Natalie
By Kynlee Bright Managing Editor
The sun beams down as the grass, painted maroon with “Texas A&M” sprayed across it, glistens. The woman looks into the crowd — 97,339 people to be exact — as she holds the golden instrument in front of her.
She takes her first-ever step onto the north end of Kyle Field, as she takes a deep breath, beginning the “Aggie War Hymn.”
Now, four years later, she steps onto the field, boots hugging her calves and holding her mace in hand. Solo, she marches forward before the band follows in her footsteps, playing the war hymn as thousands of Aggies sway across the stadium.
her, according to Tipton.
And not in a quiet way.
“She’s been very, very, very, very successful everywhere,” Tipton said.
“She passed every trial that every cadet could have been asked to pass and has the respect of that band. I mean, and not because she’s a drum major — she had it long before.”
Despite having its respect, Tipton said one of the initial fears was how the band would take to its new leader.
“If they reject the leadership, you’re in big trouble,” Tipton said. “ … If they’re not into it, man, everybody knows. … They invest too much not to be taken
care of.”
tionist,” Holder said. “We’d go outside and practice, we could watch ourselves in the window, and the mace is supposed to be straight up and down … and it just never was enough for me. I was just super stressed about that being perfect.”
But all that worry and stress created history once again for Tipton, because he finally had a drum major who didn’t switch arms.
On the sidelines, drum majors can conduct for up to 30 minutes straight. Typically, they switch their conducting arm to give the other a break — but not Holder.
“I’ve never seen that kid switch arms … she refuses,” Tipton said. “I’ve never seen her do it, not one time. … That’s just the kind of kid
needed.
“I feel like I’m a very kind person, and so I’ve had to have those conversations telling people … ‘No, you cannot do this,’ or, ‘You cannot march this drill, because you messed up,’” Holder said. “Having to manage that has been the hardest part.”
It may be hard for Holder, but to Tipton, she’s a natural.
“Watching her on the field is motivating … but watching her interact with her peers is the part that makes her special,” Tipton said.
As the historical marching season comes to a close, Tipton has nothing but praise for Holder.
“We’re just so proud of her,” Tipton said.
This is history in the making.
This is Natalie Holder.
‘She had a plan’
Every step she takes, her members follow, looking to their leader for guidance. Hundreds of practices, hundreds of meetings and even more sleepless nights all led up to this.
But that wasn’t a problem for Holder. She said that she always knew that her aspiration was to become a drum major, and she made sure to take the necessary steps to get there.
she is. She is more stubborn than any challenge or any problem. … She’s not going to take a loss, you know?”
An overexposed screen sits atop the desk as a young girl pops up on the computer — but not before her dog steals the show.
“I had a really good chance of getting artillery band commander, or I could risk going out for drum major,” Holder said. “There’s no guarantee … but I really wanted to be drum major, so that was a big risk, and it made me very nervous, but it was worth it in the end.”
Senior Associate Director of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band Rayburn Tipton explained that the first memory he has of biology senior Natalie Holder, who is now the band’s first female head drum major, comes from their first meeting — with both her and her giant schnauzer — over Zoom. He explained that it was right after the COVID-19 pandemic when Holder, who was a senior in high school at the time, interviewed with Tipton. In theory, Holder was just what the Aggie Band needed, but on paper, things were a bit different.
“She was an all-state bassoonist and … she’s just like this incredible kid, obviously,” Tipton said. “ … She had a plan, it just wasn’t as direct a path as some of other folks.”
Following the pandemic, Holder chose to complete the rest of her high school education online, taking her off the field and away from marching.
“I vividly remember that Zoom conversation because it was just like, ‘All right … what do we need to test her on to make sure that she still knows what she knows from a marching band perspective and all that stuff?’” Tipton said.
Despite her time away from the field, Hold-
not as easy as it may seem.
That process, though, was
It all starts by putting out at the end of junior year, and then, the game is on. From there, the candidates participate in a two-part audition: prelims and finals. During the prelims, candidates conduct, command and march in front of judges before a brief interview. The first round of cuts limits the pool to no more than 10 finalists.
In the final round, candidates are put into the most high-stress, yet controlled, situation possible — conducting the band.
Day One involves conducting either “Spirit of Aggieland” or “Noble Men of Kyle,” in addition to a piece of their choosing. But, Day Two is when the real challenge is faced.
Remaining candidates are put in front of the band to teach them a drill that they learned that very morning.
In Tipton’s 10 years as a band director, Holder is only 1 of 30 drum majors that he has taught that uses just one arm for conducting.
“I don’t know that there’s anything that I could tell her that would mean more than that. It would’ve been so easy for her to have taken the pressure of being the first female and taking all the attention … and it cracking her, and it just didn’t. There’s not even a
“I’m just so stubborn,” Holder said. “ … Being a female, I don’t want anyone to have anything over me with that kind of stuff. I just fight through it.”
And she doesn’t just fight through the physical pain. Tipton said that one of his proudest memories of Holder was after the band’s performance at LSU — a rough showing that members took to heart.
“We had a tough drill and didn’t perform well, and that’s tough on them because they take it super, super personally,”
Tipton said. “The way Natalie handled the band after the fact was exactly what you would want. I mean, it was velvet and steel at the same time.”
A bit of crit-
er immediately marched into leadership roles within the band and the Corps of Cadets.
“It’s just about as tense or as stressful as it can be, but it’s also what you want,” Tipton said. “ … You don’t want them stressed, but you want them prepared.
“Natalie, from the moment she stepped on this campus, has been a leader in some form or fashion,” Tipton said. “ … She’s getting attention because she’s the first female to ever stand in front of that band in Kyle Field and call recall … but that’s not the reason she made it.”
‘It was worth it in the end’
… In a military band, if one person’s off by two inches, it’s like a red light blinking down the field.”
And stressed she was. Holder said her stress stemmed from her need for perfection — specifically with the position of her mace — a maroon, 3-foot conducting tool, with uneven weight distribution used to lead the band in cadence.
From being a leader in her fish class to having the potential to be the commander of the Fish Drill Team — if she didn’t go out for drum major, of course — Holder has led the people around
icism and a bit of love is what Holder sprinkled into the band following the performance — which, according to Tipton, is just what it
“I’m just a perfec-
Associate Life & Arts Editor
Avery Kracmer graduates from Texas A&M with a bachelor’s degree in journalism on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025
By Avery Kracmer Associate
Editor
A little over 3.5 years ago, I made the best decision of my life: I accepted my o er to attend Texas A&M. While I came out of the hospital within my rst week of life dressed in an A&M onesie — thanks, Dad — I originally wanted to get out of Texas and nd my independence.
