The No. 19 Aggie volleyball team plunges deep into the heart of its schedule this weekend with two matches against conference opponents in Alabama and Florida.
A&M (10-4, 2-1 SEC) has enjoyed a high level of success this season despite its youth (only 3 upperclassmen on the roster) and the level of competition it has faced (five matches against ranked opponents).
Head coach Laurie Corbelli has been pleased with her team’s performance so far this season.
“It’s been stressful, but a lot of fun too,” Corbelli said. “The learning happens daily, which is really exciting from a coach’s standpoint. I knew we had talent, but for our team to come together the way it has and for us to get some of the wins we have has just been awesome.”
Corbelli also recognizes that the team still has a long way to go. This weekend’s action, one of the toughest stretches the Aggies have on the schedule, will provide insight to just how far the Aggies have come this season.
A&M will continue to count on the play of freshman setter Stephanie Aiple. Aiple, who was named ESPNW’s National Player of the Week in September, has assisted on 68 percent of the Aggies kills on the season, accumulating 430 assists.
A&M will first host the Alabama Crimson Tide (15-3, 3-1 SEC) at 6 p.m. Friday night The match, which has been designated “First Responder Night,” is free for all firefighters, law enforcement and EMS personnel with a valid ID The game will also be televised on the SEC Network.
The Aggies will then wrap up their weekend with a trip to Gainesville, Fla., on Sunday to play the No. 9 Florida Gators (10-3, 4-0 SEC). The Gators are under head coach Mary Wise, who has been at Florida for 24 years and leads all active Division I coaches in wins with 805.
“[Wise has] had a fantastic career there,” Corbelli said. “They’re always a top-10 program and we always look forward to playing them because we consider ourselves competitive. Plus, it’s just great volleyball when we get together — good ball control, good setters, high attackers. It’s just such a high level of play, it’s fun to be a part of.”
The game against Florida will be broadcast at 1 p.m. on the SEC Network.