Third-seeded Texas A&M volleyball heads to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16, where it will take on 2-seed Louisville on Friday, Dec. 12, in Lincoln, Nebraska, to contest for a chance to advance to the tournament Quarterfinals for the first time since 2001.
In back-to-back seasons, the Aggies have been a fixture in the Round of 16 under the leadership of coach Jamie Morrison. After a disappointing end to their campaign in 2024, A&M faced elimination in the Round of 16 after taking a five-set loss to then 2-seed Wisconsin.
“It’s a little bit different of a feeling of we’re going in there to prove that we’re good enough,” Morrison said in Monday’s press conference. “We feel that way, and again we’re accepting any challenge that comes in our way, and the next one is Louisville.”
In the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament, 3-seed A&M pulled out the brooms in the first round after it swept Campbell on Dec. 5, and then took on a more challenging test against TCU on Dec. 6. After suffering a loss to TCU earlier in the season, A&M knew what was on the other side of the net. The battle in Aggieland led to a four-set victory for A&M, marking its advancement to the next round.
“We made it to the Sweet 16, we knew what it took,” senior setter Maddie Waak said. “And we just want the next round so bad and the rounds after that.”
Waak walked away with a .429 hitting percentage and 29 assists in the opening round against the Fighting Camels. The Katy native went on to put up 50 assists against TCU in the second round with 12.5 assists per set.
“It seems like it’s just luck, but it’s not,” Morrison said. “She’s got this innate ability on timing and those little plays to make … big plays. She’s really good, and it’s not just the ability to run the offense. She’s really good at the whole game.”
Where the Aggies have Waak, the Cardinals have sophomore S Nayelis Cabello at the net. Cabello claimed a career-high 62 assists in Louisville’s five-set second round win over Marquette. Contributing to her 1,222 assists this season, the Clermont, Florida, native has also put up 95 blocks and 23 aces throughout her campaign.
In the opening rounds, Louisville marked back-to-back games with a hitting percentage above .400 for its first time this season.
The Cardinals made a deep run in the tournament last year, earning a spot in the championship final. However, Louisville dropped the match 1-3 to Penn State and took home the runner-up title.
This season, the Cardinals hold a 24-6 record, with only two losses on the road. They recorded a 16-4 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference, holding down the No. 5 spot in the rankings.
The Aggies hold a 5-2 all-time record over the Cardinals, but the two squads haven’t seen each other since 2019.
With the Red and Black seeded just above the Maroon and White, the competition on both sides of the net will be tight, with a ticket to the Quarterfinals on the line. The winner of the battle will go on to face the winner of 1-seed Nebraska and 4-seed Kansas on Sunday, Dec. 14.
“It’s getting to be the point where the entire match, the entire day will be adversity,” Morrison said. “So, it can’t be something that you have to get used to. It has to be something that you thrive in, that you enjoy, that you’re sitting in, that you get comfortable.”
The Aggie-on-Cardinal matchup is set to open on Friday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center with television coverage on ESPN2.
