Match #13: No. 16 Texas A&M 3, South Carolina 0
S1: A&M, 25-14; S2: A&M, 25-14; S3: A&M, 25-18
Records: Texas A&M (8-5, 1-0), South Carolina (7-5, 0-2)
Box Score
No.16 Texas A&M swept the South Carolina Gamecocks at Reed Arena in front of the 12th Man to open Southeastern Conference play 1-0.
Graduate student outside hitter Natalie Ring did not warm up with the Maroon & White on Sunday afternoon, and the return of junior middle blockers Kaia Castle and Eliza Sharp remains unknown.
There are high hopes that sophomore defensive specialist Addi Applegate will be cleared to play soon. Although she wasn’t dressed out, she warmed up with the team this afternoon.
Still, the shorthanded Aggies were fine without four starters.
Sophomore opposite Taryn Morris has consistently proved herself as a force not to be reckoned with, reaching a career high in kills with 15 on a .682 hitting percentage.
“In preseason, we really found our rhythm,” said Morris. “I can trust Kirra (Musgrove) to put me anywhere on the court and I’ll take a big rip.”
Additionally, Morris also played clean volleyball, making zero errors against South Carolina.
“Taryn had so many opportunities that she could have played it safe, but she was exactly what an opposite needs to be: Aggressive,” A&M head coach Jamie Morrison. “I thought the way she blocked, defended and attacked in all phases and system out, I thought it was elite.”
During the first set of conference play, senior outside hitter Kyndal Stowers reached her 500th kill as an Aggie. She finished with nine on 20 attacks.
Musgrove, the emerging setter, was unreadable for the Gamecocks. Often opening her hitters to one-on-one matchups with only one set of hands in front of each swing, she finished with 36 assists.
“I can really trust anyone,” said Musgrove. “I just follow our scouting report and really see who’s hot.”
In the first set, the distribution resulted in Morris hitting .857, sophomore outside hitter Megan Fitch hitting .750 and freshman middle blocker Lolufe Adedeji hitting .667.
Three hitters of three different positions putting up these numbers highlights Musgrove’s talent for spreading her offense. This contributed to the Aggies’ success where they claimed the first set victory 25-14.
Senior setter Margot Manning took A&M on a dominant 7-0 service run to start the second set. The Aggies carried the same energy start to finish, not growing complacent and closing out a 25-14 win.
“That was a lot of service pressure,” said Morrison. “I think it’s a phase of our game we talked the most about finding that fine line between aggressive and being safe. I think we’re really starting to find it.”
Another milestone was reached during the second set as Fitch made her 100th career kill.
The Aggies successfully applied pressure all the way through the end of the third and final set. With 15 kills, three blocks and one service ace, A&M gave South Carolina no room for error.
The third set lead allowed players who haven’t seen the court as much so far this season bring out their talents. Freshman opposite hitter Brooke Lacewell and junior outside hitter Amaré Hernandez made their SEC debuts.
“Being able to have one through 16 athletes step on the floor and contribute means everything to me,” said Morrison. “Myself and the staff are doing the right things and investing time in everybody.”
The Aggies' energy was unmatched in the SEC opener in front of the 10th-highest attendance in program history, with over 4,635 inside Reed Arena on Sunday.
“We have the best fan base,” said Morris. “We just know they’re going to be behind us 100 percent every single time. It’s so awesome.”
Winners of four straight matches, A&M will take on Alabama at Reed Arena on Friday, Oct. 2, at 6:30 p.m. CT.
