No. 6 Texas A&M volleyball will travel to Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama, on Friday, Nov. 7 to take on Auburn for its third-to-last regular season matchup. As Southeastern Conference play comes to a close, the Aggies will look to continue their dominant run, starting with the Tigers.
The Aggies enter the contest 11-1 in SEC play and on a seven-match win streak, proving themselves as SEC contenders. This was most recently showcased by A&M’s back-to-back wins over in-state rival then-No. 2 Texas and then-No. 16 Tennessee.
The Maroon and White’s path to dominance has been spearheaded by senior middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, who recently earned SEC Player of the Week for the third time this season.
Cos-Okpalla also climbed to No. 5 in program history for career blocks, cementing her status as one of the cornerstones of A&M’s success.
As Cos-Okpalla defends the net, senior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky continues to show off her offensive guns, leading the team with 282 kills. Lednicky’s offensive consistency has been key for A&M’s success, routinely leading the team in kills and allowing the Aggies to pressure opponents from both sides while maintaining offensive rhythm — even in long rallies.
Lednicky’s ability to perform in high-stress games has fueled several of A&M’s biggest wins this season. For instance, Lednicky recorded 12 kills and 17 digs against the Longhorns and another double-double of 13 kills and 12 digs in the Aggies’ win over the Lady Volunteers to extend her streak of double-digit kills. These performances underscore not just her individual talent, but her importance as a two-way player who keeps the Aggies in control during the most crucial moments.
A&M’s stretch of successful performances reflects coach Jamie Morrison’s vision for A&M to not only be a top SEC contender, but a nationally-recognized program.
“A foundation and a team capable of great things,” Morrison said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge of taking it to a championship level.”
Nonetheless, Auburn — hungry for a statement win — remains a fierce opponent for A&M, especially at Neville Arena where it boasts an 8-1 home record. The Tigers offensive front is led by sophomore outside hitter Lauren Dreves — the team’s top leader in kills with 308 on the season. Her ability to generate points across the nets will make her a threat for the Aggies.
While Auburn doesn’t boast the same record as A&M, its dogfight mentality on offense has given several ranked SEC programs a run for their money this season, including a matchup against No. 3 Kentucky, where Auburn kept it close with only a total 10-point difference.
A nice pair to its offensive capability is Auburn’s ability to defend the net with an average of 2.94 blocks per set in comparison to A&M’s 2.51 per set.
Auburn’s front row will look to shut down pin hitters like Lednicky, redshirt sophomore OH Kyndal Stowers and senior OH Emily Hellmuth, who lead the team in kills at 282, 221 and 205, respectively.
With just three matches left in the regular season, each team is looking to secure its spot in the NCAA Tournament.. A&M will enter the match with momentum, but it’ll face a desperate Auburn squad fighting to make its mark late in conference play.
A&M and Auburn are set to clash at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, where the Maroon and White will fight to maintain their highest rank in program history.
