2009-12, also is coming off a heartbreaking five-set defeat after falling at LSU, 23-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-23, 16-14, on Wednesday. It was the third consecutive loss for the Rebels, who are tied with Auburn for 11th place in the SEC standings.
 
PROMOTIONS

• Military Appreciation Match: Two FREE tickets for active and retired military and personnel in advance and on gameday. Additional tickets are $3 each.
• Giveaway: Limited Edition Patriotic Adidas Hat Giveaway for first 100 fans at main entrance
• Bring Your "A" Game: Free Admission for any kid who presents a report card with an A (or equivalent mark). Only available as a walk up sale on the day of the event.
• Doubleheader (VB, WBB): Fans are encouraged to stay for both events with their purchased ticket, which serves as a general admission ticket to the non-purchased game.

 
TEXAS A&M-OLE MISS SERIES HISTORY

• A&M leads Ole Miss in the all-time series, 13-2, including 8-2 in SEC matches only, since the teams first met in 1983.
• The Aggies won the first 13 meetings in the series before Ole Miss picked up its first-ever victories by sweeping the home-and-home series last season.
• Texas A&M's 25-21, 25-23, 25-16 victory against the Rebels on Sept. 14, 2012, marked the Aggies' inaugural SEC volleyball match as well as Texas A&M's first SEC victory in any sport. Current Rebels assistant coach Tori (Mellinger) Plugge was a senior during the Aggies' first season in the SEC and had 13 kills in the opening sweep against Ole Miss.
• The last time the teams met at Reed (Oct. 22, 2017), the Rebels posted their first-ever win in the all-time series, defeating the Aggies, 25-18, 25-22, 22-25, 25-16. The Rebels outhit A&M, .223 to .151, and had three players record double-figure kills. Emily Stroup led Ole Miss with 13 kills while hitting .321. A&M's Hollann Hans led all players with 16 kills and 20 points, but she was the only A&M player to reach double figures in kills.
• The teams most recently met Nov. 12, 2017, at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center in Oxford, Mississippi, where the Rebels rallied after dropping the first set to top A&M 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-20. A&M senior outside hitter Kiara McGee led the Aggies with 18 kills. Junior middle blocker Kaitlyn Blake tied her season high with 12 kills, and sophomore outside hitter Hollann Hans also pitched in 12 kills. Ole Miss had three players post double-figure kills, including sophomore Emily Stroup, who led all players with 19 kills while hitting .368.

 
TEXAS A&M NOTES

• With 13 wins on the season, A&M already has three more wins than it totaled in the entire 2017 season.
• A&M has played 107 sets this season with four matches remaining. The Aggies played 88 total sets in the entire 2017 season.
• Three of A&M's five matches against ranked opponents have been decided in five sets, including narrow 3-2 SEC losses against No. 11 Florida, No. 15 Kentucky and No. 24 Missouri.
• Six of A&M's eight conference losses have been in five-set matches. The other two losses were in four sets.
• A&M has played a program-record 11 five-set matches in 2018, breaking the previous record of nine five-set matches played in 1988, 2005, 2010 and 2014.
• A&M has played a program-record nine SEC five-set matches, surpassing the previous record of six five-set matches played in both the 2012 and 2014 SEC seasons.
• A&M is 3-8 in five-set matches, including 3-6 in SEC five-set matches only.
• Six of A&M's nine matches in October were decided in five sets, including a streak of five consecutive five-set matches.
• For the season, A&M is 3-8 in five set matches, 4-3 in four-set matches and 6-2 in three-set matches.
• In SEC matches only, A&M has played more five-set matches than three- and four-set matches combined.
• In SEC matches only, the Aggies are 3-6 in five-set matches, 1-2 in four-set matches and 2-0 in three-set matches.
• Texas A&M is 5-5 in home matches, including 3-4 in SEC home matches.
• A&M is outhitting its opponents, .224 to .205 in all matches but is being outhit, .226 to .217 in SEC matches only.
• A&M fell two spots to No. 88 in the most recent NCAA RPI (rating percentage index), released on Monday.

