Texas A&M setter Stephanie Aiple is an Aggie who got good guidance from a Longhorn. The 6-foot-1 freshman played for her aunt, Diane Watson, at Round Rock High School in Texas. Watson was a two-time All-American at Texas in the 1980s.
Aiple, the espnW national player of the week, has volleyball in her blood. Her mother and father, Connie and Matt Aiple, also were volleyball players.
Aiple's mother and aunt played high school volleyball in Southern California, and that's where Stephanie had her first big college tournament last week.
Thursday at the USC Classic, Aiple and the Aggies knocked off the then-No. 6 Trojans 3-2, winning the fifth set 16-14. Then Friday, Texas A&M got another upset by defeating No. 13 San Diego 3-1.
Aiple had 56 assists, four kills, eight digs, two blocks and two service aces against USC. It was the Trojans' first loss of the season.
"I have to say the performance by our setter was pretty incredible," said Aggies coach Laurie Corbelli, who was a silver medalist with the U.S. volleyball squad in the 1984 Olympics.
Then against San Diego, Aiple had 43 assists, eight kills and eight digs. The two victories boosted Texas A&M (7-1) from unranked to No. 21 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. It is the Aggies' first ranking since 2009.
Texas A&M was picked sixth in the SEC preseason coaches' poll, but it looks like that may have been underestimating the Aggies. Aiple has twice been named the SEC's freshman of the week in her young career.
Texas A&M will be host to No. 6 Florida State this weekend in College Station, facing the Seminoles twice: Friday night and Saturday morning.
Also considered:
• Florida freshman middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan had a combined 27 kills in victories over San Diego and USC.
• Colorado State senior middle blocker Kelsey Snider had a combined 35 kills in victories over BYU, New Mexico State and UTEP.
• UCLA senior outside hitter Karsta Lowe had a combined 55 kills in the Bruins' three victories last week in Hawaii.