Fortunately, I took my family’s advice — thanks again, Dad — and toured A&M for giggles. Little did I know, standing at what was formerly the center pole of Bon re Memorial, chills would rush over me. It was something I hadn’t felt in a very long time — a sense of belonging. From that day forward, I knew exactly where I was going to go to college.
Like most college students, I came to A&M thinking I knew exactly what I wanted to do. However, it took one entry-
level biology exam to show me kinesiology wasn’t the path for me. After debating what I wanted to do with my life, I landed on journalism — following exactly in my father’s footsteps — thanks again, Dad.
At the time, I wanted to go into public relations. Though I knew very little of the industry, I knew I liked to write and learn about anything and everything, both crucial for public relations.
Now, I must add — I knew nothing about how to write journalistically. In fact, I sobbed in my rst 200-level journalism course to the girl who sat next to me, my now dearest friend Shalina Sabih, about how to write a brief weather statement. But with time, I found my groove, and my passion ourished.
After taking my rst writing-intensive journalism course, I found my way to the lower level of the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, which is rumored to never see the light of day. Wandering into the student media o ce, I found myself signing up to write three stories for The Aggieland Yearbook. Just a few months later, I was o ered the position of managing editor for my junior year.
And, oh boy, did my love for storytelling begin to thrive.
I found my passion for feature writing, and I knew I would end my college career
writing features. Coming into this semester, I made the decision to transition over to The Battalion, which at one time was daunting but now seemed like the perfect place for me.
Thanks to my leadership team, Kynlee Bright and Ian Curtis, I immersed myself in the community — maybe knowing a little too much at times — and found my rhythm with the life & arts desk.
Leading my team of 16 writers with the amazingly talented editor and leader, Fallon Ferguson, was one of my proudest moments while at A&M. I watched my writers improve, grow in curiosity and step outside their comfort zones. Though I spent more hours a week in the basement of the MSC than I did sleeping, every hour, minute and second was worth it.
Journalism has taught me countless life lessons, including how to be persistent, have a strong work ethic and remain openminded. Connecting the Aggie community with deep human-interest stories of over 80,000 students and beyond has been oh so rewarding.
Though it’s hard to part with something so pivotal to my growth as both a writer and a person, I look forward to watching the publication continue to grow. The Battalion and journalism as a whole have shaped me into the con dent, curious and
strong-willed individual I am today.
Thank you, Fallon Ferguson, for working alongside my craziness and for matching my energy this semester. I am so proud of how much you’ve grown, and I can’t wait to see what you do with life & arts next semester.
Thank you, Ian Curtis, for taking a chance on me this semester and providing me with this opportunity. You’re the most talented writer I’ve ever met, and I know you’re going to go far.
Thank you, Kynlee Bright, for giving me the freedom to write what I want and for trusting my leadership style. The Batt is incredibly lucky to have both an extremely talented writer and leader guiding them. Thank you, Cara Hudson, for opening the door to leadership within student media two years ago with the yearbook. Thanks to you, I was able to grow more than I ever thought possible.
Thank you to my fellow editors, writers and advisors who have supported me every step of the way. I will miss y’all dearly, but know, I will always be watching. And, I must say it is true: From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it, and from the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.
Lastly, but certainly not least, thank you, Aggieland, for the best 3.5 years of my life. Your Fall 2025 associate life & arts editor, signing o .
Associate News Editor Hilani Quinones graduates from Texas A&M with a bachelor’s degree in political science on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025
By Hilani Quinones
Associate News Editor
When I rst arrived at Texas A&M, I believed deeply in the promise of this place — a campus that embraced Aggies of every background, culture and personality. People love to say that from the outside looking in, you can’t understand it, and from the inside looking out, you can’t explain it. I believed there was always a place for someone like me, even if I didn’t know what that looked like yet.
I remain endlessly grateful for the opportunities I found here — the editors who pushed me to be fearless, the mentors who opened doors, those who believed in me and the programs that a rmed my passions. These experiences challenged me, building me into someone I never imagined I could become. They are the reason leaving this place is painful, because they showed me what A&M is at its very best.
But as the years passed and with graduation fast approaching, that belief has changed. I will triumphantly walk across that stage, feeling a sense of freedom at the prospect of moving out to experience and embrace new cultures and horizons.
A&M’s recent decisions to cave to political and cultural pressures have complicated my devotion to calling it my alma mater. When politicized events also plagued the institution in the past, I was not entirely aware of how these critical issues a ected my student life.
After forming a tight-knit community within The Battalion, I now fully understand and realize the impact those decisions had on my last semester here. Covering the story of former President Mark A. Welsh III’s resignation forced me to confront this reality head on. Reporting on the subsequent ripple e ects made it clear how volatile higher education has become.
Yet, amid all this, The Battalion remains a haven for communicating truth and ideas. It was here where I discovered who I was and who I wanted to be. It was one of the few places where my voice truly belonged, and breaking news was both a job and a responsibility. The rush of live coverage reminded me that journalism still matters; it is more crucial now. Writing stories that landed above the fold of newspapers, late-night edits and frantic messages, a community was built that felt real in a way the rest of campus didn’t.
My time here has driven me to speak on the in uences that compel students, faculty and sta to stay quiet. My role has always been to report the truth. The most important statement I can make now is that I am steadfast in supporting those who resist the erosion of academic, creative and personal freedoms.
As someone whose identity has never quite t the mold, I’ve seen how vulnerable our communities feel when voices are sti ed. I hope future Aggies will not feel the same pressure to stay silent or be shadowed, but will be free to express their passions openly, teach boldly and innovate without fear. That they will not feel compelled to hide the most authentic parts of themselves simply because leaders meant to protect them choose politics over people.
I write this nal piece with gratitude.
To my fellow editors Julia, David, Braxton, Matthew, Mathias, Fallon, Avery, Isa, Kaleb, Ashely, Adriano, Julius, Theresa, Zoe, Kynlee and Ian for inspiring me and for cracking the best jokes in the newsroom that made my day.
To past editors, including Ana and Nico, who trained me and helped me learn the ropes of AP style, breaking news and more.
To the professors who guide students in the classroom and support us after.To my family and friends who never stopped believing in my path.
