After securing the highest-ranked win at Reed Arena in program history against No. 2 Texas, No. 9 Texas A&M volleyball headed east to take on No. 16 Tennessee. Despite dropping the first set, the Aggies outlasted the Volunteers as A&M won its seventh straight Southeastern Conference matchup, 3-1.
A huge part of the Aggies’ success came from senior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky, as she has recorded 10 or more kills in all SEC matches this season. Lednicky recorded13 kills in Knoxville, Tennessee, landing in second place for the Maroon and White, right behind redshirt sophomore outside hitter Kyndal Stowers, who had 16.
The Volunteers were able to secure Set 1 25-19,led by senior OH Hayden Kubik and her six kills in the set. The Aggies were outkilled in Set 1, 15-12. The Lady Vols dominated at the net, as they had three blocks compared to the Aggies’ two.
The second set looked more like the A&M team who topped No. 2 Texas the match before, as the Aggies outlasted the Volunteers, 25-15. A&M had twice as many kills as Tennessee, with Stowers leading the charge with six kills for the Maroon and White.
After dominating the Lady Vols in Set 2 and tying the match, the Aggies played a back-and-forth Set 3.. The Orange and White got off to a shaky start, with two hitting errors within the first eight points, giving the Maroon and White free points and the momentum.
The Aggies managed to stay ahead for most of the set, which forced the Lady Vols to play from behind. A&M was also able to clean up the service game, as it had zero service errors in Set 3, compared to six split between the first two sets. The Aggies were able to finish Set 3 25-20, needing just one more set to secure the match.
Set 4 was extremely competitive, with 15 ties and six lead changes, as the Aggies fought to secure their seventh straight SEC victory while the Volunteers strived to extend the match to a fifth set. The Aggies’ front row was stellar in Set 4 as it came away with eight blocks, holding the Volunteers’ offense back.
During the match, senior middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla moved to No. 4 in career blocks at A&M with 491. By the end of the match, the Maroon and White had 15 blocks.
After winning Set 4, 25-21, the Aggies moved to 19-3 on the season with an 11-1 conference record. A&M will get back on the road Friday, Nov. 7, to take on the Auburn Tigers in Neville Arena at 6 p.m.