Aggies sweep Gamecocks, will carry four-game heater into tourney
An ideal finale for the Maroon & White.
Texas A&M volleyball was in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday afternoon for its final match of the 2024 regular season against the Gamecocks.
Last weekend, the team took a pair of games against Georgia and LSU, putting them on a three-game win streak coming into this game. The Aggies looked to end the regular season on a positive note by extending that streak to four against a quality opponent.
A&M was successful in this endeavor, as the Aggies defeated South Carolina with a 3-0 sweep (25-21, 25-22, 25-21).
The Aggies finish the 2024 regular season with a 19-7 record and a 10-6 SEC mark.
It was a slow burn in the leadoff set, with the Gamecocks leading 8-5 to get things started. Then the Aggies then took control with a 12-10 lead.
Kills from junior middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and junior outside hitter Emily Hellmuth propelled the Aggies to a lead. Still, the team was also causing self-inflicted wounds with seven errors by their 12th point.
It was tied 14-14 all when junior opposite Logan Lednicky notched a kill that made it 15-14. A&M did not relinquish their advantage after that and sealed the opening set, 25-21.
Just like the first set, South Carolina began the second stanza with an 8-5 lead to get it underway. That lead eventually became a 13-10 one for the Gamecocks, but the Aggies again tied it, this time at 16-16.
A&M then went on a fast 4-1 run to go up 21-18, with South Carolina committing more costly errors. Lednicky and Cos-Okpalla added more kills, and Lednicky was responsible for the set-clinching point to win it 25-22 for the Maroon & White.
“Quality of volleyball. We look at every touch and can we upgrade the touch and influence the next one as much as possible,” head coach Jamie Morrison said. “I think defensively, we’ve been on the money and then making smart decisions from there.”
In the third set, it was the Aggies coming out firing to start, and they led 10-5 with kills via Lednicky, Cos-Okpalla and Hellmuth. That advantage became 16-11, but the Gamecocks cut the lead to three with back-to-back aces. South Carolina had momentum, and they turned that momentum into an 18-18 deadlock.
However, A&M showed resilience as they had all game long. A quick 3-0 run made it 21-18, thanks to two more South Carolina errors and another Hellmuth kill. The Ags kept their pressure on despite a fight from the Gamecocks, and a kill from junior outside hitter Taylor Humphrey won it 25-21 for the 3-0 A&M sweep.
The win ends a very successful 2024 regular season for the Aggies. It is the first time since 2019 that the team has won 19 overall games and 10 conference games.
“This win feels great,” Morrison said. “I think we’re saving our volleyball for the end of the year, and that’s a really good sign heading into the NCAA Tournament.”
Now, A&M will await where they land for the tournament on Selection Sunday.