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Texas A&M Begins Final Road Stretch at Mississippi State

Texas A&M Aggies (14-13, 7-8 SEC) at Mississippi State (5-23, 1-14 SEC)

COMPLETE MATCH NOTES (PDF) Opens in a new window
Texas A&M Aggies (14-13, 7-8 SEC) at Mississippi State (5-23, 1-14 SEC)
Sunday, Nov. 18, 1 p.m.
Newell-Grissom Building
Starkville, Mississippi
 
Stream: SEC Network +
Twitter Updates: @AggieVolleyball
 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas —Texas A&M (14-13, 7-8 SEC) begins the final road portion of its season schedule on Sunday as the Aggies travel to Starkville, Mississippi, to take on Mississippi State. First serve against the Bulldogs is at 1 p.m. at the Newell-Grissom Building, and the match will be streamed on SEC Network +.
 
The Aggies, who have never lost a match to the Bulldogs, are in sixth place in the Southeastern Conference standings with three matches remaining. A&M last played on Sunday, Nov. 11, when the Aggies defeated Ole Miss, 3-1 (21-25, 25-15, 25-22, 25-21) at Reed Arena, ending a two-match losing skid.
 
Mississippi State has lost its last 12 matches and is 5-23 overall and in 13th place in the SEC with a 1-14 record after falling to Alabama, 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-20) on Friday at the Newell-Grissom Building.
 
Texas A&M junior outside hitter Hollann Hans and sophomore setter Camille Conner both are nearing significant season records which could be broken in this match. Hans, who has had as many as eight aces in a match this season, needs five aces to tie and six to break the all-time program record of 59 aces in a season. The record has been held by Chris Zogata since 1983, and at 35 years, it is the program's oldest standing season record. Conner has 1,130 assists this season and needs 57 assists to tie and 58 to break the record for most assists in the 25-point rally scoring era.
 
TEXAS A&M-Mississippi State SERIES HISTORY
  • A&M leads the all-time series against Mississippi State, 9-0, having dropped only one set in the entire series.
  • The Aggies are 4-0 against the Bulldogs in Starkville and 5-0 in matches played at Reed Arena.
  • All nine meetings have been as SEC foes, as the teams never met until A&M joined the league in 2012.
  • Mississippi State and Georgia are the only two teams that have never defeated Texas A&M in an SEC match.
  • A&M's most recent meeting against the Bulldogs was Nov. 22, 2017, at the Newell-Grissom Building in Starkville. Aggie senior outside hitter Kiara McGee posted a team-high 14 kills, and then-freshman middle blocker Makena Patterson came off the bench and hit a school-record .909 with 10 kills in 11 swings to lead the Aggies to a 21-25, 25-13, 25-14, 25-11 victory.
  • The Aggies got off to a slow start and dropped a set to the Bulldogs for the first time in the series. A&M got on track in the second set and never trailed in the stanza as they outhit the Bulldogs, .417 to .000. Patterson was 6-for-6 in kills in the third set as A&M outhit the Bulldogs, .552 to .125. A&M carried the momentum into the fourth set, outhitting the Bulldogs, .414 to .029.
  • MSU was led by Jelena Vujcin's 15 kills, but she was held to a .079 hitting percentage.
  • A&M outhit the Bulldogs, .368 to .085 for the match and led in kills (55-34), aces (10-5), digs (58-37) and blocks (10-3).
 
TEXAS A&M NOTES
  • With 14 wins on the season, A&M already has four more wins than it totaled in the entire 2017 season.
  • A&M has played 111 sets this season with three matches remaining. The Aggies played 88 total sets in the entire 2017 season.
  • 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.
  • Six of A&M's eight conference losses have been in five-set matches. The other two losses were in four sets.
  • 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.
  • 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, 5-3 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, 2-2 in four-set matches and 2-0 in three-set matches.
  • Texas A&M is 6-5 in home matches, including 4-4 in SEC home matches.
  • Texas A&M is 3-8 in true road matches, including 3-4 in SEC road matches.
  • A&M is outhitting its opponents, .228 to .208 in all matches but is being outhit, .231 to .225 in SEC matches only.
  • A&M stayed at 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 7-8 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.
  • Six of A&M's seven 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 the win against Ole Miss, A&M improved to 7-8 in SEC matches to equal the number of SEC wins it had last season. The Aggies have three matches remaining.
  • 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 84-41 (.672) all-time in SEC matches only.
  • The Aggies are 44-20 (.688) all-time in SEC home matches and 40-21 (.656) in SEC away matches.
 
