Longhorn Volleyball Blocked by BYU on Path to National Championship

Controversial changed call creates final momentum swing in Texas’ four-set loss to BYU in national semifinals

By Steve Habel/Associate Editor

OKLAHOMA CITY – The least correlated statistic in college volleyball remains the impact of the block to both to the bottom line in the box score and the psyche the team getting a ball back in its face.

But don’t try to tell Texas coach Jerritt Elliott that blocking doesn’t make a huge difference in winning matches at the highest level of the collegiate game – he preaches the importance the block in every practice.

Blocking, and just the thought of being blocked, was the key factor Thursday as BYU used its massive front line to dispatch second-seeded and sixth-ranked Texas 25-23, 25-16, 17-25, 26-24 in the semifinals of the NCAA championship tournament at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

With the loss, the Longhorns fell in the semifinals to [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]an unseeded team for the second consecutive season, a disappointing ending to another stellar campaign for the most successful and consistent program on the 40 Acres.

BYU, with a frontline that featured 6-foot-7 Jennifer Hamson and 6-foot-4 Amy Boswell, racked up 17 blocks and held Texas to a season-low .162 hitting percentage. The most important blocks came in the deciding fourth set when the Cougars fought back from a 22-20 deficit and forged a final surge that ultimately doomed the Longhorns (which finished the season at 27-3).

“BYU played exceptionally well and their block caused a lot of problems for us,” Texas coach Jerritt Elliott said. “BYU proved how important blocking is to winning championships.

“When you’re blocking like (BYU is) and you’re getting first-ball kills like they are, it can be overwhelming,” Elliott explained. “You don’t have an answer. And you just keep getting slugged.”

The two teams were tied at 24-24 when Hamson, a first-team All-America who led all players with 22 kills and 25.5 total points, jumped high and pounded a kill that was originally ruled out. But the call was quickly changed by the refereeing crew to a touch by Texas’ Amy Neal, handing a crucial point to BYU.

After a Longhorns timeout and a protracted argument by Elliott about the reversed call, Hamson slammed a final kill off the fingertips of Texas’ All-American outside hitter Haley Eckerman to clinch the win.

“We knew BYU was big and that they were the top blocking team (in the nation),” Eckerman said. “BYU came in and knew how to control the game. We fought back; everyone was trying to change things up and get back into it.”

Asked directly if the Hamson’s kill at 24-24 in set four was touched, Eckerman empathically said it wasn’t. “I can promise you that,” she added.

One point does not a match make, but the timing of the changed call was a dagger to the heart of the Longhorns’ comeback hopes.

“We were getting more momentum and I told our team, ‘if we get this game, they’re in trouble’ because Hamson is getting tired, just from the pure amount of swings that she was taking,” Elliott said. “I felt that was going to be a big key. And I felt really good – I saw that ball go out and saw our chance to serve for the match.”

The ESPN cameras saw it Elliott’s way, indicating that Neal did not touch Hamson’s kill, but there is no instant replay in college volleyball.

“We were able to get our middles going and change the transition game a little bit,” Elliott said. “I thought (BYU was) starting to slow down physically.

“What we were hoping to do is get into that fifth set and give us a little more of a charge. I thought our passing was picking up and we did some nice things. We’re devastated that we didn’t win.”

The controversial finish overshadowed a superlative performance by BYU’s Alexa Gray, a second-team All-American and the West Coast Conference player of the year. Gray recorded 19 kills from 38 swings and was more of an offensive factor than Hamson, her taller, first-team All-America teammate.

Tambre Nobles added 11 kills for the Cougars (30-4), who will face either Stanford or Penn State for the championship on Saturday.

Texas got a career-high 14 kills and a career-best hitting percentage of .500 from sophomore middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu (also a first-team All-America) and nine kills each from Khat Bell and Eckerman, the team’s two senior leaders. Eckerman hit just .033 in her final match for the Longhorns, her worst production of the season.

“This is a competitive group,” Elliott summarized. “I didn’t realize we’ve been to nine straight Elite Eights and six out of last seven Final Fours. We’ve been in this (losing) situation five out of the six times we’ve been to the Final Four and we’ll learn from the experience.

“We’ve got to get back and look at some things and where we need to get better,” he added. “Now we’ve got some different personnel. And we’ll get them motivated. But right now it’s time to rest and reflect. And it’s been a long, long season.”

One that the Longhorns wish they could have extended for one more game.

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