Texas A&M volleyball falls to No. 22 Houston in four sets

Texas A&M volleyball lost their first top-25 matchup against No. 22 Houston on Wednesday in four sets.

The Aggies were not able to gain momentum and struggled with offensive production due to a majority of the first and second sets being out of system for the Maroon & White. 

“I actually felt the second set we settled in,” head coach Jamie Morrison said. “I’ve got to go back and watch the match, but I think our offense got better in the third and fourth set, but I think based on the way we pass and credit to our passers, we can be better.”

The Cougars were dominant on every front, downing the Aggie offense to hit at a .105 clip, which is a season-low for the ladies in Maroon & White. In addition, typical offensive leaders Logan Lednicky, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and Caroline Meuth were collectively held to under 10 kills for the match. 

The first set showcased a fast Cougar offense and an Aggie defense that could not catch up. Team captain and libero Lauren Hogan committed two return errors, which prevented the Aggies from producing a demanding offense like they have in past games. 

Abbie Jackson, an outside hitter for the Cougars, was dominant the entire set and was successful in shutting down the Maroon & White in every aspect of the game. The Cougars took set one in dominant fashion, 25-12. 

Set two saw a change in liberos for the Aggies. Ava Underwood, who has not started in a game all season, stepped onto the court and immediately made a difference for the Aggies' defensive effort. 

Despite Underwood's efforts, the Aggies were still unable to top the Cougars’ quick offense. Set two ended in familiar fashion as A&M fell 25-13. 

In the third set, the Aggies' defense found a comfortable groove which consequently made the offense start clicking.

Collectively, the ladies in Maroon & White hit a .452 clip, which was higher than their average hitting percentage throughout the match. The team also totaled 14 kills, 12 digs and one ace. 

“I think us taking control of rallies, like if we aren’t going to get a kill we’ve got to cause some trouble on their side,” Morrison said. ”I think we did a better job of that in the third set, in which on both sides of the ball we got some kills, and on the flip side they weren’t as efficient.” 

Thanks to all aspects of the game coming together, the Aggies were able to clinch the third-set victory, 25-21. 

Although the Aggies pushed back, the fourth set was ultimately controlled by the Cougars until the end. The offense was once again unable to produce thanks to an unproductive defensive effort.

Texas A&M dropped their final set 25-18 and tallied their second loss of the season. 

The Aggies return to Reed Arena on Friday, September 15 to take on Liberty at 12 p.m.