Aggie volleyball capped off their weekend in a match against Georgia on Sunday. After a loss in five sets against the Bulldogs on Saturday, all eyes were on Sunday’s ensuing rematch. Sunday’s match did not disappoint, as the Aggies and Bulldogs once again went the distance to the fifth and final set.
The Aggie volleyball team fell behind 2-0 early in Sunday’s match in Athens, GA. The Aggies claimed two straight sets before The Georgia Bulldogs ended the Aggies’ comeback hopes, winning the fifth and final set by a score of 15-13.
A&M showed resilience to force a fifth set, but the loss hurts nonetheless, and Sunday marked the third loss in a row, as the Tennessee Volunteers swept the Ags on Sunday, Sept. 25th. The Aggies fall to 10-6 overall and 2-3 in SEC play.
Graduate transfer outside hitter Caroline Meuth continued her great play on the season with her fourth double-double. An important leader for the maroon and white, Meuth recorded 19 kills and 12 digs.
The Aggies jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in set No.1 before the Bulldogs grabbed a hold of the momentum. A Georgia run capped off by 6 straight points put the Aggies down 22-15. The Aggies only managed 2 more points before they dropped the set 25-17.
Back and forth exchanges from both sides began a competitive second set. However, Georgia separated themselves, putting the Aggies down 15-6. A&M could not battle back from the large deficit, and Georgia took the second set by a score of 25-18.
An early five point Georgia lead in the third set looked to be fatal for the Aggies until they fought back, and the Ags scored five straight of their own to tie the set at 9. Three kills by freshman Logan Lednicky helped the Aggies to a 25-21 set win.
The Aggies and Bulldogs battled back and forth in a dramatic fourth set, as an early Aggie lead was countered by a Georgia run. A&M responded with five unanswered points of their own to take the lead at 18-14. Georgia refused to go quietly, and trying to put the Aggies away, tied the set up at 18, but the Aggie fight proved to be too much, as the maroon and white did not back down and secured the set win 25-22.
The Aggies battled back from the 2-0 deficit and forced a deciding set, they just needed to win one more set to finish the huge comeback. After 17 points, the Aggies trailed 9-8 but were unable to overcome Georgia’s lead and the maroon and white fell 15-12. A nail-biter of a match, the Aggies were right there until the very end.
The Aggies played two five-set matches in Athens, but did not come out with a victory. “SEC play on the road is a grind, and we put ourselves in great position both days,” head coach Laura Kuhn said.
Playing on the road is always tough, and the Aggies will need to execute better away from College Station. “The next step is to finish. We need to execute late in games in order to grab tough road wins,” Kuhn said.
The Aggies will head back home to Reed Arena where they will host Mississippi State on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7-8. A&M will attempt to end their losing streak against a competitive Mississippi State team that is 9-5 overall and 2-2 in conference play.