VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW

Last year’s loss to UCLA Bruins in the NCAA Regionals prevented the Longhorns from making their fourth consecutive trip to the Final Four. And as in years past, the eventual national champions dealt the Texas volleyball team their season-ending loss. The Bruins defeated Illinois to claim their first national title in 20 years. As Jerritt Elliott enters his 12^th season as the Longhorns’ head coach, his mission remains the same: contend for the conference and national titles. Under Elliott, Texas has claimed three consecutive Big 12 Championships (2007-2009) and maintained a 111-17 record between 2008 and 2011, which includes just five conference losses. “We’re an elite program striving for a National Championship year in and year out — and we’re in that ballpark every year,” Elliott says. Although Elliott’s….

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record is impressive, Mick Haley, who coached between 1980 and 1996, led the Longhorns to 12 straight conference titles and three consecutive Final Four appearances. Elliott needs a few more titles to eclipse Haley, but he’s on the right path.

Armed with a star-studded recruiting class, along with the talent remaining after some minor attrition in the offseason, Elliott and his Longhorns have a legitimate shot at this season’s national title. Nine letter winners return from last season in which the Longhorns finished 25-5 (15-1), with Oklahoma dealing Texas its lone conference loss. The Longhorns won 14-straight conference games after losing to the Sooners in late September. With the exception of their losses against No. 11 Minnesota and No. 7 Florida very early in the year, this was a dominant team last season. Elliott may not orchestrate a run like Haley did in the ’80s, but given his recruiting expertise, he can make a case for having the most talent on the court in any given match. The returning core from last year’s squad includes juniors Sarah Palmer, Bailey Webster and Hannah Allison, along with sophomores Khat Bell and Haley Eckerman. Webster, Eckerman and Bell are all important pieces on the Longhorns’ front line, and every middle blocker and outside hitter is a force to be reckoned with. Including this year’s recruiting class, Texas will have a total of six players over 6’3” on the roster, giving Elliott plenty of bodies to rotate into the front line. Palmer and Allison complete the team, playing the libero and setter positions, respectively respectively. The Longhorns are shorthanded at libero. Palmer is the only upperclassmen at the position, but she can handle pressure. And as was the case last season, the freshmen can make an impact in their first year with the team.

As juniors, Palmer and Allison will need to teach the younger players the ins and outs of the game, all the while keeping the team composed and in top form. Bell — one of last year’s brightest freshmen — suffered a season-ending ACL tear in her left knee during a conference game against Kansas. Fortunately for the Longhorns, she’ll return to the court this season. “I’ve never seen an athlete come back from an injury this fast,” Elliott says. “Mentally, [the injury] made me stronger and appreciate the game even more,” Bell adds. “I feel like a better player than I was before the injury.” Talent alone may not win games, but experience and solid knowledge of the game do. And Elliott’s freshmen seem to arrive on campus with a leg up on any other signees in the nation. His recruits either played internationally or with a Youth National Team upon signing their letters of intent.

This year, Elliott wrangled in two former U.S. Youth National Team members: Nicole Dalton and Molly McCage. Prep Volleyball rated McCage, a 6’3” middle blocker from Klein Collins High School, as the No. 1 incoming freshman in the nation. She competed in numerous international tournaments over the years, and served as cap- tain for the 2010 Youth National Team that won the NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship. McCage adds depth for the Longhorns. She will serve as a great backup option to Bell, although the two may compete for playing time early in the season. “Molly’s a physical athlete … fast off the floor with a good arm,” Elliott says. “She has the potential to be a great middle blocker in terms of her attacking and blocking abilities, along with her speed. She competes at a very high level and will get after it from day one.” Sara Hattis, a 6’4” middle blocker from Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho, N.M., will also compete with Bell and McCage for playing time. A dual-sport athlete in high school, ESPNU ranked Hattis among the nation’s top 100 basketball recruits before she chose to play volleyball at Texas. She led Cleveland to a state runner-up finish in her senior season, even though she picked up volleyball later than most athletes. She’s only played with her club volleyball team for three months. “We’re fortunate that Sara chose volleyball over basketball,” Elliott says. “She has big hands, plays long and has a quick arm swing. She’s a big-time player … she’ll just need to adapt to the speed and physicality of our gym. We have a lot of confidence in where she’ll end up. She could be the best blocker in this class.”

