Ifenna Cos-Okpalla sets program record as A&M sweeps Utah State
There was an entire slate of firsts for the Maroon & White in Thursday’s home opener.
In head coach Jamie Morrison’s first official home match, the Aggies claimed their sixth-consecutive victory in front of a loud and powerful 12th Man crowd after defeating Utah State in straight sets (25-14, 25-19, 25-22).
Per usual, the students were on their feet the entire match and even scored some points for the Aggies from the sidelines.
“The 12th Man is a big reason why I took this job,” Morrison said. “Them getting here and being invested means the world to me, and I know it means the world to the team.”
Going along with the theme of impressive firsts, middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla not only broke a personal best but also a program record with 14 total blocks on the night.
The previous record for blocks was set in five sets. Cos-Okpalla managed to beat it in only three.
“Getting that many blocks is insane,” Cos-Okpalla said. “Emotions were really high. I am super proud of the work that I have put in and the team has put in. I would not have been able to do that without them.”
In the first set of the match, Margot Manning and Lauren Hogan carried A&M with scrappy defense that also combined with yet another impressive showing from the offense.
The ladies in Maroon & White got off to an early lead and maintained it throughout the entirety of the set, not letting Utah State get within reach.
To complement the impressive performance being put on by the home team, Caroline Meuth added the cherry on top with a service ace to round out the first set, 25-14.
All parts of the game came together seamlessly in the second for yet another seemingly easy victory.
Exactly half of the record-breaking total block count was obtained in the second set alone with Cos-Okpalla shutting down the Utah State offense. A&M also added 12 kills and 11 digs to its statbook.
“Cos-Okpalla is a super explosive athlete and is a great middle blocker,” Morrison said. “She has developed as an overall volleyball player. Over the last two weeks, she has had some plays where she is able to put up a hittable ball or serve and play some defense, and she is getting really good at all of the skills, not just blocking.”
Logan Lednicky, who was quiet throughout the first set, closed out the second with a kill that may have left a hole in the floor for a 25-19 victory.
The third set did not carry the same energy as the first two with Utah State obtaining an early lead against the Maroon & White — their first of the match.
“We talked in a timeout about who we wanted to be down the stretch, and I think we did a really good job at executing that,” Morrison said.
A&M’s hopes of having a sixth consecutive match with a hitting percentage over .300 slipped away, but the Aggies still managed to hold on to win their 10th consecutive set and improve to 6-0 on the young season.
The Maroon & White will continue the Texas A&M Invitational on Friday against Northern Iowa at 5:30 p.m. CT at Reed Arena.