Match #16: No. 9 Texas A&M 3, Mississippi State 0
S1: A&M, 25-18; S2: A&M, 25-18; S3: A&M, 26-24
Records: Texas A&M (13-3, 5-1), Mississippi State (13-3, 3-3)
Box Score
Back to business as usual.
No. 9 Texas A&M bounced back with a sweep against Mississippi State on Sunday afternoon in Starkville, 3-0.
The Aggies dominated in the first two sets, but the Bulldogs put up a fight to create a very close final frame as A&M improved to 5-1 in SEC play.
Leading the offense was senior All-American Logan Lednicky with 15 kills. Freshman outside hitter Megan Fitch made a huge impact, as she had 12 kills and two aces.
Reigning SEC Player of the Week Ifenna Cos-Okpalla displayed her ability to make an impact on both offense and defense, as she had five kills and five blocks.
The Aggies came out with hunger and a hot 7-3 start to the opening set, as they bounced back from Wednesday’s loss and played like the top-10 team that they are.
Mississippi State showed fight, but it was not a match for the Aggies’ dominance. A kill from Emily Hellmuth put A&M up 20-12, sending the Bulldogs into a timeout.
A small run from Mississippi State narrowed the gap, but the visiting Maroon & White came out on top, 25-18.
Fitch got the start on the outside and immediately made an impact, as she led the team with five kills in the opener.
The second stanza was much like the first as the Aggies continued in their dominance, fueled by kills from Fitch, Lednicky and Hellmuth.
Late in the set, a three-point scoring run from the Bulldogs cut into A&M’s lead and caused head coach Jamie Morrison to call a timeout.
After taking a moment to regroup, the Aggies bounced back to win the second set 25-18.
Mississippi State came out with a new level of fight in the third as the Bulldogs started off on a 3-0 run, which then built momentum that turned into an 8-5 lead and forced an Aggie timeout.
The Bulldogs continued to find success by switching up shots and tipping into the holes. Outside hitter Lindsey Mangelson, State’s go-to hitter, led with 11 kills and quickly became a problem for the Aggies.
A&M fought back to tie the score multiple times late in the third. Tied at 22-22, a block from Mississippi State caused an A&M timeout, as the Aggies tried to regroup and slow down the Bulldogs’ momentum.
It worked.
Lednicky came out hot with a fiery kill that tied the match 23-23, but a service error gave Mississippi State set point. The Bulldogs returned the favor with a service error for a 24-24 tie.
A kill from Fitch gave the Aggies match point, and an error from the Bulldogs gave A&M the third set and the match, 26-24.
Sunday marked Morrison’s 50th win as A&M’s head coach, and his impact is reflected as they improve to 5-1 in conference and 13-3 overall.
The Aggies will return to Reed Area on Friday, Oct. 17, as they take on Oklahoma at 6:30 p.m. CT.
