Texas A&M doesn’t shy away from tough competition. Sunday morning they faced off against No. 1 Stanford after falling to No. 5 Penn State Saturday night in a long five-set match. Right off the bat the Aggies had trouble finding their rhythm in serve-receiving. The Maroon and White was unable to find the groove they settled into yesterday and Stanford’s sterile clean performance left little wiggle room.
The defending National Champion’s pure size and speed suffocated the Aggies’ front line. The Ags’ ultimate demise came in the form of a 6-foot-6 outside hitter by the name of Kathryn Plummer. The Stanford sophomore racked up 22 kills and .409 hitting percentage alongside Jenna Gray with 6 kills and a .625 hitting percentage. The duo repeatedly gave the Ags difficulties finding the outside block and their blistering power sliced through blocks like butter.
Sophomore outside hitter Hollan Hans led the Aggies’ production department once again, tallying 12 kills, 5 digs, and 2 blocks. However, her less than consistent performance was offset by a match-high 10 errors, resulting in a .057 hitting percentage. Freshman setter Camille Connor earned 7 kills herself along with a .400 hitting percentage and again led the team in assists with 18.
The Aggies dropped the first three straight sets 25-17, 25-20, and 25-17, respectively. They now fall to 2-2 on the season while Stanford moves to 4-1 and remains a favorite for another National Championship. Despite the losses, the Aggies’ resilience and close performances this weekend should make fans hopeful for a successful season and promising postseason.
The Maroon and White will return to action Friday, September 8 in Madison, Wisconsin for the Hotelred Invitational against Lipscomb.