One of the most esteemed of the five incoming freshmen is Nicole Dalton, a 6’2” outside hitter from Chaparral High School in Parker, Colo. The two-time Colorado Volleyball Player of the Year (2010-2011) led her Front Range AAU team to a bronze medal at the AAU Championships in 2011. She also played with McCage on the 2011 U.S. Youth National Team that competed in the FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championship in Turkey. Ranked No. 6 in the nation by Prep Volleyball, Dalton could make an impact sooner rather than later for the Longhorns. “Nicole has the skill set to play right side in our program,” Elliott comments. “She’ll compete from day one at two positions, giving us some flexibility to run a 5-1 or 6-2 offense.” “Nicole’s a tremendous leader who understands understands the game at a high level for her age. I’m excited on what she brings to the table with her setting, ball control, leadership and competitive desire to win,” he adds. Analysts describe Dalton as dominant and overpowering, but she maintains a poised demeanor on the court. She’ll need to show that poise throughout the Longhorns’ arduous season which includes matchups against Penn State, Florida and last year’s NCAA runner-up, Illinois.

Rounding out this year’s recruiting class are two players whose presence on the court exceeds their physical stature. Amy Neal and Kat Brooks both play libero, and will back up Palmer, the Longhorn’s position expert. Brooks stands at 5’3” and hails from Honolulu, Hawaii, just a stone’s throw from Palmer’s hometown of Kailua. Brooks’ recruitment shows Elliott’s continued fondness for Hawaiian liberos — former Longhorn Sydney Yogi also came to Texas from the Honolulu area. Brooks brings the same skill set that made both Yogi and Palmer two of the most recognizable, and successful liberos in Texas history. “Kat’s a little under-sized, but she has a huge heart and competes well,” Elliott says. “She’s extremely feisty and outspoken in a positive way.” Amy Neal spent her high school days playing at nearby Lake Travis. Rated as the nation’s No. 18 recruit, the 5’10” Neal was named the 2011 Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year for the state of Texas. At Lake Travis, she played outside hitter almost exclusively, but due to her size will likely fit into the libero at Texas. “Amy’s a dynamic athlete and can hurt the opponent in many areas,” Elliott says. “She’s good from the service line, she’s a great back row attacker and efficient in the front court. Because of what she can do in terms of passing, she gives us options.” The 2012 recruiting class brings to the table enough talent and experience to engineer another postseason run.

Like last season, the Longhorns will face tough tests from ranked foes in Florida, Penn State and Minnesota at the Big 4 Tournament in early September. Texas will also have a chance to redeem themselves against Illinois when the Fighting Illini, along with UCF and Cincinnati, visit Austin for a yet-to-be named tournament in the middle of September. These two back-to-back tournaments will challenge Texas, but if they can come away unscathed, they’ll position themselves for another strong conference showing. As always, the team will need to perform late in the year when the games matter the most. Elliott rarely runs into issues reaching the postseason, or even winning games once there. Yet getting over the hump and winning a national title remains to be seen. With the history that surrounds the volleyball program, and the accomplishments made during Elliott’s tenure, a national title should never go uncontested by the Longhorns. This year the Longhorns will host an NCAA Regional, giving them a distinct home court advantage due to less travel and the overall familiarity of playing in their own gym. Winning their own Regional will serve as the first step towards the Longhorns reaching the 2012 Final Four in Louisville, Ky. “The expectations are to keep winning,” Eckerman says. “We need to get better than we were last year, and move closer to the Final Four and the National Championship.” [/s2If]
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