No. 16 Texas A&M closes non-conference play by sweeping Rice

Match #12: No. 16 Texas A&M 3, Rice 0
S1: A&M, 25-22; S2: A&M 25-12, S3: A&M, 25-19
Records: Texas A&M (7-5, 0-0), Rice (6-6, 0-0)
Box Score

On Tuesday night, No. 16 Texas A&M swept Rice in front of the 12th Man at Reed Arena to close out non-conference play.

The Aggies were missing two familiar faces from the starting lineup as Eliza Sharp and Kaia Castle were unable to compete.

In their absence, freshman Lolufe Adedeji returned to the starting lineup after her debut in the third and fourth sets against Creighton on Sunday.

“My teammates having my back and supporting me from the bench got me through all three sets tonight,” Adedeji said. “I think everyone shows how hard we work and that’s what makes us special.”

What makes Adedeji even more impressive as a newcomer is that she couldn't graduate a semester early like the other freshmen. Her progression makes the difficult transition from high school ball to Division I play seem smooth.

Danny Grant, TexAgs

In her second career game, Lolufe Adedeji recorded eight kills and four blocks with a lone error.

“Getting in the gym in May and having those who were here help me out, I feel like it really formed that sense of community that we have on this team,” Adedeji said.

Additionally, sophomore Djurdja Stanojevic also saw an opportunity to step in for the rest of the missing front row.

This home match highlighted significant bench depth and a bright look for the future of A&M volleyball, with six of seven players on the court being underclassmen.

The squad hit an impressive .311 with a group the Reed Arena crowd isn’t used to seeing.

“People only see the nine players that are on the floor.” A&M head coach Jamie Morrison said. “They don’t see the other people that are sitting behind them.”

The Owls were led by sophomore outside hitter Sydnee Peterson, who came into the match with a team-high 146 kills.

Talent runs in the Peterson family as Sydnee’s younger sister, No. 1 player in the class of 2027 and A&M commit Sophee Peterson, will head to Aggieland this spring to play for the Maroon & White.

A&M struggled to find rhythm in the first set with an entirely new, unexpected rotation. Players who often don’t play together had to build trust with little practice the week prior. Despite a few communication errors, A&M took the first set 25-22.

Danny Grant, TexAgs

Taryn Morris hit at a .304 clip on Tuesday night, adding 10 kills and four total blocks.

The Aggies saw success in sophomore opposite hitter Taryn Morris, who reached 100 career kills during the first set. Complementing her offensive dominance, Morris also stopped four swings off her block.

Sophomore Addi Applegate also couldn't compete tonight, leaving Morris as a six-rotation opposite hitter and right back defender. Kirra Musgrove saw this as an opportunity to utilize Morris on the backrow attack, leaving the Rice defense on their toes.

“I think it’s super cool that I can trust any hitter out on the floor at any time,” Musgrove said.

Morris stood in this new rotation with confidence. As an opposite who typically doesn’t see the back row, Morris knew she was a target yet didn’t allow points scored on her. She showed the attributes of a truly versatile pin hitter and recorded nine digs in the match.

“The back row attack was something we finally pulled out of the toolbox,” Morrison said. “For Taryn’s first-time playing back row during a match, I thought she lit it up.”

A&M wasn't going to give Rice another close set. The Aggies began the second set with a 10-point lead and ran with it, defeating the Owls 25-12.

“We started firing on all cylinders,” Morrison said. “We were taking care of the ball, making Kirra’s life easier. Running our offense, we had 15 transition kills in the second set. That’s impressive.”

Megan Fitch had herself a night hitting .474 and accumulating 11 digs. The second set was kill after kill on the left side of the court.

Fitch was a huge contributor to the offensive fire in set two. A&M tallied 19 kills vs. Rice’s five.

“I’m prepared for this,” Fitch said. “Playing the same and consistent all the time.”

Gabi Rodriguez is the essential reason the Owls had a low kill count and very low hitting percentage this match. Rodriguez recently became the fastest freshman to 100 digs in program history, and her performance on Tuesday backed it up.

The Aggies claimed the third and final set of the night, 25-19. Once again, they completely outplayed Rice’s offense, scoring 19 kills as a team to seven.

“I think we’re at a great spot going into conference tonight,” Kyndal Stowers said. “We have this experience that we can rely on anyone at any given point in time.”

A&M comes out of the non-conference with high spirits, ready to open Southeastern Conference play at Reed Arena against South Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 2:30 p.m. CT.