 
TEXAS A&M IN THE SEC

• Texas A&M is in sixth place in the SEC standings with a 6-8 conference record.
• A&M was picked to finish eighth in the SEC in 2018, according to a preseason poll of the league's head coaches.
• Texas A&M junior outside hitter Hollann Hans was named to the nine-member 2018 Preseason All-SEC Team, as voted on by the league's head coaches.
• All six of A&M's SEC wins this season have been against teams that were predicted to finish above the Aggies, according to the preseason poll. A&M has two 3-2 victories against Georgia as well as a 3-2 win at LSU. Both of those teams tied for fourth in the preseason poll. The Aggies also have two wins against Auburn, which was picked to finish sixth, and a sweep against Arkansas, picked to finish seventh.
• A&M went 7-11 in conference matches last season to finish in ninth place in the SEC.
• With four matches remaining, A&M needs one more win to equal the number of SEC wins it had last season.
• A&M's best season in the SEC was 2015, when the Aggies, despite dropping their conference season opener to Arkansas, went 16-2 to capture the SEC title, A&M's first conference championship in program history.
• In their inaugural SEC season opener, the Aggies defeated Ole Miss on Sept. 14, 2012, at Reed Arena, marking Texas A&M's first SEC victory in any sport. The Aggies went on to finish 16-4, winning the SEC Western Division and placing second overall.
• Texas A&M is 83-41 (.669) all-time in SEC matches only.
• The Aggies are 43-20 (.683) all-time in SEC home matches and 40-21 (.656) in SEC away matches.

 
AGGIE PLAYER NOTES

• Hollann Hans became the 19th player in program history to join the Aggies' 1,000-kills club on Nov. 4, posting 14 kills at Tennessee to give her 1,010 for her career.
• Hans has broken a combined 13 A&M career, season and match records this season and is on pace to break at least five more. (See Hans' individual player page for complete list of records broken and records approaching.)
• Hans needs 11 points to break the school record for points in a full season during the 25-point scoring era. Hans has 528.5 points for the full season, and the record is currently held by Kelsey Black, who had 539 points in 2010.
• Hans had 22 points against South Carolina to give her 323 points in 63 SEC sets played this season, breaking the previous school record of 319 points in an SEC season set by Alisia Kastmo in 77 sets played in 2012.
• Hans' 50 aces is the most in a season by an A&M player during the 25-point rally scoring era.
• Her 50 aces ties for fifth in the program's all-time season records. Hans needs two more aces to move into a tie for third, and she is only nine aces away from tying the all-time school season record of 59 aces held by Chris Zogata since 1983.
• Despite A&M playing a record-setting 11 five-set matches, Hans ranks second in the SEC with 5.08 points per set.
• Hans is second in the SEC with 5.13 points per set in SEC matches only.
• Hans entered the weekend ranked ninth in the nation and is currently second in the SEC with 0.48 aces per set in all matches.
• She leads the SEC with 0.54 aces per set in conference matches only.
• Hans entered the weekend ranked 23rd in the nation and is currently third in the SEC and with 4.35 kills per set in all matches.
• She ranks fourth in the SEC with 4.29 kills per set in league play.
• Hans leads the SEC with 14 double-doubles for the full season, including a league-leading 10 double-doubles in SEC matches only.
• Hans has posted double-figure kills in each of the last 13 matches and in 23 of 25 matches played.
• She has reached the 20-kill milestone a team-high 13 times, including in nine of the last 13 matches.
• Hans recorded the first 20-20 of her career with match highs of 22 kills and 21 digs against Tennessee on Oct. 19.
• Her 32 kills and 34 points at No. 11 Florida (10/5) are school records in the 25-point scoring era and broke the previous record which she held with 28 kills and 32.5 points against Penn State in 2017.
• Hans also set a school record with eight aces against Georgia on Sept. 23, breaking the previous A&M all-time record of six, reached 12 times, most recently accomplished in 2013.
• Her eight aces against Georgia are the most by an SEC player in all matches this season, and her 32 kills against Florida ties for first in conference matches only.
• Hans has served at least one ace in 14 of the last 15 matches and in 21 of 25 matches played in 2018.
• She has a school-record 34 aces in the SEC season, breaking the previous school record of 24 aces in an SEC season, which she set last year.
• Hans, only a junior, already has a school-record 75 aces in her SEC career, shattering the previous record of 46 set by Shelby Sullivan (2012-15).
• She is second on the team in digs per set (2.60 dps) for the full season and in SEC matches only (2.83 dps).
• Hans proved she also can block as she recorded a career-high and match-high eight blocks at Missouri. Her career-high three block solos are the most in a match by an A&M player this season, and it ties the A&M record for most solo blocks in a five-set SEC match.

 

• Sophomore setter Camille Conner and freshman middle blocker London Austin-Roark are the only two A&M players who have started every match this season.
• Conner has started every match and played in every set in her two-year career, and she is the only player who has appeared in all 107 sets in 2018.
• Conner is the only player in the SEC to record a triple-double this season.
• Conner had 46 assists and career highs of 13 kills and 18 digs, as well as a personal-best .385 hitting efficiency when posting 10 or more kills, in the Aggies' 3-2 win at LSU on Sept. 30. It was Conner's second triple-double of her career, as she was one of only two players in the SEC to accomplish the feat in 2017, having tallied 12 kills, 12 digs and 43 assists against No. 5 Penn State (Sept. 2, 2017).
• Conner came within one dig of posting a triple-double in the 3-2 victory against Georgia on Sept. 23.
• Conner is third in the SEC with 10.05 assists per set for the full season and is fourth in the league with 9.84 assists per set in SEC play only.
• Conner is second on the team and tied for third in the SEC with seven double-doubles in SEC matches only.
• She is second on the team and tied for fifth in the SEC with 10 double-doubles in all matches.

