The Aggies doused the Owls fire and left them hooting in frustration after a 3-0 win at Reed Arena to start The Texas A&M Invitational on Friday, Sept. 13. 

Both teams spiked back into action on the court for the first time in 6 years eager to rally a win. The Maroon and White set the tone early with precise digs and quick sets, which converted into clean kills for the opening points.

A&M is currently No. 1 in the SEC conference for having 196 assists per set.

Junior middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, with a .444 hitting percentage and 32 kills, was electric in the first set. She scored immediately during the first few minutes of the game after a set from junior setter Maddie Waak. 

Cos-Okpalla was as dominant on defense as she was on offense, recording 8 blocks during the game. Defensively, Cos-Okpalla is second in the conference with 1.38 blocks per set. 

“Coming into this we knew it wasn’t gonna be easy,” Cos-Okpalla said. “It was just making sure we were just coming in firing on all ends, making sure we do what [is] needed to do to win.”

Junior MB Morgan Perkins hammered the ball multiple times in the first set and introduced the first super spike of the game, locking down A&M’s 10-3 lead.

The Owls woke up during the second set, Perkins had some impressive blocks that did not allow the Aggies to score. Sophomore outside hitter Olivia Hummel was Temple’s go-to hitter, scoring multiple points with powerful spikes and a well-placed let that caught A&M off guard.

The Aggies regained momentum late in the set thanks to Perkins and junior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky’s sharp ability to read the ball and block. Lednicky currently sits at a .436 hitting percentage with 5.00 kills per set while also playing a key role in their defensive efforts.  

“I’m gonna give [Lednicky] a lot of props,” coach Jamie Morrison said. “She’s growing up as a volleyball player, and I think she’s growing up a leader on the team too.”

Aggie fans did not disappoint and showed up with signs questioning Temple’s ability on the court. With each set that passed, the crowd grew in numbers and volume.

Temple walked into the third set and clawed their way to the lead. With a strong start, they continuously held their position through solid blocks. Their attacks were relentless, and Hummel constantly found holes in A&M’s defensive formation. 

Junior OH Taylor Davenport’s blocks and ability to hit digs kept Temple in the lead. Duo, graduate right-side hitter Avery Luoma and junior MB Alyssa Finister, formed a solid defense front, stepping up to block incoming attacks at the net. 

“We gotta be dialed in because every team in the country is gonna come back and try to claw and scrap on that third set,” Morrison said. 

After quite a few hitting errors and outside shots, the Aggies mounted their comeback for the third set. 

“I’m really proud of us for pushing through, finishing it out,” junior libero Ava Underwood said. “I do wish we could have separated our lead a little bit more in the third, but I’m proud of how we finished.” 

A super spike from junior OU Taylor Humphrey put them back the lead. After an epic back-and-forth, Cos-Okpalla elevated the atmosphere by pulling A&M into its fifth win of the season.

“Let’s close the page on this, learn the things that we talked about from this and make sure we apply them tomorrow and prepare for a different opponent,” Morrison said.

The Aggies are set to play The University of New Hampshire on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 5:00 p.m. at Reed Arena. It will stream live on SEC Network +.