By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal

COLLEGE STATION – No. 6 Texas A&M capped one of the best regular seasons in program history with a dominant sweep of Georgia on Sunday afternoon at Reed Arena, rolling to a 25-13, 25-17, 25-13 victory behind a record-setting offensive performance. The match lasted 78 minutes.

The Aggies (22-3, 14-1 SEC) finished the regular season with their best record since 1984 and secured their highest conference finish in a decade, ending second in the SEC standings. Their 14th sweep of the year came in emphatic fashion, powered by a blistering .525 hitting percentage, the best mark in program history for a three-set SEC match.

A&M’s efficiency was evident from the opening whistle. After trading points early, the Aggies broke free with a 13-9 lead that forced Georgia into its first timeout. Back-to-back kills from Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and Logan Lednicky stretched the margin to 15-9, and A&M closed the set on a 10-4 run behind 16 kills and a .536 hitting clip.

“I was really happy with how our team came out and played,” said head coach Jamie Morrison. “At the very beginning there was a sense of urgency and desire. We were executing at a really high level. We talked a little bit about being who we are regardless of the circumstances and when we get pushed, being a little more of that. Georgia is a great volleyball team, and I think we were hard to beat on the day.”

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The second set followed a familiar script.

The Bulldogs stayed within striking distance early, but once again the Aggies’ offense overwhelmed them. A&M delivered nine kills in its first 15 points and pushed ahead 20-14, eventually closing out the frame 25-17 behind a balanced attack and steady playmaking by setter Maddie Waak, who surpassed 1,000 assists for the second straight season.

Lednicky, who extended her streak to 15 straight matches with double-digit kills, finished with 13 kills on .571 hitting while adding nine digs. Cos-Okpalla matched her career-best hitting percentage at .750, totaling 10 kills and four blocks. Kyndal Stowers added 10 kills on .588 hitting and nine digs.

“It feels good finishing out the season so strong,” Cos-Okpalla said. “We have a special group. This being our last time playing at home in the regular season means a lot.”

A&M seized control to open the third set, scoring the first five points and forcing Georgia into a quick timeout. The lead doubled to 13-3 after seven early kills, and the Bulldogs never recovered. The Aggies hit .615 in the final frame and committed just three errors, cruising to a 25-13 closeout to finish off the sweep.

“See space, hit space,” Lednicky said. “We did the scout report well and exposed some of Georgia’s weaknesses.”

A&M ended the match with a 49-25 kills advantage, a 30-20 edge in digs, and 10 blocks, holding Georgia to just .120 hitting.

The Aggies move on to the SEC Tournament and will be the No. 2 seed, giving them two byes before taking on seven-seed Georgia or the winner of Missippi State-Vanderbilt on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 5 p.m. from Savannah, Georgia. The game will be televised on the SEC network.

Box score

Texas A&M 3, GEORGIA 0	1	2	3
Georgia (16-9, 8-7)	13	17	13
Texas A&M (22-3, 14-1)	25	25	25

Texas A&M leaders: Kills: Lednicky 13, Cos-Okpalla 10, Stowers 10, Hellmuth 8, Perkins 4. Assists: Waak 37. Digs: Lednicky 9, Stowers 9, Waak 5. Aces: Cos-Okpalla 2, Stowers 1. Blocks: Cos-Okpalla 4 BA, Stowers 1 BA, Hellmuth 1 BA, Perkins 1 BA (10 team). Team hitting: 49–7–80 (.525).

Georgia leaders: Kills: Muoneke 11, Kemp 5, Borgman 5, Harper 2. Assists: Tyson 12, Elarton 9. Digs: McElveen 4, Muoneke 3, Harper 1. Aces: Borgman 1. Blocks: Kemp 3 BA, Rhoda 2 BA, Patten 1 BA (6 team). Team hitting: 25–16–75 (.120).