2021 Texas A&M Volleyball Season Preview
Aug 19, 2021 | Volleyball
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M volleyball program returned to the court last week to begin preparations for the impending 2021 season.
A&M’s trio of coaches remains intact for their fourth season together as a staff, with head coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn being joined by associate head coach Kolby O’Donnell and assistant coach Wendel Camargo. The program’s leadership has reached a record of .500 or better in every year of their tenure, highlighted by a 23-8 campaign in 2019 in which the Maroon & White reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
2020 HIGHLIGHTS
The Aggies compiled a litany of accomplishments in the 2020 season, featuring the highest overall AVCA Coaches Poll ranking in program history, garnering the No. 8 position in the preseason. The last time an Aggie team reached the top 10 was in the 1999 campaign, where the Aggies held the No. 9 slot.
A&M was riding high following its impressive 2019 season, and the squad carried its momentum into 2020 with a four-match win streak to open a grueling all-SEC schedule. Setter Camille Conner registered a season high 49 assists on two occasions during the fall campaign against LSU on Oct. 18 and Mississippi State on Nov. 5. The Maroon & White opened the spring portion of the season on a five-match win streak, punctuated by a 3-1 win against Alabama at Reed Arena in which Ciera Hecht booked a career-high eight service aces, also tying the program record for aces in a single match.
All-in-all, Texas A&M finished with nine victories in the truncated season, including series sweeps of LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Alabama. Off the court, Conner stood out as a nominee for the Senior CLASS Award, which honors student-athletes that greatly contribute to their team’s success, the well-being of their communities as well as an excellent track record in the classroom.
RETURNERS (13 Overall, Five Returning Starters)
Setter Camille Conner returns for her fifth and final season in Aggieland in 2021. The Katy, Texas, native is one of the most productive performers in program history, ranking second at A&M in assists in the 25-point rally scoring era, which began in the 2008 season. The Seven Lakes High School product is fourth in Aggie history in all-time assists, and will once again serve as a linchpin in the team’s offense in the coming year.
At the net, the Aggies return a one-two punch with seniors Mallory Talbert and London Austin-Roark. Both known for their versatility on defense and impressive attacking abilities on the offensive side, Talbert and Austin-Roark look to see continued success at the middle blocker position. In addition, Woodbridge, Virginia, native Madison Bowser returns for her redshirt sophomore season.
On the pins, Kuhn returns two high-volume hitters with juniors Lauren Davis and Morgan Christon. The McKinney, Texas, native Christon made the most of her 12 appearances last season, booking a team-best 3.59 kills per set, also finishing third on the team in overall kills. Davis, a native of Orlando, Florida, appeared in all 18 matches and finished with a team-high 170 kills in 2020. The Aggies will also see Hecht, senior Camryn Ennis and junior opposite hitter Treyaunna Rush all return to Reed Arena this year.
On the back row, the squad welcomes back four returning players, with seniors Taylor Voss and Allison Fields, junior Sabrina Sustala and sophomore Erica Lowery. Sustala, a native of Cypress, Texas, proved to be one of Kuhn’s most prolific defenders after compiling a team-high 170 digs in the shortened 2020 season. The Cypress Ranch product finished second on the team with 2.50 digs per set, leading all returning defensive specialists.
We have had an awesome two weeks of practice, and we're so excited to get our season started on the road in Hawaii. We learned a lot from last season, and we're really going to take the momentum we've developed and continue to work together as a team.Camille Conner, Fifth Year Setter
NEWCOMERS (Six Overall, Four Freshmen, Two Transfers)
Out of the transfer portal, Kuhn added two players that look to make an immediate impact at key positions. Junior outside hitter and North Carolina transfer Destiny Cox will join the Aggies on the court for the first time in 2021 after transferring following the fall 2020 semester. The Chapel Hill, North Carolina, native appeared in all eight matches for the Tar Heels in the fall and averaged 2.59 kills per set with 24 blocks. Fifth-year libero/defensive specialist Macy Carrabine arrives in the Brazos Valley following a four-year career with the Denver Pioneers. The Indianapolis, Indiana, native finished her career at Denver ranked third all-time in digs per set (3.44), fifth all-time in digs (1,149) and holds the Pioneers’ three-set dig record with 27.
Finally, the Aggies will welcome a recruiting class of four student-athletes into the fray at Reed Arena, with setters Nisa Buzlutepe and Lauren Tam, defensive specialist Brooke Frazier and outside hitter Faye Wilbricht. Frazier, a native of The Woodlands, Texas, was an early enrollee with the team and began practicing during the spring portion of the 2020-21 season. All four will be immediately eligible to compete for the program this fall.
LOOKING AHEAD
Texas A&M will begin its 47th competitive season in 2021 with a trip to the Aloha State, as the Aggies will take part in the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic, squaring off against Marquette, Fairfield and host-Hawaii. The Aggies will open their 13th year inside the friendly confines of Reed Arena against the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders on Sept. 6 before hosting the Texas A&M Invitational on Sept. 10-11. The final non-conference match of the 2021 regular season will also be the most consequential, as A&M hosts the archrival and soon-to-be SEC rival Texas Longhorns inside Reed Arena on Sept. 17.
The Maroon & White celebrate their 10th anniversary as a member of the Southeastern Conference in 2021, with an 18-match conference slate that features nine matches in Aggieland. A&M will host South Carolina, Ole Miss and Arkansas once, with back-to-back matchups against Georgia, Auburn and Missouri. The Aggies will travel to Alabama, Florida and LSU for single match battles and square off in back-to-backs with Tennessee, Mississippi State and Kentucky.
We're excited about the season. This first week and a half of preseason practices have been so fun having everyone back together. The energy and the vibes with this team have been special. Obviously, we have things to clean up right now, but I think as we progress and start competing, things will fall into place. Our expectations are to maintain our standards and keep trusting the process.Laura "Bird" Kuhn, Head Coach
UP NEXT
Texas A&M volleyball opens its doors to the public for the first time on Friday, August 20 at 6 p.m., as the Aggies welcome the Baylor Bears to Reed Arena for an exhibition match one week before the start of the regular season. Admission to the match is free, and seats will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.
