After losing its past two ranked matchups, No. 14 Texas A&M volleyball regrouped against Southeastern Louisiana with a sweeping, 3-0 victory.

“It feels good to be back at home after a long time on the road,” coach Jamie Morrison said. “I’m very happy with how we played. We had a sense of urgency to go out and play clean volleyball. Not to mention, it was amazing to get each one of our players out there and see how special this place is.”

The Aggies took care of business out of the gate as they jumped to an early lead over the Lions, which they used to secure a victory in the first set, 25-16.

A&M kept the heat coming against SLU, opening the second set with a 3-0 start that forced the Lions to call their second timeout of the game. Unfortunately for the visitors, this break in play would not provide the reset they desired as the Aggies refused to let up on the gas on the way to amass a quick, 13-5 lead.

Having control in their contest with the Lions was a refreshing feeling for the Maroon and White, as they won just two sets through their ranked skid. Thursday’s 3-0 victory served as a reset period for Morrison’s squad as Southeastern Conference play looms on the horizon.

Despite the Lions’ show of fight and resilience while facing a ranked opponent on the road, they were simply outmatched by the skill and experience of a deep Aggie roster. The Maroon and White led in every offensive category while they stood tall on defense to maintain an 8.5-3 advantage in blocks.

When the dust settled in Set 2, SLU fell similarly as it did in its first, 25-15. The Aggies did not concede their lead throughout their three-set contest, as they took just over an hour to sweep the Lions off the floor.

The Set 3 reflected the tone that was established from the get-go for A&M: relentless pursuit and toughness. It was in this set that SLU showed the most grit, stuck in desperation mode to force a fourth. The set was close at 20-18, though the experience of the Aggies proved to be the Lions’ undoing. 

Redshirt senior middle blocker India Bennett led the Lions’ push with a total of 6.5 points, but without a strong supporting cast, her efforts fell short in their common goal for victory. On the flip side of the court, senior MB Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and senior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky both eclipsed 12 points and were the anchors for the A&M offense.

“A player that really impressed me was [freshman defensive specialist] Addi [Applegate], it’s a position that doesn’t get a lot of credit,” Morrison said. “She went out and played clean volleyball and did all the small things right out there.”

After braving a last-minute surge from the Lions in the final moments of the contest, A&M held on to win 25-18 to win the match in a three-set sweep.

“I just feel like we’re the team to beat this year,” senior libero Ava Underwood said. “People get fired up when they score on us and give us that feeling that we are one of the dominant performers this year, and we can look past the lows to be something special.”

The Aggies will return to Reed Arena Friday, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m. against New Hampshire.