A&M's best start since 2011 continues as Morrison & Co. beat UNI, 3-1
On Thursday night, Texas A&M volleyball started its road trip in a big way.
The Aggies took on the Northern Iowa Panthers, a team playing their home opener 10 games into the 2024 season, and won for the eighth straight time, 3-1 (25-22, 21-25, 30-28, 25-13).
It was a feisty first set, with plenty of points being scored all over the court. The Maroon & White jumped out to a 7-3 lead, with junior outside hitter Emily Hellmuth and junior opposite Logan Lednicky each grabbing a kill.
It was after this, however, the Panthers pulled it together and eventually stormed back to make it 12-12. Neither team had more than a one-point advantage until A&M took a 21-19 lead. The Aggies held off the comeback from the Panthers and won the set, 25-22.
Lednicky finished the set with a team-high five kills, and the Aggies had 40 total attacks to get the win.
In a shocking turn of events, UNI did what many teams have struggled to do this season: take a set against A&M.
The Panthers had a .367 hitting percentage in the second, and even though the Aggies held a 12-10 lead midway through, UNI was able to go on a run and take it 25-21.
While the Aggie offense shot well at a .317 percentage, they also had three service errors and six attack errors, as they played sloppy in the second.
The third frame was a highly competitive display of volleyball, as the Aggies fought tooth and nail to take it 30-28.
A&M faced an 11-4 deficit, but they were able to claw back into it thanks to Hellmuth, who at one point ripped off four straight kills. Soon after, both teams committed a slew of errors that left it at a score of 20-18 in favor of UNI.
After junior opposite hitter Cassidy Hartman of UNI gathered a few kills of her own, the Panthers had it at set point before A&M head coach Jamie Morrison called timeout, and the rest is history. The Aggies went on a 6-4 run to close out the set 30-28, with Lednicky scoring a staggering four kills in extra points to will the Maroon & White to victory.
In the fourth and final stanza, it was a blowout in favor of the Aggies, who won it 25-14. Junior middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla got it started for A&M with a pair of kills, and it was all downhill for UNI from that point.
The Aggies scored 17 of their 25 points off of kills and had a .464 hitting percentage, along with seven blocks. The team was dominant in every phase during the final set of play.
"The aim coming into the match was trying to pick our opponents apart," Morrison said. "I'm really happy with how we were able to find a way to turn the match in that third set, and it changed the vibe of the whole place for the fourth."
Cos-Okpalla was a significant difference-maker in the game, collecting 10 kills, 20 total attacks and nine total blocks. The Aggies had four players with double-digit blocks and five with at least three block assists, as the team got it done on both ends of the floor tonight.
"Our team is so balanced, which makes life so much easier for each individual on the court," Hellmuth said. "I know if I come in and I'm not getting set, it's OK because we have so many weapons. It also opens us all up and lets us play free out there."
Looking ahead, A&M will be on its way to Madison, Wisconsin, where the Aggies face off against the Wisconsin Badgers, who are currently ranked No. 7 in the country.
The Badgers will be the first ranked opponent the Aggies have faced this year in their biggest 2025 matchup to date.
First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 21.
