Match #3: No. 8 Texas A&M 3, Grand Canyon 1
S1: A&M, 25-15; S2: A&M, 25-17; S3: GCU, 25-15; S4: A&M, 25-13
Records: Texas A&M (1-2, 0-0), Grand Canyon (0-1, 0-0)
Box Score
Match #4: No. 8 Texas A&M 3, Arkansas State 0
S1: A&M, 25-15; S2: A&M, 25-16; S3: A&M, 25-18
Records: Texas A&M (2-2, 0-0), Arkansas State (0-1, 0-0)
Box Score
Sprinkles from the sky during Aggieland summers are a cause for celebration.
Yet, as it drizzled outside Reed Arena, 6,278 — the fourth-largest crowd in program history — gathered inside to celebrate the reign.
On an August Friday night in which Texas A&M’s national championship banner was unfurled, the eighth-ranked Aggies reined back into form with a pair of victories over Grand Canyon and Arkansas State to get back to .500 on the young season.
The Maroon & White took down GCU in four sets and swept the Red Wolves in three.
Between the festivities and the wins, nothing could rain on the parade of Aggie pride.
“Look what we've built,” head coach Jamie Morrison said. “There’s a banner hanging there that we had that accomplishment that gets to sit here for life, and that’s not something that will ever be taken down.
“To be able to have the atmosphere we had, have the banner drop, have the people here, have the crowd rocking and to be able to play the style of volleyball that we played with the emotion we played it with was amazing.”
Not even the cloud of Kyndal Stowers’ absence could overshadow the good times of past and present.
With most of the 2025 champions in attendance, the 2026 squad gained the crowd’s attention.
And while the All-American precautionarily remained sidelined with a back injury, Morrison’s Aggies proved that any early rumblings of the demise were indeed premature.
“She’s getting better and better, and she’s working her rear end off to get back on the court,” Morrison said. “It’s still day-by-day. We’re always worried about the long-term, and not just the long-term of our season but the long-term of her health.
“Until then, you can see what the whole team can do without her, and we’re gonna add that back at some point.”
Even without Stowers, A&M did what one might expect of a championship team vs. two mid-major foes:
Dominate.
Stepping up to fill the void, Megan Fitch led the way with 13 kills against the Antelopes, while Eliza Sharp’s uber-efficient .647 attacking percentage led to 12.
In the nightcap, Natalie Ring needed just three sets to rack up 13 kills on a .312 clip, while Sharp stacked 10 stuffs.
On the day as a whole, Ring put the ball down 25 times, as Fitch followed close behind with 20.
Offense is awesome, but don’t overlook the Aggie defense, which held Arkansas State to a -.010 hitting percentage.
Meanwhile, A&M hit at .270 and .293 clips, which also project to jump once the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player returns.
“We’re capable of so much, and I think it’s just gonna be really exciting to see the way that our team grows together,” Ring said. “We’ve seen the progression throughout these first four matches alone. … The way we’ve been able to find kills has just been really exciting, and I think as we continue to build this group and then when we build Kyndal back in, it’s just gonna be really cool to see what we can accomplish.”
Sticking with two-game totals, middles Kaia Castle and Sharp contributed seven and 15 blocks, while setters Kirra Musgrove and Lily Nicholson dished out 34 and 29 assists, respectively. Additionally, freshman libero Gabi Rodriguez shined in the back row during her home debut, registering 24 digs across the seven sets.
Yet the star power of the night was felt in the stands.
“It’s awesome walking out and seeing that many people coming to support our first game,” Musgrove said. “They’re loud. They’re fun. They're super engaging, and it just adds so much energy to the game and really pumps us up.”
If a 102,000-seat cathedral didn’t stand just across Wellborn Road, one might think A&M is now a volleyball school, and it’s certainly on its way.
Every “Monster Block.” Every “Suuuuuuper Spike.” Every “POINT, Aggies!”
The 12th Man is exhibiting symptoms of volleyball fever that match the triple-digit temperatures outside.
As College Station residents know all too well, a sprinkle can’t completely beat the heat.
But like a light rain, Morrison hopes it’s just a sign of what’s to come.
“We’re not done yet,” the head man said. “Winning a national championship wasn’t like, ‘period.’ It was, for me, the comma, and there’s stuff that’s going to come afterward, and it’s continuing to build. I still think it’s going to continue to get bigger. I think attendance will keep going up.
“For our program, there’s going to be more national championships in the future, and this group right now that’s in front of you can do it if we put our heads down and work in the right way for the next 13 weeks.”
He wants a deluge of dominance on the floor, a flood of fans to the seats and constant championships to celebrate.
Friday only added to his cause, and Aggieland is certainly feeling the Morrison effect.
