Aggie volleyball sweeps Sam Houston State in season opener, 3-0
Texas A&M swept Sam Houston State, 3-0, in Friday night’s season opening match at Reed Arena.
Kiara McGee led the Aggies in kills with 14, freshman setter Camille Conner notched 32 assists to go along with nine kills and Amy Nettles recorded a game-high 12 digs.
“We came really prepared to just play Aggie volleyball,” A&M head coach Laurie Corbelli said after the match. “We upped the intensity and quite a few other things after the scrimmage at TCU (last Saturday).”
The Aggies (1-0) jumped ahead of the Bearkats in the first set by scoring the first four points of the match and never looked back. A&M never trailed in the set, and even though Sam Houston State closed the gap to three at one point, Conner and fellow freshman Makena Patterson collected on back-to-back kills to win the first set, 25-20.
Sam Houston State scored the first point of the second set, but that ultimately marked the only time the Aggies trailed in the match as they quickly responded with seven of the next eight points on their way to a 2-0 advantage.
Conner, who took over at setter after Stephanie Aiple had to forego her senior season due to a back injury, did not miss a beat entering the starting lineup.She dished out 13 assists in the first set and also chipped in four kills without an error.
“There were definitely a lot of nerves coming in during warmups because it was my first time playing,” said Conner.
“My teammates helped me get adjusted from the very beginning, so once we got into the game, the nerves starting to go away.”
Corbelli was very happy with the way Conner played in her collegiate debut.
“I had zero hesitation putting Camille on the floor,” Corbelli said. “She’s got the composure of a senior, she’s got the steadiness, the confidence — everything that comes from her is just so together. I trust her completely. She isn’t afraid to make an error and is willing to go for it every single rally. I absolutely love having her on the team.”
The Bearkats (0-1) did not go down without a fight in the third set and scored four consecutive points to cut the Aggies’ lead to 23-22, but Conner snuck in a kill to get it to match point. Hollann Hans crushed an ace to cap off the sweep.
Texas A&M will return to the court Saturday to play Virginia Commonwealth at 6:30 p.m.