AGGIE PLAYER NOTES
  • Hollann Hans needs six aces to give her an all-time school season record 60 aces, breaking the 35-year old record of 59 aces in a single season held by Chris Zogata since 1983.
  • Hans' 54 aces is the most in a season by an A&M player during the 25-point rally scoring era. It is the sixth most aces by an NCAA Division I player this season.
  • Against Ole Miss on Sunday, Hans had a match-high 26 points to give her 554.5 points for the season, breaking the program record for points in a season in the 25-point rally scoring era. She cruised past the previous record of 539 points by Kelsey Black in 2010.
  • In SEC matches only, Hans has 349 points in 67 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 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 14 A&M career, season and match records this season and is on pace to break several more. (See Hans' individual player page for complete list of records broken and records approaching.)
  • Despite A&M playing a record-setting 11 five-set matches, Hans entered the weekend ranked second in the SEC and 12th in the nation with 5.13 points per set.
  • Hans is second in the SEC with 5.21 points per set in SEC matches only.
  • Hans entered the weekend ranked ninth in the nation and third in the SEC with 0.50 aces per set in all matches.
  • She is averaging 0.57 aces per set in SEC matches only, second best in the league.
  • Hans enters the weekend ranked 18th in the nation and third in the SEC and with 4.38 kills per set in all matches.
  • She ranks fourth in the SEC with 4.34 kills per set in league play.
  • Hans is tied for the SEC lead 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 14 matches and in 24 of 26 matches played.
  • She has reached the 20-kill milestone a team-high 14 times, including in 10 of the last 14 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 15 of the last 16 matches and in 22 of 26 matches played in 2018.
  • She has a school-record 38 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 79 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 (2.57 dps) for the full season and in SEC matches only (2.78 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 111 sets in 2018.
  • Conner has 1,130 assists this season and needs 58 assists to break Allie Sawatzky's school record for assists in a season in the 25-point rally scoring era. Sawatzky tallied 1, 187 assists in 2011.
  • Conner is the only player in the SEC to record a triple-double this season.
  • Conner had 46 assists and career highs of 18 digs and 13 kills while hitting .385 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 both a 3-1 win against Ole Miss on Nov. 11 and a 3-2 victory against Georgia on Sept. 23.
  • Conner had 10 kills without an error in 15 attempts against the Rebels. Her .667 hitting efficiency is the highest by an A&M player this season with a minimum of 10 kills.
  • Conner is third in the SEC with 10.18 assists per set for the full season and is fourth in the league with 10.07 assists per set in SEC play only.
  • Conner is second on the team and tied for second in the SEC with eight double-doubles in SEC matches only.
  • She is second on the team and tied for fifth in the SEC with 11 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 19 consecutive matches and in 24 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 Nov. 9.
  • Houser is eighth in the league with 3.92 digs per set for the full season and seventh in the SEC with 3.91 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 a match-high 24 digs.
  • 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 27 matches, leads A&M with 0.94 blocks per set in conference matches only.
  • She also leads A&M with 0.83 blocks per set in all matches.
  • 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.
  • Junior Sydnye Fields, a transfer from North Carolina, has started four of the last five matches at opposite hitter. It marks the first starts of her A&M career.
  • Fields has set career-highs in kills in back-to-back matches. She had eight kills while hitting .353 in a 3-2 loss to South Carolina and she came off the bench and had 12 kills while hitting .474 in the 3-1 victory against Ole Miss.
  • Sophomore middle blocker Makena Patterson leads A&M and enters is ranked ninth in the SEC with a .331 hitting percentage in conference matches only.
  • Freshmen defensive specialist Taylor Voss has seen action in each of the last 24 matches and appeared in the starting lineup for the first time in her career in each of the last two matches.
  • Freshman middle blocker Mallory Talbert drew the starting nod in each of the last three matches. It marks her first starts in an SEC match.
  • Talbert reached double-figure kills for the first time in her career with 10 kills in the 3-1 victory against Ole Miss last Sunday.
  • 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 18 matches, having seen action on both the right and left sides.
  • Against Tennessee on Nov. 4, 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.
  • Freshman defensive specialist Allison Fields, who played libero in the final set in the sweep against Nicholls, has started 21 of 27 matches and has posted double-figure digs 11 times, including a career-high 20 digs against Missouri State.
  • 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.
 
MISSISSIPPI STATE QUICK HITS
  • Mississippi State is 5-23 overall and 1-14 in SEC matches only after falling to Alabama, 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-20) on Friday in Starkville.
  • Junior middle blocker Amarrah Cooks came off the bench and recorded a match-high seven blocks to lead the Bulldogs to an 11-7 advantage in team blocks.
  • Freshman outside hitter Paige Shaw led the Bulldogs with nine kills against the Crimson Tide, but she was held to a .000 hitting efficiency as Mississippi State was outhit, .165 to .082.
  • The Bulldogs are 2-10 in home matches, including a 3-2 victory over Auburn on Sept. 26.
  • Julie Darty is in her first season as head coach of the Bulldogs. She was formerly the head coach at Jacksonville University.
  • MSU closes out the season on the road, facing a rematch at Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 21, and taking on Georgia in Athens on Friday, Nov. 23.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
  • Texas A&M concludes the road portion of its season schedule on Wednesday, Nov. 21 as the Aggies travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. First serve is at 7 p.m. at Foster Auditorium, and the match will be streamed on SEC Network +.
  • A&M closes out the season Friday, Nov. 23 at noon against LSU at Reed Arena. It will be Senior Day, and lone senior and team captain Amy Houser will be honored.
 
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.