Morrison & Co. end slide with commanding sweep of Alabama
Entering the final weeks of conference play, Texas A&M rolled Alabama in straight sets on Friday night at Reed Arena (25-20, 25-15, 25-18).
Hundreds of chef hats dotted the stands as the 12th Man came to watch what head coach Jamie Morrison was cooking up for this week.
They weren't disappointed to find out it was a feast.
Returning home after falling to top-15 Tennessee, the Aggies showed up and showed out to end a three-game losing streak and regain momentum.
“We talked about what it meant to be on the court and what that should look like,” Morrison said. “I thought the girls did a really good job with that, and I'm happy [the effort shown on the court] was seen from the outside world.”
Caroline Meuth earned the first ball kill to start set one for the Aggies.
The A&M arsenal was the dominating force as no front-row hitter was left unused. The Maroon & White appeared as if they had found their second wind, leaning steadily on the communication that proved so vital in the first half of the season.
Logan Lednicky and Meuth drilled the line while Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and Bianna Muoneke put up dominant blocks. Morgan Perkins held firm in the middle, running off of the fast sets from Margot Manning.
Lednicky ultimately finished set one off with a kill, 25-20.
Set two began much like the first as Lednicky came out of the gate swinging, earning the first ball kill once again for A&M. The Aggies were keen on using Alabama's blocking to their advantage as they tooled away for points.
Manning earned an ace to keep spirits high. The Aggies played particularly scrappy defense in front of the 10-foot line, picking up ‘Bama tips and blocking lights out.
“Our volleyball IQ was super high this week,” Muoneke said. “Every little split we crushed a ball in it. We were reading really well on defense. It’s really important because the SEC is a very difficult conference, so if we can be smart with our plays, we will continue to do really good.”
Nisa Buzlutepe controlled the service line, picking up two aces of her own to pave the way for Meuth to end the set with a kill, 25-15.
Continuing the trend, Perkins nabbed the first ball kill for set three, establishing the tone for the rest of the match.
Lednicky and Muoneke powered through blocks, but as the Tide found a few holes over A&M, they tied the set at 15-15.
However, the tie didn’t last very long. The Aggie offense packed fire and once again took the lead.
In a moment easily mistaken for déjà vu, Buzlutepe stepped up to the service line and aced the Aggies into a three-set sweep as the third stanza ended 25-18.
Getting back on track, the Aggies now turn their attention to No. 24 Auburn this Sunday.
“Auburn is a really good team, they are a ranked opponent,” Muoneke said. “We need to come in with intensity and fight. We have to push and treat them like any other opponent. Work hard and reflect on the last three games that we lost to bounce back."
Sunday’s match is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.