Finally, I write with hope that those who remain will rise up to protect what excellence we have left. That they will defend the classroom, the newsroom and every space where ideas still matter. I hope that they will ght for those who do not yet feel safe to come out and step into the light.
The Battalion gave me a voice. Now, I leave with the conviction to use it.
By Isa Chan Tack Life & Arts Writer
As temperatures begin to drop, the Christmas spirit will start making its way into the homes of many friends and families in Bryan-College Station. For some, the Christmas spirit may look like singing carols or nding toys under the tree, but for Ags REACH, spirit is spreading joy to families in need by providing free gifts to children.
The Holiday Gift Drive is a non-pro t event organized by The REACH Project, which was founded at Texas A&M in order to give back to the local community. Its goal is to provide Christmas gifts to children whose families are unable to a ord them.
Texas A&M’s Ags REACH chapter is hosting its Holiday Gift Drive speci cally to serve the families of essential Aggies — such as custodians and maintenance workers.
“We focus on the essential workers that make this campus thrive and are often overlooked,” biomedical sciences senior Caroline Anderson said. “That includes custodians, groundskeepers, maintenance, food service workers, everyone in this category. And so to me, it means being able to help those who help us.”
With the Holiday Gift Drive hoping to provide presents to over 280 kids this year, Ags REACH will need approximately two to three toys per child to run a successful drive, according to Anderson.
In order to gather all 660-plus gifts, Ags REACH gets help from community members, donors and other organizations so they can bring the Christmas spirit to local children during the holiday season.
“We do a lot of outreach, so we have some SLOs and FLOs that will donate to us, but we also have just regular students and community members donate toys,” Anderson said. “We process, we wrap all those gifts and then parents get to come and shop for the gifts and then put them under the tree on Christmas.”
Purchasing this many brand new toys can be costly, but — despite high costs — many participants are committed to donating to the drive. Ags REACH Family Engagement Specialist and nuclear engineering sophomore Angelina Bongratz said that she contributes, because helping bring Christmas gifts to a child outweighs the cost of purchasing toys.
“I’m a college student; I don’t have much money,” Bongratz said. “It’s a lot of
money, but for me, I think about, ‘Is the loss for me worth the thought of a kid getting Christmas presents?’ and to me, yes it is. I think that’s really important, especially when people may be struggling.”
Toy drop-o stations are located at the 12th Man Hall at the Memorial Student Center on Mondays and the McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship on Tuesdays and Thursdays. After the toys are collected, families that signed up to receive gifts can pick them up at the McFerrin Center on Saturday, Dec. 13.
“These recent years, we’ve been doing a ‘shopping experience,’ so rather than the children receiving the gifts wrapped, during the Holiday Gift Drive, the parents can pick out what gifts they want to give their child,” Ags REACH Executive Director of Service and architectural engineering junior Mariela Martinez said. “That way they can wrap it and give it to themselves on Christmas.”
According to Ags REACH, many essential Aggies face nancial struggles. But through the generosity of Ag’s REACH Holiday Gift Drive, these toys have brought Christmas spirit into the homes of many essential Aggies that may not have had the fortune of having presents under the tree otherwise.
“I think that sometimes essential Aggies struggle with making ends meet and being able to provide some of those little extra things, like gifts for their kids for Christmas,” Bongratz said. “… This is our way of giving back to them and making sure that they have Christmas gifts for their kids without having to worry about paying for it.”
The Holiday Gift Drive provides a variety of gifts for children of all ages. Martinez mentioned how the drive provided gifts for a pregnant mother, helping her provide clothes for her unborn baby.
“This mom came in, and she was still pregnant; she hadn’t had this child yet, but she still had still registered her soon-tobe child for the toy drive,” Martinez said. “… It made me feel happy that that kid will hopefully in the upcoming years be registered to receive more gifts now that he’s walking around in the world.”
While the Holiday Gift Drive creates special moments for many families, it also holds a special place for the people helping create those moments.
By Ava Whelan Life & Arts Writer
The soft glow of ickering Christmas lights illuminates the paths where families stroll. Festive melodies ring across owerbeds, and the scent of fresh hot cocoa brings warmth to a chilly December evening on campus.
On Dec. 7, The Gardens at Texas A&M University kicked o the holiday season with its annual Merry & Bright, Maroon & White Holiday Stroll. Featuring a light arrangement across the garden, warm drinks from the pavilion, locally grown pecans, informational activities and a special guest appearance from the North Pole, the stroll kicked o the season-long exhibit.
Spanning across 27 acres of West Campus, The Gardens serves as an outdoor classroom and public community space for engagement, teaching and research. This semester, engineering freshman Alden Bathurst volunteered at various events, including The Gardens holiday stroll.While working at the event’s entrance, Bathurst greeted attendees with a smile and handed out custom stickers featuring a holiday snowglobe of The Gardens’ pavilion draped in snow.
“The holiday time is a great way for people to get together and just have fun,” Bathurst said. “I think it’s a really great opportunity for the community to come outside.”
Along the lighted path, student organizations hosted fundraising and informational tables. The 12th Can, an on-campus, student-run food pantry that serves students, faculty and sta at A&M, accepted food donations throughout the night. Environmental health graduate student Jordan Helfrich volunteered at The 12th Can’s booth, where she expressed her motivation to give back to fellow Aggies during the holiday season.
“The donations from tonight will go directly to The 12th Can’s pantry; we take mainly canned non-perishables,” Helfrich said. “I am a rst-year Aggie, so since I’m only gonna be here for two years, I wanted to spend my time wisely by giving back to the community.”
Partnering with the Brazos Valley Food Bank, The 12th Can has served Aggies since 2013. With goals of eliminating hunger at A&M and raising awareness of food insecurity in college communities, the student-led
food pantry aims to showcase the power of the Aggie Spirit year-round, according to its website.
“We’ve seen a lot of students dropping o food, I’m assuming, that they had in their dorms before they leave for the holidays,” Helfrich said. “I am hoping that all the non-perishables like pasta and canned foods are going to be of some good use in the community.”
Further along the trail, the Texas A&M Horticulture Club hosted a small sale of its oaks and custom A&M frost-resistant pots to raise money for their merit-based scholarships, awarded to organization members each semester. Alongside the sale, the club’s table o ered passersby holiday horticulture educational facts about the Christmas tree industry. Communication senior Annelise Shaw said she enjoyed participating in the club’s poll, where attendees were able to vote for their favorite tree.
“The garden looked so festive, and the little trees were so cute,” Shaw said. “The event was very family-friendly; there were kids running around. I could tell they were excited to see Santa Claus.”
