Laurie Corbelli sizes up the 2015 Texas A&M volleyball team

Texas A&M Volleyball Coach Laurie Corbelli

On what makes this team unique from the 22 she's coached at A&M before it...

"I just think their chemistry is just awesome. That is a lot of years of coaching, and I can honestly say one thing about this team: they are really great friends off the court, and even though on the court it is a little bit of a different environment with the intensity and the expectations and all of the things they are required to do, they still manage to keep the good chemistry and a really true understanding of each other. So that's a really special thing to have."

On having returning starters at all positions...

"It allows us to start a little bit more advanced than we normally would. We have an offense in place and a defense in place and it allows us to expand on those things. It obviously allows me to have a higher expectations for all the starters. They already know the bar is set higher for their performance and their preparation, and I think overall it just lifts everyone and gives us the confidence that we have been in so many situations together — and that we will be able to persevere through a lot of things that will be going on during our season."

On the incoming freshmen and leadership from the upperclassmen...

"Our leadership is phenomenal this year with primarily the three players that have been in our program for three years already: Jazzmin Babers, Shelby Sullivan and Angela Lowak. Those three have different ways of leading, which is really really cool, and they all compliment each other in that way. The freshmen are coming in with a lot of excitement and a lot of adrenaline to get on the court. One is a foreign player from Mexico, and maybe the tallest player we have ever recruited at 6-7, and she is just getting started with us. She came to campus a little later than we could have liked, but that's the way things happened. She will make a splash probably mid-season.

"Kaitlyn Blake is a freshman and she is a middle/ right side attacker who is really fun to watch. She is phenomenal athlete. Three others are primary position players in terms of back row or some outside. We have a player Paige Panter, who is a great outdoor player in the sand and is hoping one day to play Aggie sand volleyball, but in the meantime uses her ball control skills on our indoor court and is going to be really helpful in our defense."

On the match against Stanford...

"It was a phenomenal match. I have already written the coaches at Stanford and thanked them for that opportunity and thanked them for just allowing us to get in there and compete against their squad, which is, like you said, ranked No. 2. I was disappointed just in the sense of our performance. I thought we were going to be a little more smooth and a little more competitive. We didn't really compete like I have seen my players compete and I really don't know why. It's hard to put your finger on those things as a coach.

"But we did make some recognition that night and we got to watch a lot of video, have a lot of discussion and the team certainly turned it around with a beautiful performance against Minnesota. I already have lists of 20-30 things that we can continue to work on. A lot of it is stuff that we already do work on, it is just making the team realize that they need to transfer it from a practice gym into a match and to not let the overwhelming feelings of match time and pressures get in the way of their performance. It was a huge lesson for us."

On A&M’s home opener this weekend at Reed Arena...

"Well first of all, they get to play in front of the 12th Man, which is one of the coolest things my players talk about while we are recruiting, while we are on the bus traveling, and they just really get a kick out of performing at home. That will be a lot of fun and we are hoping that a lot of people will come out and support the girls and our awesome team. We have some teams coming into this tournament that are receiving votes to be in the top 25. Maybe they aren't the USCs and the Stanfords of the world, which we have brought in the past. However, New Mexico State and Wichita State are two teams in particular that are taking top-25 teams to four or five sets. They are on the verge to getting national attention as are we, and it's going to be really awesome volleyball.

"The game is growing, the athletes are bigger and stronger than ever before. The coaching is more and more detailed and more elaborate and it's grown in so many ways. The game is just really fun to follow for the fans I hope just because of the power the girls are bringing to the court."

On the coaching dynamic between her and her husband, John...

"I do whatever he says. Well, it's interesting and there probably isn't enough time to really tell all about it. However, we are both very aware of each of our strengths. We also just have realized that it is our profession, so we both really try to keep it professional. It's really a lot of fun, especially when your team is doing really well and things are falling into place. It is very stressful when things aren't going well and you lose out on a recruit and the things that are just downers.

"We take those very hard, but over the years we have figured out a way to usually speak at night. No, I'm kidding. But usually we make it work where it is still really rewarding and what we both really want to do. I don't know if I recommend it for everyone, but there are days where I would recommend it for everyone."