Still looking for some rhythm, volleyball gets ugly wins against Lipscomb, UTSA

By Steve Habel, Senior Editor

AUSTIN, Texas — Don’t think for a minute that the Texas volleyball team that beat Oregon and then lost to top-ranked Nebraska last week in the Vert Challenge in Eugene, Ore., is the squad UT coach Jerritt Elliott expected to have on the floor once this season began.

You can thank the academic ineligibility of junior middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu for the fact that the Longhorns, the national runner-up last season and the No. 2-ranked team to begin the 2016 campaign, possess a huge hole in their attack that Nebraska was able to exploit.

In the same vein, don’t opine [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]that the Longhorns that stuttered a bit in beating Lipscomb and then Texas-San Antonio Thursday during their initial home action of the season and the first of three days of matches at the American Campus Classic at Gregory Gym are the squad that likely still will carry Texas to a sixth consecutive Big 12 championship and the NCAA tournament later this fall.

This is a team that, without Ogbogu, will be searching for an identity and a leader. The lack of both of those aspects were on display when Texas dropped a set on the way to a 25-19, 26-24, 22-25, 25-22 win against Lipscomb Thursday afternoon.

Then the Longhorns struggled to dominate Texas-San Antonio, the team picked in the preseason to finish second in Conference USA, in the evening match, sweeping the Roadrunners 27-25, 25-23, 25-21 in a match that easily could have gone wrong.

“This time of year, it’s about trying to find your rhythm,” Elliott said after the win over UTSA. “It’s not always smooth, and we have a lot to work on, but tonight we showed some grit and as the day went on, we improved. We had some good performances against some quality teams.”

Junior Ebony Nwanebu and senior Chloe Collins posted double-doubles to lead Texas in its 3-1 defeat of Lipscomb. Nwanebu posted her second double-double of the season and third-straight match with double-digit kills with a season-high 25 kills, hitting .458. She also added 11 digs, two blocks and one ace.

Collins led the Longhorns in assists (43) and blocks (six) and senior Paulina Prieto Cerame (12) and freshman Micaya White (13) also recorded double-digit kill totals. The Longhorns hit .349 in the match and out-blocked Lipscomb, 11-6.

After Texas won the first two sets, the third set was a battle, as neither team led by more than two until Lipscomb took an 11-8 advantage and stretched the lead to 16-11. From there, the Bison did not let up. The Longhorns went on a 4-1 run at the end of the set, but Lipscomb held on, 25-22.

The beginning of the fourth set was reminiscent of the third as the Bison jumped out to an early 5-4 lead and followed with a 9-2 run to lead, 14-6. Three kills from Nwanebu narrowed the gap, but Lipscomb maintained a two or three-point lead until the Longhorns closed the gap to one point to trail at 22-21 and tied the score at 22. From there, a Collins kill, a White kill and two more kills from Nwanebu gave Texas the lead and the win, closing the set and the match, 25-22.

Carlyle Nusbaum led Lipscomb with 16 kills and four blocks.

In the nightcap, Collins again led the way with 28 assists and 15 digs, two kills, two aces and one block.

White and Cerame led the Longhorns with double-digit kills, recording 13 and 10, respectively. White’s 13 kills came on 28 swings for a .393 hitting percentage, while Prieto Cerame hit .318.

Sophomore Morgan Johnson posted a team-high seven blocks and as s a team, Texas hit .280 and held UTSA to .198.

Texas took the first two sets despite being extended to the finish and assumed control of the third with a 4-1 run when the two teams were tied at 9-9. The Roadrunners stayed close and tied the score once again at 14 and took their first lead of the set at 16-15 but the Longhorns answered with a 4-0 run and ride than momentum to the sweep.

UTSA’s Dajana Boskovic led UTSA with 16 kills and six digs.

Texas (3-1) will face Army at 7:30 p.m.

Friday its third match of the American Campus Classic.

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