In the annual Dig Pink Match, Reed Arena saw a crowd of 1,605 to watch A&M face off against its fourth SEC opponent of the fall slate.
Unfortunately for the Aggies in the crowd, on Thursday, Oct. 7, at Reed Arena, Texas A&M volleyball got swept in its first day of play against Georgia. Although, A&M did outdig Georgia by one, 54-53, in its annual digging contest.
A&M head coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn said the Aggies did not execute their game plan.
“You have to show up every night,” Kuhn said. “You can’t measure your opponent, you have to execute. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. Our first contact we struggled … it’s a lack of focus.”
The Bulldogs struck first in the opening set, but A&M immediately answered the following point off a hit from junior outside hitter Morgan Christon. Also impressive in the first set was a double block from senior middle blocker Mallory Talbert and senior setter Camille Conner. Although, it ultimately wasn’t enough; Georgia junior outside hitter Kacie Evans logged a kill to allow the Bulldogs to take the first set, 25-21.
By the end of the SEC face off, Evans recorded a total of eight kills on 35 total attacks and 12 digs.
In the second set was where the game started to heat up, with nine ties and four lead changes. By the first timeout, it was 8-7 with Georgia leading. However, A&M went on a two series run to make it 9-8. Following a tie at 9-9, Georgia then went on a scoring run and captured the momentum. The Aggies were not able to break this momentum and let the Bulldogs capture the second set, 25-20.
The silver lining for the Aggies in the second set was Christon. By the conclusion of the second set, the McKinney native had already logged nine kills on 24 total attacks.
For A&M, it all came down to the third set. The Aggies knew this, keeping it close in a back-and-forth set. The double blocking from Talbert and Conner was also heavily on display during the third set. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. The Aggies lost the match off a lift from fifth-year defensive specialist Macy Carrabine.
The skill in double blocking from Talbert and Conner should come as no surprise, both having over three years of experience on the team and measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-1, respectively.
Kuhn said she expects nothing less from Talbert and Conner.
“[The double blocking] is executing game plan. It’s them doing their jobs; I think as upperclassmen that’s their job,” Kuhn said. “Camille gets fired up everytime she gets a block like that, and it’s cool to see that energy. We have to be consistent with it.”
The second game of the double header against Georgia is set for Friday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m.
Kuhn said how A&M responds in the second game of the series is crucial.
“We have to respond, we always talk about our response. It’s going to be a battle. The SEC is tough,” Kuhn said.
A win tomorrow could draw many similarities to the Aggies most recent double header against then-No. 20 tennessee. A&M got swept in the first contest but came back to win the second match, 3-2.