With craft stations cluttered with glittery red and green paper, Santa posing for photos and holiday classics played by a live band, the event o ered several activity stations. Event volunteer and accounting junior William Christy said that serving the community while being in The Gardens’ festive atmosphere sparks a growing anticipation for the season.
“I’m here to give back to the College Station community and A&M, but also to have some fun tonight as well,” Christy said. “It gets me into the holiday cheer, spreading joy to all who hear.”
As the evening concluded, attendees took their nal pictures of the glowing arrangements as they made their way toward the exit. As a rst-time Gardens visitor, Shaw said it was refreshing to experience a new environment on campus before returning her focus to exams.
“I think that it is very special to have pretty Christmas lights available to us on campus as students, especially during nals week,” Shaw said. “Taking a break fromnals to see the festivities has de nitely motivated me to nish the semester o strong.”
Team of 15 students takes home two championship titles
By Jolie Jackson News Reporter
The Texas A&M Meat Judging Team secured the national title at the International Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest on Nov. 16.
The contest, hosted by the American Meat Science Association, or AMSA, brought 109 students from 15 university programs to Dakota City, Nebraska, to showcase their knowledge and practical skills. Under the leadership of coach and animal science graduate student Gage Walsh, the team brought home a national championship.
The team’s judging experience started by registering for the Meat Selection, Evaluation and Grading course in Fall 2024, with competition beginning the following semester.
Each student is allowed one calendar year of meat judging, with the International Meat Judging Contest serving as the team’s eighth and nal contest.
At each contest, students are tasked with evaluating the quality of meat on animal carcasses and how much useful product, or yield, can be taken from the animal. Walsh
“marks” four students per contest to count toward the team’s group score.
“When we go into a contest, no one knows who the four are going to be,” agricultural economics senior Lily Ford said. “Our coach has always told us to go in there every time thinking your score will be marked, because our team was always very close with each other. I truly think that at any point, anybody on our team probably
GPA.
Of the 8 2025 All-Americans chosen, 3 were A&M students: Ford, animal science senior Taylor Colvin and animal science junior Coy Jacobs.
The GPA factor creates an additional challenge, as the team misses a week of school leading up to every contest.
“A big reason why they were successful and why they were even able to do this is
They lift each other up when they’re down, and a lot of people don’t realize, but you will not have a closer group of people.
Gage Walsh Coach and Animal Science Graduate Student
could have marked, and we still would have been successful.”
Students with high-marked scores are eligible for the All-American distinction, given by the AMSA. Each year, AMSA selects eight students across the United States for the All-American distinction, taking into account a student’s highest two marked individual scores in the rst seven contests, their nal contest score and their
because when you miss so much school, you need a support system,” Walsh said. “A lot of them are missing the same classes together, so they are on the struggle bus together. They lift each other up when they’re down, and a lot of people don’t realize, but you will not have a closer group of people.”
Along with making relationships with each other, Colvin said the team bonds with other collegiate meat judgers at contests.
“Something really unique about our team is that we’re pretty much the social butter ies of this meat judging season,” Colvin said. “Our team got to know every other college team out there so we could get to know as many people as possible.”
After meeting members of Australia’s Intercollegiate Meat Judging team, the A&M team was invited to compete in the Intercollegiate Meat Judging Competition in Wagga Wagga, Australia. The team left Australia with the international championship title.
The team’s success abroad, paired with a national championship to end the season, marks a successful end of Walsh’s coaching career.
He is headed toward nishing a master’s in animal science as the 2026 team gets ready to start its season in January. Beyond the awards, Walsh also leaves the legacy of a close-knit group that he played a key role in building.
“I told them at the beginning, these people on your team are going to be the same ones that are in your weddings, and your kids are gonna grow up together,” Walsh said. “You’re going to be friends until the time you graduate, and then even after that, because we drive America. I’d be lying if I said that it was always sunshine and rainbows, but I couldn’t have done it with any other kids.”
By Emily Anderson News Reporter
The Brazos County Emergency Communications District has been periodically testing out a new arti cial intelligence system to answer nonemergency 911 calls within the jurisdiction of the City of Bryan.
The Bryan location has used the AI system to answer calls from the public for about one hour so far. The plan is to turn on the AI answering service for brief periods over the next few weeks to smooth out kinks until it’s ready to be rolled out on a permanent basis.
Executive Director of the Brazos County Emergency Communications District
Patrick Corley said that the system was developed in response to a high volume of calls to the dispatch center in Bryan.
“There are a few di erent call centers in Brazos County that answer calls,” Corley said. “We’re one of the locations here in Bryan. We answer about 50,000 911 calls on an annual basis, but we have about 200,000 non-emergency calls that we have to answer.” Currently, the call center in Bryan is the only one in Brazos County that is developing a system to have AI answer nonemergency calls.
The non-emergency number is used to address many di erent issues including reporting inactive crimes, asking questions about city ordinances, ling complaints and
more. Emergency and non-emergency calls all report to the same dispatch o ce, which can cause an over ow of non-emergency calls and overload the resources of the call center. A telecommunicator at the Brazos County Emergency Communications District, Derek Faldik, has helped in the development process of the AI system.
He explained that the AI allows human dispatchers to focus on priority emergency calls.
“We only have so many people that
can answer 911 calls, so the more nonemergency calls we take, the less emergency capacity we have to take,” Faldik said.
The AI answering system, sourced through software company Prepared 911, can handle multiple calls at one time. It can also handle certain calls from beginning to end without human intervention, such as calls that ask simple questions or need to be transferred to other departments, according to Corley.
During the AI calls, a human is always monitoring the conversations and can immediately take over the call when words
that may indicate an emergency are agged.
The AI keeps transcripts of all calls so that it can gather information for a human dispatcher to follow up with a caller through text messaging after a call has ended. The AI can also listen to long stories that would otherwise take lots of time for a dispatcher to handle and create abbreviated notes for the dispatcher to look back on.
Faldik sees the AI system as something that helps out human dispatchers, not as something that is replacing human jobs.
“This is a super fast-growing community, and we need new ways to be able to expand our capabilities — and this is just one of those,” Faldik said.
Implementing the AI system will be a big cost savings, according to Corley.
“This is a very cost-e cient alternative to hiring more personnel, but I don’t see us ever reducing the number of people that we have currently working here based upon this AI,” Corley said. “Right now we’re just using it as a tool to help us give better customer service on those non-emergency issues.”
