Saturday, September 14
Bryan-College Station
5:00 PM
Texas A&M
6-0,0-0SEC
3
vs
2
UNH
4-4,0-0America East
1
2
3
4
5
F
New Hampshire
19
16
25
25
14
2
Texas A&M
25
25
23
22
16
3
Aggies Outlast UNH in Five-Set Thriller for Sixth-Straight Win
Sep 14, 2024 | Volleyball
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – The Aggie volleyball team outlasted UNH in a five-set thriller on the second day of the Texas A&M Invitational Saturday night at Reed Arena, 3-2 (25-19, 25-16, 23-25, 22-25, 16-14).
The Aggies (6-0) battled adversity in a down-to-the-wire final set, behind a standout performance from Tatum Thomas at the service line. The Chandler, Arizona native spearheaded A&M to six-straight points at the end of the match, while surviving three UNH (4-4) match points to claim the victory.
Back-and-forth volleyball ensued at the start of the match, however three-straight aces from Ava Underwood forced a four-point cushion for the Aggies (11-7). A&M held its rhythm, prompting the first timeout of the match from UNH, 17-14. The Maroon & White closed the frame with an offensive flurry (25-19), as Logan Lednicky and Taylor Humphrey logged seven and five kills, respectively, as the Aggies led after the opener, 1-0.
It was more of the same to open the second set, with A&M narrowly winning the race to 10 (10-8). The Maroon & White forged a run behind Underwood once again at the service line, as she added another ace in the Aggies 9-2 stretch, setting her new career-high at four. The momentum continued, as A&M doubled its lead in the match (25-16) behind a set-winning kill from Molly Brown, 2-0.
UNH made its move in the third set, leading 6-2 as head coach Jamie Morrison gathered his team with a timeout. The Wildcats sustained their push to the midway point in the set (14-5). The Maroon & White mounted a comeback but came up just short in the third (25-23), 2-1.
The teams traded blows in the fourth, tying the match at 12. The Wildcats strung together a run, to lead by four late in frame (19-15), as coach Morrison called a timeout to regroup his squad. UNH held its advantage and tied the match (25-22), 2-2.
A&M started slow in the deciding frame, as it trailed by four points (6-2) prompting a timeout from Coach Morrison. The break paid off, as a kill from Morgan Perkins followed by an error from the wildcats resulted in a timeout of their own. The Aggies found themselves down 14-9, leaving the Wildcats one point from victory. However, a pivotal kill from Lednicky turned the tide in favor of the Maroon & White and with the match on the line, Thomas stepped up to serve. She pinned the Wildcats back, as the Aggies struck with a block, two kills and an ace which knotted the teams at 14. A&M then clinched the match with a pair of UNH errors (16-14), sealing their 3-2 victory.
COACH'S QUOTES
Head coach Jamie Morrison on the teams' late comeback in the final set …
"We were down 14-9 and fought our way back one point at a time. It's the pressure of the fifth set. We've played one now, and we came out on top in spectacular fashion."
PLAYER'S QUOTES
Junior S Maddie Waak on the versatility of the offense …
"Everyone on the court is an option. I never have a moment where I think to not set someone. Genuinely everyone front row and back row is an option to hit."
Junior L/DS Tatum Thomas on the teams' mindset facing the deficit in the fifth set …
"We had a collective belief that it was now or never. We were able to put our foot on the gas to keep pushing and making sure we were playing together as a whole."
STAT LEADERS
Kills – Logan Lednicky – 18
Hitting Percentage (Min. 10 kills) – Morgan Perkins – .526
Assists – Maddie Waak – 58
Aces – Ava Underwood - 4
Digs – Ellee Stinson - 13
Blocks – Ifenna Cos-Okpalla – 6
UP NEXT
The Maroon & White return to Reed Arena tomorrow for the final day of the Texas A&M Invitational, where they face Louisiana with first serve set for 2 p.m.
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
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, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.
