The Texas A&M volleyball team will host the Georgia Bulldogs at 6 p.m. Friday at Reed Arena.
Georgia (10-9, 2-5 SEC) enters the match after a 3-0 victory over Tennessee at home.
“Georgia has some really great athletes, so they’re going to be scrappy,” junior outside hitter Angela Lowak said. “They distribute the ball equally, so we aren’t necessarily honed in on one key hitter because all of their hitters are getting the ball and being effective.”
A&M (12-6, 4-3 SEC) has concentrated on improving itself during the week, said head coach Laurie Corbelli.
“This week, so far, we’ve been working on us,” Corbelli said. “In terms of serving, in terms of defending the middle attacker and mostly just trying to get our offensive rhythm.”
The Aggies have also made some lineup changes in preparation for the match.
“We feel like now we have two lineups we can go between,” Corbelli said. “We tried it for awhile and we might go back to it against a certain opponent.”
The coaching staff has also put an emphasis on competition during the week, hoping to avoid complacency.
“I’m hoping they can sense the competition and continue to fight for their spots,” Corbelli said. “It’s really hard when people get complacent. The team doesn’t approve of that. I’m sure there are some questions, and I try to answer their questions, but a lot of it is trying not to read too much into it and play where they’re asked to play.”
While some players may be switching positions, sophomore Emily Hardesty said she is more concerned with the success of the team than playing any particular spot on the court.
“I enjoyed my time as libero, but wherever the team needs me I’m happy to be,” Hardesty said.
After their game against Georgia, the Aggies will play Kentucky at 11 a.m. Sunday at Reed Arena. The two teams faced off earlier this month, with the Wildcats winning 3-0.