The Texas A&M volleyball team (17-8, 9-5 SEC) heads to Fayetteville Wednesday to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at 6 p.m. This will be the second contest between these two squads this season.
In the first clash, the Hogs (14-13, 8-6 SEC) managed to get the best of the Aggies in Reed Arena. A&M, ranked No. 20 at the time, jumped out to a 1-0 lead before surrendering three straight sets to Arkansas en route to a 3-1 loss. Since then, the Aggies have posted a record of 6-2.
Conference standing is also on the line in Wednesday’s matchup. Arkansas sits a single game back of A&M at sixth, and a win would ensure the Hogs leapfrog the Ags by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker.
A&M currently sits at No. 19 in national RPI. The NCAA tournament is only weeks away and that means that the Aggies will spend the rest of the season jostling with teams from around the country for seeding. With only four conference games remaining on the schedule before postseason play tips off on Dec. 2.
The Aggies may have to proceed without the play of standout freshman setter Stephanie Aiple, who was sidelined by injury in the team’s last match. If that is the case, then the offense will flow through sophomore Kaysie Shebeneck.