According to Corley, the initial cost of the AI system is $60,000, but it can handle the volume of calls of about eight or nine people that make close to $75,000 a year. Corley said he wants to get the word out about the new system.
“We want the public to be aware that we’re doing this and understand that their call may be answered by an AI agent, and that the real-world component of this is very important in kind of getting it right in the long term,” Corley said. “We ask for their patience as we kind of work through those calls and learn from some of the realworld examples that are there and get this working out the way we want it to.”
Opinion desk’s long-awaited reaction to trolls who always lurk in our comment sections
By The Battalion Opinion Staff
Oh, we’ve been waiting for this one. Since the dawn of opinions, there has been a lower class of intellectual discourse, one that relies on malice and wrath to elicit an emotional reaction.
Hate comments have always been a problem that any celebrity, public gure, corporation or other wellknown entity has had to endure. For all of the trolls typing endlessly away on their keyboards, this listicle is for you.
Opinion Columnist Joshua Abraham
“Well, you can certtainly say things without much truth or fact in suipport of your observations. It’s your right to do so. But you might want to really look at what your “truth’ is based on. Most people will take the easy path of following along a narrative that is based on half truths and lies. Don’t throw out words like facism and worse if you don’t really know the true meaning of such words. Kimmel was taken o for saying stupid and insensitve things, for which he “apologized”. But those comedians have been taken o the airwaves because the networks are losing millions of dollars annually on those programs. I can take your opinion and lay it side by side of arguments of mainstream media and nd that they are so much alike. Shallow thoughts. I used to lament the fact that the BAT wasn’t published much anymore. But given the quality of the articles i’m glad it is going away. No creativity anymore, just rehashing of tired old baseless accusations.”
Shallow thoughts?
You know what is shallow? Thinking Jimmy Kimmel was taken o the air because he had bad reviews, and it was losing ABC millions of dollars. In actuality, when he was taken o air, so many people unsubscribed that they had to reinstate him to try and make up for lost revenue.
Do you know what else is shallow? Your critical thinking skills. Not only can I actually spell fascism, but I can also de ne it pretty easily: a political system consisting of an authoritarian gurehead, excessive mil-
itarism, extreme nationalism and forcible oppression of ideas and people who attempt to counteract the ruling party’s ideologies — I dumbed it down for you. However, it’s not enough to simply de ne fascism; we must be able to identify it in our society, which you clearly have not done. I’m going to sleep well at night knowing that in the face of fascism, I stood up and called it out. Meanwhile, you saw what was happening in our country and chose to defend it. An Aggie doesn’t lie, cheat, steal or endorse fascism.
The problem with the media you complain about that endorses the kind of talking points I use is that they use actual evidence you don’t want to hear. You can say my opinion is invalid because it’s popular and unoriginal, but you can’t say it’s not based on evidence. That’s the di erence between you and me: My opinions are based on hard, cold facts, and your opinions are based on what people tell you — which is lled with propagandistic lies. There’s a di erence.
And don’t worry about the quality of our articles, worry about the quality of your comment — I’ve counted more grammatical errors in your comment than I have ngers on my hands. Our articles have standards; our comments should, too.
Opinion Writer Killian Netherton
“Oddly enough most aggies currently have better things to do than write opinions for a tainted fading newspaper. If it was good they would prolly attract better talent.”
Fortunately, during my time at The Battalion, I have not received hate comments on most of my articles — until I decided to write a hopeful piece about Charlie Kirk, who had just been assassinated a few weeks prior.
Strangely enough, even though I’m a conservative, this Instagram user mentioned The Battalion’s liberal bias in another comment before going on to mock the quality of our newspaper. Many of the comments also described how they lacked empathy for Kirk’s death, how I was supporting United States censorship of multiple gures and that Kirk belonged in the gates of hell.
Does no one have respect for the dead anymore? Indeed, the disheveled state of our society is evident in the apathetic responses this article has generated. What a disgrace. Even if you didn’t like him or appreciate him, you could at least show a morsel of respect for the dead.
If your mother recently died and she treated me terribly while she was alive, would I laugh in your face during the funeral? No, I would pay my respects because that’s what is expected of a decent person. It’s easy to give in to the temptation to roast
someone about their mediocre opinion or channel your anger as you engage in an online feud, but you can not lose sight of your humanity.
Do not let constant dopamine rushes dictate your path; do not allow yourself to live in a cycle of hatred. It has taken me a lot of willpower to restrain myself from mindlessly berating what easily quali es as a hateful comment, but controlling yourself and your emotions is the hallmark of a developed human being.
Opinion Columnist Wyatt Pickering
“Hi Nick, As a native of Punxsutawney, we appreciate all of the publicity we get. Thanks! Derogatory articles about Groundhog day seem to emerge every year. I try to read most of them for amusement.
I have to admit that I feel for Mr.Wyatt Pickering. The young man needs to get laid, or at least, mastrubate more often to improve his mood.
Just in case he missed the obvious, the Groundhog Day festivities are….how do I put this kindly…a joke! It’s been that way since 1887, or so, when it all started. Literally nobody in Punxsutawney is hiding that fact. But we do have fun with it.
I do hope that Mr. Pickering nds some peace in this world. His ability to reason is holding him back from greatness.”
Just to be clear, this email exists because I wrote a hate piece on a groundhog who “predicts” the weather. I’ve always written opinion articles, knowing that anything I say can be read by people across the globe. What I failed to consider is that natives of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, would take notice of my defamation of small, furry deities.
My least favorite Punxsatawaney Phil apologist observed that I would be a much nicer person if I decided to engage in more vigorous “self-care” activities. Unfortunately, I am unable to do so because I am simply too busy investigating Groundhog Day’s conspiracies and learning the made-up language of Groundhogese.
The only thing larger than my ever-growing cynicism for mammals is my need to be petty. And, in the true spirit of the holiday I have grown to hate, I’ve decided to create a poem to immortalize my thoughts on a man who thinks my ability to reason holds me back from “greatness.” Whatever that means.
There once was a man from Punxsatawaney, Who didn’t think of me that fondly. His love is great for a ground-dwelling fraud,
He treats this creature like it’s his god! I hate Phil, and I am not fond of you.
There will be six more weeks of winter, and I hope to never get another email from this insane loon.
Opinion Writer Sidney Uy “Hogwash. EDUCATION not indoctrination. There are PLENTY of courses and degree programs in nonsense at TAMU if your blue haired, bullring nosed pierced, gender confused ass wants to pay to pursue them.”
