Texas A&M Volleyball
Aggie volleyball completes massive comeback to beat Florida, 3-2
For any collegiate athletic program, Senior Day is a special time. It's a time to thank the players that have put incredible amounts of hard work into their craft for their time and dedication to a university.
In Aggieland, they do it with style.
It wasn't all roses, but #25 Texas A&M (21-6, 14-2 SEC) got a monumental win on Sunday, beating the #14 Florida Gators (21-6, 13-5 SEC), 3-2, and extending its winning streak to 12 matches.
The first two sets were frustrating for the girls in maroon and white. Florida jumped out to early leads in both and steadily pulled away for victories in both frames, 25-20 and 25-19, respectively.
In a hole for the first time in months, Texas A&M responded in what seems like the only way know how at this point in the season. They came back and won.
After going into the locker room at halftime, it was the Aggies who took the early lead in the third set, an obvious and immediate difference from the first two. The Ags led by as many as three in the early-going, but Florida came back to tie an take the lead late in the frame, 20-17.
As bleak as it looked, Texas A&M never gave in.
"We had nothing to lose at that point," head coach Laurie Corbelli said. "The team was saying that themselves in the locker room. We didn't change anything. We just kept getting a little bit better at what we do."
It seems that improvement happened at the right time as the Aggies reeled off four consecutive points to take the lead, 21-20. Six points later, senior captain Shelby Sullivan came up with a block, and Texas A&M took the third set, 25-22.
The Aggies got to breathe a little easier in the fourth set after taking a 14-10 lead around the midway point. Thanks to some beautiful passing by sophomore Stephanie Aiple, Texas A&M had a comfortable lead for most of the set en route to a victory, 25-22, that tied the match.
Though it was Senior Day, a freshman and a sophomore were the highlights of the pivotal fifth set. Behind newcomer Katelyn Blake and powerful hitter Kiara McGee, Texas A&M put the pressure on the Gators, racing out to an early lead and maintaining it to close out the comeback, 15-11.
"They wanted to win this for (the seniors, Shelby Sullivan and Angela Lowak)," Corbelli said of Blake and McGee. "They don't want them to leave. It's just a really tight-knit group. It was a really emotional match for them. They just care a lot about them and know the value they bring to our team."
"It was just a great team performance, one of the best team performances I've ever coached -- not only because we came back but because we kept getting better," Corbelli continued.
Texas A&M only has two matches left before NCAA play begins, but the road tests hold importance beyond stretching out the winning streak. Against Missouri on Wednesday and Arkansas on Sunday, the Aggies have a chance to lock up their first SEC title.
They'll probably handle those contests as they've dealt with everything during this run -- with style.
In Aggieland, they do it with style.
It wasn't all roses, but #25 Texas A&M (21-6, 14-2 SEC) got a monumental win on Sunday, beating the #14 Florida Gators (21-6, 13-5 SEC), 3-2, and extending its winning streak to 12 matches.
The first two sets were frustrating for the girls in maroon and white. Florida jumped out to early leads in both and steadily pulled away for victories in both frames, 25-20 and 25-19, respectively.
In a hole for the first time in months, Texas A&M responded in what seems like the only way know how at this point in the season. They came back and won.
After going into the locker room at halftime, it was the Aggies who took the early lead in the third set, an obvious and immediate difference from the first two. The Ags led by as many as three in the early-going, but Florida came back to tie an take the lead late in the frame, 20-17.
As bleak as it looked, Texas A&M never gave in.
"We had nothing to lose at that point," head coach Laurie Corbelli said. "The team was saying that themselves in the locker room. We didn't change anything. We just kept getting a little bit better at what we do."
It seems that improvement happened at the right time as the Aggies reeled off four consecutive points to take the lead, 21-20. Six points later, senior captain Shelby Sullivan came up with a block, and Texas A&M took the third set, 25-22.
The Aggies got to breathe a little easier in the fourth set after taking a 14-10 lead around the midway point. Thanks to some beautiful passing by sophomore Stephanie Aiple, Texas A&M had a comfortable lead for most of the set en route to a victory, 25-22, that tied the match.
Though it was Senior Day, a freshman and a sophomore were the highlights of the pivotal fifth set. Behind newcomer Katelyn Blake and powerful hitter Kiara McGee, Texas A&M put the pressure on the Gators, racing out to an early lead and maintaining it to close out the comeback, 15-11.
"They wanted to win this for (the seniors, Shelby Sullivan and Angela Lowak)," Corbelli said of Blake and McGee. "They don't want them to leave. It's just a really tight-knit group. It was a really emotional match for them. They just care a lot about them and know the value they bring to our team."
"It was just a great team performance, one of the best team performances I've ever coached -- not only because we came back but because we kept getting better," Corbelli continued.
Texas A&M only has two matches left before NCAA play begins, but the road tests hold importance beyond stretching out the winning streak. Against Missouri on Wednesday and Arkansas on Sunday, the Aggies have a chance to lock up their first SEC title.
They'll probably handle those contests as they've dealt with everything during this run -- with style.
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