By Steve Habel/Senior Editor
AUSTIN, Texas — There were stretches in the Texas volleyball team’s 25-23, 25-21, 25-17 victory Wednesday at Gregory Gym over TCU when errors piled up and opportunities were missed, when it was difficult to understand just how the second-ranked Longhorns continue to win the way they do.
But then there were lengthy runs of absolute dominance, spurred by the Longhorns’ superior talent and coaching, when everything comes together and Texas shines.
The Longhorns (15-2 overall and 7-0 in Big 12 play) continued to flex their muscles [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]against conference opponents. Texas is now 30-1 versus Big 12 teams since October 25, 2014. The three-set sweep was just the Longhorns’ sixth of the season — the last was Sept. 14 at home against Texas A&M — and its first of the conference campaign.
Texas coach Jerritt Elliott had an answer for the Longhorns’ inconsistency: TCU is a good team that played well and the conference, as a whole, is improving.
“I didn’t realize this was our first sweep in conference,” Elliott said afterward. “Our season and our improvement, practice to practice, is a process and (the) conference is getting better. Good teams turn into great teams when they play Texas.”
Freshman outside hitter Micaya White led the Longhorns with 13 kills, the eighth straight match and 12th time this season when she either led or shared the team lead in kills. Senior outside hitter Paulina Prieto Cerame and sophomore middle blocker Morgan Johnson each had 10 kills.
Senior setter Chloe Collins distributed 37 of the Longhorns’ 40 assists and added 15 digs. Junior libero Cat McCoy led Texas with 19 digs, marking the 13th time in 17 games McCoy has been the team’s defensive leader.
TCU (10-8, 3-5 Big 12) was led by Natalie Gower’s eight kills, by Lamprini Konstantinidou’s 13 assists and Kayla Scheevel’s 12 digs.
The Longhorns were quick to remember that TCU handed them a three-set loss at the end of the 2015 regular season and tried to channel a bit of a revenge factor from that match. But TCU was a stubborn victim, keeping a small advantage or keeping the set tied until an ace by Collins put Texas in front for the first time at 8-7.
Ahead moments later at 10-9, the Longhorns won seven of the next eight points in a stretch that included kills by junior outside hitter Ebony Nwanebu and White, a combo block by Nwanebu and Morgan Johnson and an ace from McCoy.
The Horned Frogs saved their best play for the end of the set, winning four consecutive points once Texas got the set to 24-19, but failed on their comeback when Konstantinidou’s serve floated long at set point, granting the Longhorns a 25-23 win.
TCU outhit Texas, .194-.152, in the first set, outblocked the Longhorns, 2-1, and had 11 kills to UT’s 12.
“(Elliott) challenged me to step things up after the first set,” Johnson said, “and I was able to get some great passes from Chloe and make some things happen.”
The Horned Frogs were even tougher in the second set, running out to a 9-6 lead before Texas fashioned an 8-2 run to take a 14-11 advantage. TCU tied the set at 16 on a kill by Smith and took a 17-16 advantage when she ripped another kill. The Longhorns then inched away, scoring seven of the next 10 points before a kill by Nwanebu and a combo block by Johnson and White secured the second set at 25-21.
TCU just ran out of gas in the third set, as Texas outhit the Horned Frogs, .333-.139, had 14 kills to TCU’s 10 and held a 3-2 edge in blocks. The Longhorns never trailed, leading by as many as seven points three times before taking the set at 25-17 and the match.
Texas takes its game to the South Plains Friday for a matchup with at Texas Tech before returning home Oct. 26 to play Oklahoma.
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