The Texas A&M volleyball team (9-6, 1-3 SEC) will face the Mississippi State Bulldogs (9-7, 0-2 SEC) at 6 p.m. Friday at Reed Arena. Both teams walk onto the court with recent losses, as A&M is coming off a three-game losing streak and the Bulldogs have dropped their last two games.
The Aggies hold a 2-0 series lead against the Bulldogs, with a 3-0 victory last year. The Bulldogs are winless in true road games this season, with losses to Baylor and Belmont University.
The Bulldogs feature up-and-coming freshman Kimmy Gardiner, who averages 4.88 kills per set, a statistic that puts her ahead of all SEC freshmen and places her fourth in the conference. Bulldog sophomore Roxanne McVey is second in the SEC and ninth nationally with 5.6 digs per set.
“Right now in practice, we are focusing on ourselves,” said sophomore middle blocker Shelby Sullivan. “Right now we are focusing on ourselves and getting better as a team.”
Head coach Laurie Corbelli said the key to an Aggie victory is not necessarily stopping the Bulldogs, but keeping the Aggies from destroying themselves. On Wednesday, A&M gave up three sets to LSU after an an initial 2-0 lead, a swing Corbelli credited to the team’s “mental game.”
“I think there are a couple of things necessary,” Corbelli said. “First, we bring it back to what it really is as a sport that we all know how to play. It is not about the volleyball – it is how we react and how your personal reaction impacts the entire group.”
Despite the losing streak, redshirt freshman Jazzmin Babers has emerged for the Aggie defense and leads the team with 63 blocks. “It feels awesome to finally be able to contribute,” Babers said. “I learned a lot from Lindsey Miller and Stephanie Minnerly, but it is definitely a plus to be able to have a direct impact on the court rather than an indirect impact last year.”
Aggie fans can get into the Mississippi State game for $3 if they wear pink as part of the annual Dig Pink breast cancer awareness game.