Jamie Morrison's undefeated Aggies face three-match road swing

At 7-0 on the year, Texas A&M is the last undefeated team in the SEC, and with conference play just around the corner, the Aggies hit the road for Iowa and Wisconsin this week. On Tuesday, head coach Jamie Morrison joined TexAgs Live to discuss the latest with his volleyball program.

Key notes from Jamie Morrison interview

• I think there were some matches early last year where we had to have a huge comeback, and New Hampshire was the same way this weekend. I think everyone looks at the record and not what goes into it. It hasn't been all fun and games, but it's nice to be 7-0. I think that is a testament to the consistency we have been paying with.
   
• We have had that exact conversation actually about teaching and coaching after wins. One of my mentors said, "We can learn through history, heartbreak or trust." You can learn through the heartbreak of dropping that match. You can learn through the history of other people's mistakes. You can learn through the trust that your coach knows what they're talking about.
   
• We head off and play Northern Iowa on Thursday, and they are a really good volleyball team. They finished in the top-30-40 last year and were in the NCAA Tournament. They are a good test. Then, we head to Wisconsin. I have had this on the books since last year. One of my goals is to build a brand around our program. We are taking some administration to see what we can learn from their program. I am excited to take on a really good volleyball team in Wisconsin. Then, we wrap up the non-conference with Troy on Sunday and prepare for SEC play.
   
• A lot of things are clicking right now. We are a lot better. We will always be fine-tuning. That is a daily process.
   
• This week, there will be a lot of travel. We will be on the road for five days, which is abnormal. We will practice today and take off tomorrow. We head to Northern Iowa, first and will play them. Then we will bus to Wisconsin and play two matches there, one on Saturday and then on Sunday. I think it is a good test to see if we can make small tweaks on gameday or in practice. It is a cool challenge.
   
• I was unhappy that we went five sets with New Hampshire, but there is a positive about getting that load and stress. We have been through that now. There is a physical and mental piece to the grind that is coming in SEC play. It is only two matches a week, but it is two pretty intense matches.
   
• We are not necessarily young, but we are a lot of people who have not seen SEC play. We have some transfers, but they haven't seen some of these SEC crowds. They have never been to some of these places, but we have a pretty veteran group that is playing at a steady level right now.
   
• We talk a lot about the superpowers that every team and athlete has. We want to strengthen them as the season goes on. We also try to fill holes and weaknesses. We are trying to become robust volleyball athletes who can do every skill at a high level. It's a mix of strengthening your superpowers, filling in your weaknesses and then the years-long pursuit of mastery.
   
• Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and I had a talk against New Hampshire. She has been playing so well and hitting .580 or something like that going into the weekend. I thought teams intentionally tried to take her away, and she is still putting up numbers that warrant weekly honors. I think people recognize how good she is and are trying to take her away now.
   
• The three littles that we have are the backbone of this team. Cos-Okpalla wouldn't have the numbers that she has if we weren't passing well. We wouldn't be able to get her the ball. I think their teammates appreciate them, but they don't feel as appreciated as they should. It's like linemen in football. It may not be the most glamorous position, but it is one of those things that sets up everything around it.
   
• We are better than we were, but we are still an underdog in the SEC. We still have to prove ourselves night in and night out. We have to practice and grind that way. We haven't established ourselves enough to not be an underdog in the SEC. I enjoy playing with a chip on my shoulder and being an underdog.