It was a busy Thanksgiving break for Texas A&M athletics. The soccer team was eliminated from the NCAA tournament in the Elite Eight. Volleyball won its first ever SEC Championship, and men’s basketball made a statement in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas.

Soccer

The No. 21 Aggies won three matches in their 21st consecutive NCAA tournament before falling to No. 2 Florida State 5-0 to put an end to their season. While the Aggies were able to stay in the game for all the first half and part of the second, they were unable to keep up wih the Seminoles, who posted five goals on 21 shots — including eight shots on goal.

The Aggie soccer team finished with a 17-7-2 record, winning at least 15 matches for the twelfth consecutive year. The senior class featuring Kristi Leonard, Karlie Mueller and Janae Cousineau finished with 76 wins, setting a new school record.

Volleyball

A&M continued its dominant run in SEC play over the break, winning the SEC championship for the first time ever — clinched with a five set win at Missouri. The title extended the team’s win streak to 13 straight, and a win over Arkansas made it 14.

Men’s basketball

The Aggie men’s basketball team put themselves in the national spotlight by advancing to the finals of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, including wins over Texas and then 10th ranked Gonzaga. 

The tournament brought senior shooting guard Danuel House even more attention, as he established himself as a legitimate scoring threat in the SEC by averaging nearly 18 points per game including two 19-point outings against Texas and Gonzaga. The Aggies as a team shot well from the floor and from the free throw line, two areas the team looked to improve on after performing poorly in them last season. A&M ended up losing the final to Syracuse by a score of 74-67, but the team is expected to jump up the rankings.