Five straight Southeastern Conference wins have No. 9 Texas A&M volleyball ready for a high-stakes Lone Star Showdown with No. 2 Texas, where Reed Arena will be rocking in Halloween-themed fashion for a clash of historic rivals.
The Longhorns will come to College Station undefeated and eager to exact their revenge after the Aggies beat them last year in five sets at Gregory Gym. Their efforts to avenge the loss will not be taken lightly, as senior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky is a program veteran who has the Maroon and White set on a path of dominance and earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors for her efforts against Oklahoma and Arkansas two weekends ago.
The Aggies haven’t needed many extra sets to get the job done, making a slasher film of their last five victories — four of which were sweeps. However, this will be just one of three ranked SEC matchups for A&M, having already beaten then-No. 21 Missouri and fallen to No. 3 Kentucky.
Despite this, coach Jamie Morrison has prepared his squad for the challenge, and the Aggies have continued to improve throughout the season. Senior setter Maddie Waak has been a key piece of that improvement since transferring from LSU, earning SEC Setter of the Week honors for her successful stretch against Oklahoma and Arkansas.
A&M joined the Aggie football team in victory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, last Friday, taming the Tigers in four sets. Lednicky led the Maroon and White with 14 kills, while Waak did some ghost-busting against her old team with a whopping 41 assists. Now defending Reed Arena, the Aggies will need to be on their A-game to take down the Longhorns.
Texas joined A&M in defeating LSU this past weekend with a 3-0 win last Sunday and has looked unstoppable throughout its 18-game winning streak. Eleven of those wins have been sweeps, and junior outside hitter Torrey Stafford rivals Freddy Krueger in kills with 277 this season.
Freshman OH Cari Spears is second to Stafford with 228 kills this year, making her the Jason Voorhees to Stafford’s Springwood Slasher season. The two pose the greatest threat to the Aggies’ defense, and will demand outstanding effort from the Maroon and White.
If there is anyone who can shore up the defense, look no further than senior libero/defensive specialist Ava Underwood. She wears the coveted No. 12 jersey and represents the Aggie Spirit, supporting her team from the back end of the court by starting in 69 of 70 sets this year.
Young talent will need to step up for A&M to seize the spooky night, and it’s lucky enough to have sophomore OH Kyndal Stowers ready to make an impact. The Denton product has filled a prominent role in the Aggie machine, collecting 154 digs over the course of the 2025 campaign.
The Aggies and Longhorns have split the series since the latter joined the conference a season ago, with the home team finding itself on the losing end in both competitions. However, with Lednicky and Co. at their best, perhaps Friday’s matchup will change the cycle.
After missing out on the national championship last season after claiming back-to-back titles, Texas will be hungry for a monster road win against A&M, which would be the Longhorns’ 10th straight ranked victory.
Therefore, all eyes will be on senior middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, who has been a haunting complement to Lednicky’s all-conference efforts, earning All-SEC honors in her 2024 campaign. She has been an instrumental part in rallying the Aggies through their 9-1 conference stretch, ranking top 5 in scoring.
Shoring up the veteran talent for the Maroon and White is senior OH Emily Hellmuth, a Pepperdine transfer who has done nothing but provide an offensive jolt since joining the Aggies last season. After appearing in all 29 matches during her debut year with the Maroon and White, Hellmuth has picked up right where she left off with 217 points in 2025.
There will be no fright in the Aggies’ game plan against the Longhorns, as rivalry games are the thriller that continues to rock the SEC time and time again. Prepare yourself, Aggieland; it’s time to get your Halloween on as Reed Arena transforms into a cattle graveyard.
