Jamie Morrison pleased with his team's response down the stretch

Texas A&M volleyball has just three regular-season matches remaining, and the Aggies will celebrate Senior Day at Reed Arena on Sunday. Head coach Jamie Morrison joined TexAgs Live on Tuesday morning to preview this week's home matches vs. Georgia and LSU.

Key notes from Jamie Morrison interview

• The week prior with the losses was frustrating because I thought we were playing good volleyball. It felt like we ran into a buzzsaw against some really good teams. I was disappointed that our girls weren't getting the satisfaction of a win after playing good volleyball. It was nice to put together three really clean sets and get a statement win against Oklahoma.
   
• I have talked about how proud I am of this team. I am most happy about how we have responded to losses. It is not panic. We were dialed in and focused on what we needed to do to get better. We had the right mindset and attitude. We need to keep doing that.
   
• There are different kinds of wins. Our win over Oklahoma was definitive. Playing like that confirms that you are doing the right things at practice. It also reminds you that you're not broken. There is no other profession where success is more clearly defined than sports. You either win or lose. The difference between winning and losing can be really hard some times. We are doing the right things. We can make a run in this tournament. We have a little more confidence after that win.
   
• I don't think any coach or player calls a loss great or is happy. However, there are times when a loss can kick the team into gear.
   
• We are in a great spot. We are No. 24 or No. 25 in RPI. I wish that was a little higher. If we can sweep the last three games, we have an outside shot at hosting a game at Reed Arena. That would be huge. We are in a good spot to get into the NCAA Tournament, get a decent seed and make a run. I am excited about that.
   
• Georgia is the best four-conference win team in the SEC. Our conference is insane from top-to-bottom. You don't get a day off. I don't know if the top end of the SEC is what it has been in the past. They still might surprise people because of how battle-tested they will be.
   
• Georgia was in the preseason top 25. They were picked to finish third in the conference. I have been impressed by how hard they have been playing. They took the first set off Kentucky this past weekend. They are a good well-rounded volleyball team.
   
• We play LSU on Sunday. We lost to them in a tight five-set match in Baton Rouge. We get a chance at redemption there.
   
• We have two seniors, Molly Brown and Ellee Stinson. They are huge pieces to this team. Both of them are captains. Brown has been the backbone of this team. They add leadership and stability to our group. They grind every day. Brown has been here and has been a part of changing the culture. Stinson transferred in and will leave a lasting impact on this program. They have both had their moments throughout this year. I could not be prouder to celebrate them on Sunday.
   
• These last two years have gone by fast. It is crazy. One of the things I look forward to most is seeing where players end up beyond this. We are going to see their impact on the world. That is why we do this: To build amazing human beings.
   
• Good athletes that are good human beings build championship teams. I will push everything with all of my might to win a national championship here. It is really hard. Some people have been doing this for 25 years and have had really good teams that haven't won one. Some people have had the No. 1 team in the country 50 times that only have one or two of them. I want to make sure that I enjoy the process and have people here who will represent the university in the best way. The people we bring into our program are equally important as the athletes. I believe in my and my staff's ability to coach the game.
   
• You have to get the right athletes to find the process-driven ones. You have to ask the right questions in the recruiting process. Each recruiting process is different for each sport. Ours is starting to happen faster and faster. June 15 happens, and by June 16, hundreds of athletes verbally agree to go to a school. I like to be on the phone for a couple of hours over three to four days to really get to know them. I want them to get to know me and the university. I don't want them to get here and not know what they signed up for. I want it to be a great fit. If you ask the right questions, you can get the right answers.
   
• Most of our athletes play in club volleyball. Different qualifiers happen around the country. My staff and I spread out. Lindsey Walton is in charge of this. I call her the CEO of recruiting and she is my boss when it comes to this. The first aspect is talent identification. The second piece is calling the people around them and asking questions. Once June 15 leading into their junior year hits, we are allowed to contact them. We have a draft room like NFL teams do. We are on the phone for 18 hours, having 30 to 60-minute conversations and getting to know them as much as possible. Verbal agreements usually stay intact in our sport. Coaches typically respect verbal agreements.
   
• My role with the USA national team helps. I get to know the athletes a little bit more. My staff plays a big part in our recruiting. When you talk to our athletes, they talk about the staff a lot. Our chemistry comes across when athletes are around. We care about and love each other. The same message resonates through all of us.
   
• Addi Applegate is a libero out of Yorktown, Indiana. What stood out the most when I was watching her was how consistent she was. She is steady with the way she contacts the ball. You always know what you are going to get. She is one of the nicest people off the court. She is a loyal friend and teammate. She is a really good human being.
   
• Megan Fitch is an outside hitter coming to us from San Antonio. We value being an all-around volleyball player, and she is that. As a freshman, she can play six rotations. She has an arm. She is 6-foot-2. She adds physicality to the ball control piece that we look for. I don't think you can leave her company without being in a good mood. She is a happy human being and spreads that around.
   
• Taryn Morris is the only athlete that was not ranked. I don't know why. She started off as a little bit of a sleeper. She has a big arm. She is an opposite hitter who can play six rotations. That is pretty rare. She is very coachable. The sky is the limit for her. She is 6-foot-3. The whole class has grown, which is a plus. She will push to be on the court at some point in her first two years here.
   
• Kirra Musgrove is a 6-foot-2 setter. She was part of the U19 National team that I trained. She didn't make the final roster, but she is one of the best pure setters in the class. She can also play opposite. She is physical and can block. She has a good serve. She adds some size to the setting position.
   
• The group was ranked No. 7 in the country. They will make a big impact, whether it is their freshman year or later.
   
• We have games on Friday and Sunday. So many random people have told me that volleyball is way more exciting than they were expecting. This will probably be the last chance to see the team at Reed Arena this season. On Sunday, please support our seniors. They deserve a loud ovation when their names are announced. Please come out and support us. For your sake, this is your last chance to see a really exciting team and environment.