OXFORD, Miss — Texas A&M volleyball continues its SEC road trip through the Magnolia State on Sunday, as the Aggies (12-5, 4-3) take on the Ole Miss Rebels (14-3, 6-0) in Oxford. First serve from the Gillom Sports Center is set for 1:30 p.m., with Graham Doty and Brittany McLaughlin on the call for SEC Network+. Streaming is also available on the ESPN app.
The Aggies started their Mississippi road trip out on the right foot Friday evening, defeating the Mississippi State Bulldogs 3-1 in Starkville. Texas A&M recorded its 12th win of the season, and fourth victory in conference action.
A&M’s offensive proficiency highlighted the team’s winning effort in Starkville, with junior setter Camille Conner paving the way for the Aggies’ offensive performance. Her 37 assists, seven kills, seven digs, and three blocks made a remarkable impact on the match, playing a major role on all sides of the ball.
Senior outside hitter Hollann Hans, meanwhile, continued her reign of terror on A&M’s opponents. She recorded 21 kills, as she registered her 13th consecutive match in double figures and notched her 23rd career match with 20 or more kills.
A pair of middle blockers made their presence known for the Aggies, as sophomore Mallory Talbert and junior Makena Patterson each logged fantastic individual performances. Talbert recorded her career-high in kills with 14 on a .458 clip, and also tied her career-high in blocks with seven. Patterson finished with 10 kills on a .368 mark and also recorded seven blocks.
Defensively, the Aggies were stellar once again, as senior libero Camila Gomez logged 15 digs, the 14th time she's finished in double digits this season. Sophomore defensive specialist Taylor Voss was also outstanding after collecting 12 digs. As a team, A&M amassed 14 blocks to hold the Bulldogs to a .142 hitting percentage.
After dropping their first three matches of the 2019 season, the Rebels have been on a tear, winning an incredible 14 straight. The Ole Miss win over Arkansas Friday night tied a program record, a string of success the Aggies hope to break.
The Rebels feature a litany of individual stars, with conference honors to match. Players of note include two-time SEC Offensive Player of the Week Nayo Warnell and two-time SEC Freshman of the Week Anna Bair. Aubrey Sultemeier and Nicole Purcell also garnered Defensive Player of the Week honors in weeks two and five, respectively.
Ole Miss is led in points and kills by senior outside hitter Emily Stroup, who has logged 275.0 points and 250 kills throughout the Rebels season. Bair and Warnell add in 217 and 123 kills, respectively. Junior setter Lauren Bars has made a significant impact on the Rebel offense in 2019 as well, dishing out 655 assists.
The Aggies are 14-2 all-time against the Ole Miss Rebels and 9-2 since joining the SEC. Texas A&M has lost in Oxford only once in program history when the Rebels defeated the Aggies 3-1 in 2017.
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