It’s an honor to be put in the same category of individuals who can shatter the ego of a middle-aged man and pull o a septum ring doing it. It truly is an honor that plenty of these disgruntled commenters believe that I look really cool and occasionally experience gender envy.
In that case, it should come as no surprise that my haters are spot-on. They deserve a participation award for repeating the same joke since 2017 while they dogpile away in the comment section. The accuracy is uncanny. Of course, I just dyed my hair jetblack, chugged a matcha latte, attended a local protest — yes, very underground — and gifted a four-year-old my annotated copy of Marx’s “Das Kapital” for their own personal enrichment.
I wake up every morning ready to indoctrinate some gullible children and instigate this century’s gender crusades. It’s in my glittery rainbow DNA. As a she/they opinion writer, why do my haters always go after my looks? Well, if you saw me, you’d be in psychosexual frustration, too. It’s Freud all the way down, baby. Stay woke.
Opinion Writer Aidan Zamany
“In 100 years someone is going to write about this article as an example of how people were really stupid at this point in time”
Perhaps to the unenlightened, 100 years seems a signi cant amount of time. It is a mere blink in the life of humanity. You are shortsighted. I would agree, however, that we do exist in the midst of a Dark Age, devoid of collective morality or any semblance of civilization.
Our era of fear and hopelessness is less so the result of amateur opinion articles written by students like me, but more probably the rhetoric that people like you perpetuate. You exist in a class of cowards, pretentious enough to lecture yet timid enough to obey. Your canvas is the world, and your brush is anti-intellectualism dipped in the type of acid that eats away at the columns of noble culture. Many of us are still patiently awaiting the next renaissance, but it is unlikely to come because of fools like you.
Religious freedom is being weaponized in classrooms
By Wyatt Pickering Opinion Columnist
Nothing good comes out of Oklahoma, including the essays written there.
The political world has been turned upside down this past week over a grade of zero given to a University of Oklahoma student — psychology junior Samantha Fulnecky — who claims that her essay received an incorrect grade due to her religious beliefs.
Let me be clear, Fulnecky did not receive a zero because she is a Christian; she got a zero because she failed to write a competent essay that addressed the given prompt, as shown in the rubric and professor feedback posted online, including in posts by Oklahoma’s Turning Point USA chapter on social media. Instead, she chose to villanize transgender people and make her lackluster academic skills everyone else’s problem.
If anyone else had written an essay of such poor quality, it would have never gotten to this level of rhetoric and action. This cannot be a case of religious discrimination when she is being empowered by her very own university and political gures in the state of Oklahoma to push such a narrative.
This is just one example on a growing list of students taking advantage of professors and educational spaces’ supposed “liberal indoctrination,” implying that the course material con icts with their personal beliefs. When that occurs, they drum up controversy on social media, and in uential political commentators and groups use this to further their own culture wars.
It’s a vicious and concerning tactic that will continue to gain momentum, and more people and institutions will be a ected.
Just look at what’s happened at Texas A&M this past semester. Senior lecturer Melissa McCoul was red after a student was lmed confronting McCoul about the teaching material, stating that the discussion of transgender people con icts with state law. This video was spread online by Texas state Rep. Brian Harrison (R-10) and in uential X account Libs of TikTok. After this video became so widespread, it
resulted in the stepping down of our very own former President Mark A. Welsh III and the eventual decision by the Board of Regents to restrict discussion of race and gender ideology in classrooms in conjunction with existing restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, policies. All it took was for one class to be recorded to cause this much of an impact; just imagine this occurring on a much larger scale in
universities across the United States. It looks as though Oklahoma is taking a much similar approach to how A&M handled our latest controversy by placing the graduate assistant on leave after giving Fulnecky such an awful grade and placing a professor on leave as well who allowed excused absences for students protesting the removal of this assistant. The DEI witch hunts are happening again, and this time,
they are a ecting the lives and careers of people in academic spaces.
The constant barrage of attacks on universities will continue to a ect educational outcomes negatively for thousands of students. Neutering classroom discussions in the hopes that “controversial” topics are avoided creates an issue of complicity and lackluster experiences for those who want to engage with such topics.
We live in a world where manufactured controversy outweighs the research done by professors. Universities that rely on taxpayer dollars are now forced to sanitize classes to appease to politicians and easily upset groups. Classrooms should not be political battlegrounds, yet they are being treated as such.
Regardless of whether you believe in the merits of whatever you consider DEI to be, it serves no purpose to muzzle the discussion and research of this topic. It’s still important to discuss in academic spaces, and silencing those who welcome these tough discussions only serves to make these issues more important to discuss in our modern society. We wouldn’t be ring professors over this if it weren’t.
Like DEI, religion is an important topic that deserves to be discussed in classrooms. However, the use of faith has become a scapegoat for people like Fulnecky to hide behind when their mediocre work unsurprisingly receives a low grade.
If you are someone who chooses to blame persecution for your bad essay — regardless of race, religion or political a liation — and put people’s livelihoods in jeopardy because of it, it’s evident that you lack a moral compass and will choose to play victim rather than improve your academic abilities.
This issue is much larger than receiving a zero for a 650-word reaction paper in a psychology class. We are seeing the continuous weaponization of religious beliefs in academic spaces to silence topics we disagree with. It’s going to continue happening unless we refuse to accept behavior like this and make it a priority to protect our academic spaces from the toxic culture war occurring in America today.
Wyatt Pickering is a business honors and nance junior and opinion columnist for The Battalion.
By Mathias Cubillan Associate Sports Editor
As coach Mike Elko navigates a major impending coaching departure amid the program’s most successful season in recent memory, No. 7 Texas A&M football prepares to weather the storm against No. 10 Miami in its rst appearance in the College Football Playo on Saturday, Dec. 20.
After a year that saw the Maroon and White nish the regular season 11th in opponent-adjusted o ensive e ciency, according to BCF Toys, 36-year-old o ensive coordinator Collin Klein was announced as the next head coach at Kansas State, his alma mater, on Dec. 4. Klein will stay with the Aggies through the postseason as their o ensive coordinator and playcaller.
“Collin’s not the only one, obviously,” Elko said at his Monday press conference.
“I think it’s a very collaborative process that we go through on o ense. I have a ton of con dence in Collin, in who he is as a man and who he is as a competitor, that he’ll give the focus and energy that he needs to to ensure that this thing is done the right way and nished the right way.”
