For three weeks, Texas A&M volleyball coach Laurie Corbelli has been cheering for every Big 12 team to do well.

Corbelli was hoping for the league's teams to raise their RPIs early, so that when they spend the next 11 weeks pounding on each other the losses won't count against them much and wins will mean more in the NCAA selection committee's view.

Big 12 play began Wednesday night for every team but the Aggies, who must wait until an afternoon match in Lubbock on Saturday against Texas Tech.

"I think in the long run it was good," Corbelli said about how the Big 12 teams fared in nonconference play. "We had a couple of losses that proved that the playing field [has evened], and a couple of teams may have slipped a little bit, but not against unranked or top RPI teams."

Corbelli has reason to be concerned about how the Big 12 is perceived after the Aggies missed the 64-team NCAA tournament each of the last three seasons, including in 2008 when A&M finished tied for fourth in the league standings.

Only four teams advanced from the conference, but the strength of the Big 12 may have been proven by the fact that three made it to the Elite 8. That group included Iowa State, which is the team A&M tied for fourth.

"Those three [nonconference] weeks, there's so much emphasis put on them by the committee," Corbelli said. "For 11 weeks now we are playing teams that are really strong except for a couple, and even they still beat up on half the nation."

Texas and Nebraska, league co-champions in 2008, have dominated the top two spots in the Big 12 over the past few years while a handful of others have vied for the other three or four spots in the upper division.

No. 2 Texas gets the nod to win the Big 12 this season with three All-Americans returning, while Nebraska must replace All-American Jordan Larson.

"I think it's a lot closer race this year, given the graduating class in the Big 12 last year," Corbelli said. "Experience and reps, you can't put your finger on how important that is and we are lucky we have that as well as Baylor and some of the other teams."

The Big 12 has four teams -- Texas, Nebraska, Iowa State and Baylor -- ranked in the top 25, while Kansas State, another team hit hard by graduation, and Texas A&M are just a few votes away from breaking into the poll.

Corbelli was pleased with what she saw during the Aggies' 7-1 nonconference campaign, even though a loss at St. Mary's was a missed opportunity to show they could beat a high-caliber team.

"I thought we got a couple of really good wins under our belt," senior right side Jennifer Banse said. "I think we made huge improvements whether it was visible or not in areas that we really needed to improve. I'm happy with way it went, we learned a lot out of our loss and got something out of all the wins as well."

The Aggies have shown a good balance. Outside hitters Sarah Ammerman and Mary Batis each collected an MVP trophy at a tournament, Banse equaled career highs with 15 kills in a couple of matches, and setter Kristen Schevikhoven leads the Big 12 in assists per set.

Corbelli has also been pleased with how the freshmen middle blockers have stepped in and helped.

Lindsey Miller and Alisia Kastmo are both starting after sophomore Stephanie Minnerly went out with a season-ending knee injury in the first weekend of the season.

"I'm amazed. I can't even express how lucky we are to have them in the middle," Corbelli said. "Not only are they talented, they could have approached this as being intimidated by the seniors who are bound and determined to have a season they will never forget, and yet they are now a big part of it."

The Aggies have also added another freshman to the starting lineup in libero Tori Mellinger.

"With Mellinger, she is nails as a passer, serve receiver, which for this team right now is so important for us, for out setter to run the offense," Corbelli said. "It also plays a large role in that I know Kelsey [Black] and Chelsea [Ringel], both who have served as libero for us in the past, have to be ready to attack and we have to maximize their ability as attackers for our team now and for our team in the future."

The future is now, though, for the handful of seniors that have not made it to the NCAA tournament.

"There is no other option and that's it," Banse said.

TEXAS A&M VOLLEYBALL

* Saturday's match: Texas A&M at Texas Tech, 2 p.m.

* Records: Texas A&M (7-1), Texas Tech (2-8, 0-1 Big 12)