 

• Team captain Amy Houser, the only senior on the team, has started every match as the designated libero and has played the position in all but one set.
• Houser has reached double-figure digs in 18 consecutive matches and 23 matches overall this season.
• Houser has tallied 20 or more digs in a team-leading seven matches, including a career-high 26 digs against South Carolina on Friday.
• Houser is seventh in the league with 3.91 digs per set for the full season and ninth in the SEC with 3.89 digs per set in SEC matches only.
• Houser's point-saving play at set point in the third set at Georgia on Oct. 14 was No. 5 on ESPN SportCenter's Top 10 plays of the day and was NCAA Volleyball's No. 2 play of the week.
• Houser recorded the first double-double of her career in the 3-2 win at LSU (Sept. 30), posting a career-high 11 assists and tying her career best with a match-high 24 digs.
• Houser has a team-high 592 service receptions. She also has a team-best .966 service reception percentage among players who have at least 15 reception attempts.
• Houser had a match-high 19 digs in the three-set victory over Arkansas, tying a school record for most digs by an A&M player in a three-set SEC match.
• Middle blocker London Austin-Roark, who has started all 26 matches, leads A&M with 0.90 blocks per set in conference matches only.
• She also leads A&M with 0.81 blocks per set in all matches.
• Austin-Roark hit .600 with 10 kills and one error in 15 attempts at Tennessee on Nov. 4. It is the highest hitting percentage (minimum 10 kills) by an A&M player this season.
• Austin-Roark had a career-high nine blocks against Georgia on Sept. 23. It still is the most blocks by an A&M player this season.
• Sophomore middle blocker Makena Patterson leads A&M and is ranked ninth in the SEC with a .331 hitting percentage in conference matches only.
• After having appeared in only one match over the first nine matches of the season, sophomore pin hitter Samantha Sanders has appeared in each of the last 17 matches, having seen action on both the right and left sides.
• Against Tennessee last Sunday, Sanders played outside hitter and had a career-high 14 kills, tying for team-high honors. It was her fifth double-digit kill performance of the season.
• Sophomore Morgan Davis was the unsung hero in the win at Georgia. Davis, who had trained only at opposite hitter this season, subbed in at middle blocker late in the fourth set against the Bulldogs and finished the match with four kills­—including a team-leading three kills in the decisive five set—without an error to hit .800 for the match.
• Freshman defensive specialist Allison Fields, who played libero in the final set in the sweep against Nicholls, has started 20 of 26 matches and has posted double-figure digs 11 times, including a career-high 20 digs against Missouri State.
• Junior Sydnye Fields, a transfer from North Carolina, has started each of the last four matches at opposite hitter. It marks the first starts of her A&M career.
• Freshmen defensive specialist Taylor Voss has seen action in each of the last 23 matches and drew her first start against South Carolina on Friday.
• Freshman middle blocker Mallory Talbert drew the starting nod in each of the last two matches. It marks her first starts in an SEC match.
• Freshmen middle blockers London Austin-Roark and Mallory Talbert and freshman lefty setter Kaitlyn Rogers all graduated high school early and participated in A&M spring drills and also went on the team's foreign training tour to Europe in May.

 
OLE MISS QUICK HITS

• Ole Miss is 13-14, including 3-10 in SEC matches, and is tied for 11th place in the SEC standings.
• Ole Miss, the defending NIVC champion, was picked to finish 11th according to a preseason poll of the league's head volleyball coaches.
• The Rebels are coming off a 3-2 (23-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-23, 16-14) loss at LSU on Wednesday.
• Junior Emily Stroup, the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Week, set a single-match program record with 32 kills in the loss to the Tigers.
• Stroup leads the SEC with 4.72 kills and 5.16 points per set for the full season. She also leads the league with 4.85 kills and 5.29 points per set in SEC matches only.
• The Rebels are being outhit, .271 to .213 in SEC matches only and are narrowly being outhit, .229 to .228, for the full season.
• Ole Miss is 5-6 in 3-set matches, 4-5 in 4-set matches and 4-4 in 5-set matches for the full season.
• Former Aggie libero/outside hitter Tori (Mellinger) Plugge is in her second season as assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Ole Miss. She played at A&M from 2009-12 and ranks second in the A&M records for career digs with 1,480.
• Head coach Steven McRoberts is 96-66 in his fifth season at the helm of the Rebels.

 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE

•  The Aggies are at Mississippi State on Sunday, Nov. 18. First serve is at 1 p.m. at the Newell-Grissom Building in Starkville, Miss.

 
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the team on Facebook and on Twitter and Instagram by following @AggieVolleyball.