Even with the o ensive success in 2025, A&M is coming o its second-lowest-scoring game of the season against then-No. 16 Texas. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed struggled against a vaunted Longhorn defense in a zero-touchdown, two-interception performance.
For Miami, sixth-year redshirt senior QB Carson Beck was the big-ticket transfer acquisition brought in to save the Hurricanes following 2024 Heisman Trophy nalist QB Cam Ward’s departure to NFL purgatory with the Tennessee Titans.
Despite at one point having rst-round buzz before aming out with Georgia, Beck has continued to be inconsistent for Miami. The Mandarin High School product has thrown for 3,072 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, including a four-interception nadir against Louisville.
“I think he’s an extremely talented quarterback,” Elko said. “You see that throughout the year. Obviously he does a really, really good job of delivering the football. They’ve got a really explosive passing attack, di erent variety of screens, short game, pushing the ball down the eld, and I think he delivers it all very well, very accurate. … And so we have to go to work and come up with a good plan on how to try to create a little bit of indecision for him, at least try to muddy the waters a little bit as best we can.”
Beck’s primary weapon is the human embodiment of the word “twitch.” Freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney moves with a uidity that makes it seem as if he doesn’t have ACLs, functioning as the versatile chess piece that gets moved around the formation in coach Mario Cristobal’s o ense.
Toney has racked up the fourth-most receiving yards in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 970 to go along with 10 touchdowns accounted for on o ense.
“What an unbelievably talented football player,” Elko said. “ … He’s electric when he gets it in his hands. For a young kid, he runs routes exceptionally well. He makes contested catches. He’s an absolute dude of a young player and certainly will grow into being a top-5 pick, I’m sure, before this thing’s all over. … When you can’t identify where he’s going to be all the time, obviously that makes it a lot more challenging for a defense to nd ways to leverage him and corral him.”
To deal with the Beck-Toney connection, the Aggies will need to lean on a pass rush that nished the year with the thirdmost team sacks by an A&M team in the College Football Playo era but went dormant against the Longhorns with only two.
Southeastern Conference sack leader redshirt senior defensive end Cashius Howell, fresh o First Team All-SEC honors,
is likely to rush up against an elite tackle pairing in the brobdignanian 6-foot-9 senior left tackle Markel Bell and junior right tackle Francis Mauigoa. Miami’s pass rush is no slouch, collecting 34 total sacks and 76 tackles for loss. Sixth-year redshirt senior defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor and likely rst-round NFL Draft pick junior DL Rueben Bain Jr. combined for 11.5 quarterback takedowns o the edge.
“I think it’s the best combination of defensive ends that we’ve seen in my time here, probably going all the way back to 2018,” Elko said. “These two kids can absolutely destroy a game. They’re really, really talented. And then they’ve got a lot of really big, long, athletic inside bodies. I think they’ve only given up 79 runs or four yards or more in 12 games.”
With both defensive lines capable of taking over the game, Elko spotlighted how much the 12th Man can in uence the outcome despite the early 11 a.m. kicko . “I think we have to understand the urgency of the moment,” Elko said. “ … The more opportunities we get to play in those types of games, the better it is for our program. … And it’s just another opportunity for us
Aggies face off against powerful Hurricanes
By Matthew Seaver Associate Sports Editor
Heading into the matchup between No. 7 Texas A&M football and No. 10 Miami on Saturday, Dec. 20, at Kyle Field, the two programs have had distinctly di erent — yet somewhat similar — seasons.
The Aggies were No. 19 in the preseason AP Poll, then strung together 11 wins before falling to then-No. 16 rival Texas in the nal game of the regular season. Meanwhile, Miami was 5-0, then dropped a pair of one-score games against middling SMU and Louisville teams in the middle of the season.
from Temple High School. Junior linebacker Taurean York is the eyes and ears for defensive playcaller and coach Mike Elko. With green-dot duty,York is going to be responsible for diagnosing the Miami o ense before the Hurricanes can graduate from tropical storms. With 68 combined tackles, 11 tackles for loss along with a single sack,York was named to the 2025 All-SEC Third Team. What he doesn’t have in eye-popping measurables or athleticism,York more than makes up for in game IQ. York is a football intellectual and knows where to be in order to halt opposing o enses; he’ll need to be fully locked in against Miami’s lethal aerial attack.
Carson Beck, 6th-year redshirt senior quarterback, Miami
What the Aggies and Hurricanes do have in common is their wins over Notre Dame. The victory over the Fighting Irish is the highest ranked win on both teams’ records and earned both a spot in the College Football Playo . Miami and A&M each also managed to work their way up to No. 3 this season and now nd themselves facing o in the rst round.
Marcel Reed, redshirt sophomore quarterback, Texas A&M
The Aggies’ starter under center was having a historic season for the Maroon and White, with the most passing touchdowns for A&M since the days of Johnny Manziel. However, redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed seemingly played himself out of Heisman Trophy contention after throwing two brutal interceptions against the Longhorns.
The two-time national championship winner with the Georgia Bulldogs shocked the college football atmosphere when he announced his transfer from “between the hedges” to Miami. In the nal season of his collegiate career with the Hurricanes, 6thyear senior QB Carson Beck has looked more of the same. He proved to still be accident prone, with his 10 interceptions leading the Atlantic Coast Conference, including four thrown in Miami’s loss to Louisville.
While Beck hasn’t found the same individual success as his Hurricane QB predecessor — eventual No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft Cam Ward — he’s gotten the job done for Miami, earning the program’s rst CFP berth. If Beck can stay calm and get the ball in his playmakers hands, watch out for Miami to rack up plenty of points.
Rueben Bain Jr., junior defensive lineman, Miami
One of the top edge rushers in the 2026 NFL Draft, junior defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. hasn’t piled up sacks this season, but he has been an absolute game-wrecker for the Miami defense, embarrassing opponents’ o ensive linemen all year.
The 25 passing touchdowns Reed boasts could be even greater if it weren’t for an extremely spotty deep ball that has often overthrown wide-open receivers down eld. As a dual-threat talent, Reed has also accumulated 466 yards and six touchdowns on the ground; he’ll need every bit of that mobility to avoid the Category 5 Hurricane pass rush. The Aggies’ o ensive livelihood will depend on Reed being consistent through the air and his ability to stay composed under pressure.
KC Concepcion, junior wide receiver, Texas A&M
As the Aggies’ most reliable pass catcher this season, junior wide receiver KC Concepcion has been elite since he traded NC State Wolfpack red for Aggie maroon. With nine receiving touchdowns — the most in the Southeastern Conference — Concepcion is addicted to nding the end zone, so expect him to put points on the board against Miami.