The Aggies (6-0) battled adversity in a down-to-the-wire final set, behind a standout performance from Tatum Thomas at the service line. The Chandler, Arizona native spearheaded A&M to six-straight points at the end of the match, while surviving three UNH (4-4) match points to claim the victory.
Back-and-forth volleyball ensued at the start of the match, however three-straight aces from Ava Underwood forced a four-point cushion for the Aggies (11-7). A&M held its rhythm, prompting the first timeout of the match from UNH, 17-14. The Maroon & White closed the frame with an offensive flurry (25-19), as Logan Lednicky and Taylor Humphrey logged seven and five kills, respectively, as the Aggies led after the opener, 1-0.
It was more of the same to open the second set, with A&M narrowly winning the race to 10 (10-8). The Maroon & White forged a run behind Underwood once again at the service line, as she added another ace in the Aggies 9-2 stretch, setting her new career-high at four. The momentum continued, as A&M doubled its lead in the match (25-16) behind a set-winning kill from Molly Brown, 2-0.
UNH made its move in the third set, leading 6-2 as head coach Jamie Morrison gathered his team with a timeout. The Wildcats sustained their push to the midway point in the set (14-5). The Maroon & White mounted a comeback but came up just short in the third (25-23), 2-1.
The teams traded blows in the fourth, tying the match at 12. The Wildcats strung together a run, to lead by four late in frame (19-15), as coach Morrison called a timeout to regroup his squad. UNH held its advantage and tied the match (25-22), 2-2.
A&M started slow in the deciding frame, as it trailed by four points (6-2) prompting a timeout from Coach Morrison. The break paid off, as a kill from Morgan Perkins followed by an error from the wildcats resulted in a timeout of their own. The Aggies found themselves down 14-9, leaving the Wildcats one point from victory. However, a pivotal kill from Lednicky turned the tide in favor of the Maroon & White and with the match on the line, Thomas stepped up to serve. She pinned the Wildcats back, as the Aggies struck with a block, two kills and an ace which knotted the teams at 14. A&M then clinched the match with a pair of UNH errors (16-14), sealing their 3-2 victory.
COACH'S QUOTES
Head coach Jamie Morrison on the teams' late comeback in the final set …
"We were down 14-9 and fought our way back one point at a time. It's the pressure of the fifth set. We've played one now, and we came out on top in spectacular fashion."
PLAYER'S QUOTES
Junior S Maddie Waak on the versatility of the offense …
"Everyone on the court is an option. I never have a moment where I think to not set someone. Genuinely everyone front row and back row is an option to hit."
Junior L/DS Tatum Thomas on the teams' mindset facing the deficit in the fifth set …
"We had a collective belief that it was now or never. We were able to put our foot on the gas to keep pushing and making sure we were playing together as a whole."
STAT LEADERS
Kills – Logan Lednicky – 18
Hitting Percentage (Min. 10 kills) – Morgan Perkins – .526
Assists – Maddie Waak – 58
Aces – Ava Underwood - 4
Digs – Ellee Stinson - 13
Blocks – Ifenna Cos-Okpalla – 6
UP NEXT
The Maroon & White return to Reed Arena tomorrow for the final day of the Texas A&M Invitational, where they face Louisiana with first serve set for 2 p.m.
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
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, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.
Team Stats
UNH
AM
Kills
43
67
Errors
26
34
Attempts
139
160
Hitting %
.122
.206
Points
60.0
85.0
Assists
42
61
Aces
5
9
Blocks
12
9
Game Leaders
Kills
18
Aces
1
Blocks
5
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
MB
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballOPP
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballMedia Availability: Jamie Morrison
Monday, December 22
Media Availability: Logan Lednicky
Monday, December 22
Media Availability: Ifenna Cos-Okpalla
Monday, December 22
NCAA Championship Postgame: Morrison, Cos-Okpalla, Lednicky, Stowers
Sunday, December 21
