Horns Volleyball Sweeps Past BaylorBehind Typically Balanced Attack

By Steve Habel/Associate Editor

The Texas volleyball team is so balanced that six different players have led the Longhorns in kills in the 12 matches this season, a scenario that keeps opponents guessing about where the Longhorns’ next kill is coming from.

The Horns’ easy [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] 25-12, 25-13, 25-17 sweep past overwhelmed Baylor Tuesday night at Gregory Gym was another example of how the squad’s statistics makes it hard to determine its starters from its reserves, its leaders from its followers.

Eight Longhorns had kills and eight recorded blocks against Baylor before a crowd of 2,504. It was Texas’s 51^st consecutive home Big 12 win. The Longhorns (12-0, 4-0 in conference play) have won their first 12 matches for the first time since 2009, when they started the season 18-0.

“This group has great chemistry and understands how to work together, even if the rotations are a little different from match to match,” Texas coach Jerritt Elliott said. “We are very deep and balanced but the important part of that aspect is that all our players work together .”

Haley Eckerman and Chiaka Ogbogu paced the Longhorns with seven kills each and Khat Bell added six as Texas rang up a .473 kill percentage on 55 total swings.

The Longhorns also dominated on the defensive side, garnering 11 blocks and 27 digs, in the process holding Baylor (10-8, 1-3 in Big 12 play) to a .047 kill percentage. Molly McCage led UT with five block assists and Cat McCoy and Amy Neal had six digs each.

Baylor was led by Katie Staiger’s eight kills, Laura Jones’ two blocks and Hope Ogden’s six digs.

For the first time this season, Elliott did not even need to call a time out in the match. Baylor never led and there were just six tie scores in the match, four of those in the final set, the latest at 6-6.

Texas won 19 of its 75 overall points on Neal’s serve (she had four aces), and ended the match with 11 overall aces.

The Longhorns return to the court Thursday with a home match against surprising Texas Tech (14-2, 2-2 in Big 12 play).

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