Concepcion isn’t just an elite o ensive weapon but a playmaker on special teams, 1 of just 5 players nationally with multiple punt return touchdowns in 2025. The First Team All-SEC wide receiver and return specialist is going to leave his mark on in his nal game at Kyle Field before he eventually hears his name called in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Taurean York, junior linebacker, Texas A&M
The Aggies’ defensive captain has been a starter since arriving in College Station
The Aggie o ensive line is certainly going to have its hands full trying to contain the ACC 2025 Defensive Player of the Year. However, A&M graduate student o ensive lineman Trey Zuhn III said the Aggies aren’t afraid of the man nicknamed “Hurricane.”
“I don’t think he’ll be a threat that we need to worry about too much,” Zuhn said. “You know we have great players, we got a great o ensive line, so we’ll be able to handle him.”
Malachi Toney, freshman wide receiver, Miami
Former three-star recruit, according to 247Sports, freshman WR Malachi Toney has been a breakout star for the Hurricanes o ense in 2025.The Miami native is an elite Swiss — or rather Floridian — Army knife with 970 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns, to go along with 89 yards and one touchdown on the ground. He’s also not afraid to throw the ball with two passing touchdowns this season.
Toney took home ACC overall and offensive rookie of the season this year and will demonstrate exactly why he earned those honors when he exposes the Aggies’ secondary. The true freshman only turned 18 in September and will have no problem getting into the end zone at Kyle Field.
Aggies looks to send Cardinals flying as they square o in NCAA Tournament Round of 16 for spot in Quarterfinals
By Kynlee Bright Managing Editor
A trip north to Lincoln, Nebraska, will see 3-seed Texas A&M volleyball take on 2-seed Louisville, where the Aggies hope to disturb the nest to secure a spot in the Quarter nals of the NCAA Tournament. With their seasons on the line, here are key players to watch as the Aggies play the Cardinals.
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, senior middle blocker, Texas A&M
Leading the Southeastern Conference in total blocks, blocks per set and hitting percentage at 170, 1.67 and 0.427, respectively, is senior middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla who has been a staple for the Maroon and White this season. During her outing against Campbell, Cos-Okpalla’s 165th block of the year made her the player with the most blocks in the SEC in a single season since 1999.
Cos-Okpalla received the call in the fourth round of the 2025 Major League Volleyball Draft when she was selected by the Atlanta Vibe. It wasn’t just for her presence at the net, as the 6-foot-2 Flower Mound native leads the team in aces, sitting at 38 on the season. Look for her to stu hitters at the net or deliver an untouchable top spin from behind the line in the match against the Cardinals.
Logan Lednicky, senior opposite hitter, Texas A&M
From digs on backrow to sharp line kills, senior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky has served as a trailblazer on both o ense and defense for the Aggies. The lefty leads the Maroon and White in points with 454.5 and kills at 398 — ranking fourth in career kills for A&M.
In each of her last 19 games, she has recorded double-digit kills, but almost more impressively, the opposite hitter sits just behind the leading passer, senior libero Ava Underwood, with 275 digs on the season. Whether she’s hitting a ve across court or a D-ball from the back row, watch for her to deliver blows across the net to continue her streak as an explosive o ensive front as she did against then-6-seed TCU to secure A&M’s spot in the Round of 16.
Maddie Waak, senior setter, Texas A&M
With 1,172 assists on the season, senior setter Maddie Waak has been the backbone of the Fightin’ Farmers. The Katy native leads the division in assists per set at 11.49.
While setting is her strength, her smart decision making is what makes her a threat on o ense.
It is not uncommon for her to push to deep corners or tip to center court. But, even more deadly is when the lefty rears back and takes a swing across court to an unexpecting defense — like in the game against Campbell when Waak scored backto-back points in Set 3, the rst o an assist from senior OH Emily Hellmuth before Waak put down an overpass from Campbell junior setter Lauren Wheeler.
Ava Underwood, senior libero, Texas A&M
Defending the court is Underwood who wears the coveted No. 12. The libero has dove to the front of A&M’s defense with a team-leading 284 digs. In 3 of her last 4 outings, Underwood has led all players in digs.
The 5-foot-7 defender had her best outing in an early-season game against Central Arkansas when she recorded 19 digs on the night, followed closely by her showing against then-No. 3 Kentucky when she recorded 15. Look for the Fulshear native to save deep shanks — like in A&M’s match against TCU — or take a diving leap to center court to keep the game alive against the Cardinals.
Chloe Chicoine, junior outside hitter, Louisville
Junior outside hitter Chloe Chicoine can be found on the Atlantic Coast Conference top-20 leaderboards, namely for kills and digs, making her a dual threat for the Cardinals. With 387 kills on the season, ranking her ninth in the conference, and an average of 3.25 per set, the McCutcheon High School product is a force at the net.
However, her all-around ability is what marks her as a key player, as she has recorded 332 digs for the Cardinals, only behind junior L Kamden Schrand who has recorded an impressive 477 digs on the season. Watch for the Lafayette, Indiana, native to take control at the net as she did in Louisville’s second round game against Marquette to secure the ve-set victory, recording a staggering 28 kills to send the Cardinals to the Round of 16.
Cara Cresse, redshirt senior middle blocker, Louisville
Leading the team in blocks at 171 is none other than 6-foot-6 redshirt senior MB Cara Cresse. The wall of steel at the net not only leads the team in blocks but also in hitting percentage as she sits at .350.
In her most recent outing against Marquette, Cresse recorded 13 kills on the night, hit an impressive .478. She led the team in blocks with seven and tacked on an ace. Against A&M, watch for the Cardinal to hand the Aggies denials at the net as she looks to improve on her season-high 14 blocks against then-No. 2 Texas.
‘We just want the next round so bad’: A&M meets Louisville in Nebraska for chance to punch Quarterfinals ticket
By Ava Loth Sports Writer
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 Quarter nals for the rst time since 2001.
In back-to-back seasons, the Aggies have been a xture 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 ve-set loss to then 2-seed Wisconsin.
“It’s a little bit di erent 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 rst round after it swept Campbell on Dec. 5, and then took on a more challenging test against TCU on Dec. 6. After su ering 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 o ense. 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 ve-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 rst time this season.
The Cardinals made a deep run in the tournament last year, earning a spot in the championship nal. 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 Quarter nals 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.
