The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
34-straight and counting: The magic of Gregory Gym
10.24.2014 | Volleyball
The Longhorns have turned Gregory Gym into one of the country’s best home-court advantages.
Tyler Godwin, Media Relations
AUSTIN, Texas –
September 14, 2012.
The iPhone 4S had just been introduced, President Barack Obama was still in his first term, replacement refs were still in charge of the NFL and the songs, Gangnam Style and Thrift Shop, were just starting to gain popularity.
And No. 6 Texas Volleyball lost to No. 23 Illinois in five sets at Gregory Gym.
Now, five iPhones later and Texas still hasn't lost at home.
On Wednesday night, 768 days later, the No. 2 Longhorns broke the school record by winning their 34th-straight home match with a sweep over TCU.
"It's very impressive," Texas Head Coach Jerritt Elliott said. "It means a lot in regards to the program the players and what the alumni have created here. They've bought in and we've got a rich tradition."
Senior three-time All-American Haley Eckerman, who led the team with 12 kills and an ace on Wednesday night, recognizes how special the streak really is.
"We always talk about the people that came before us and that's what Jerritt [Elliott] said, the players before us built that legacy," said Eckerman. "Now we're continuing the legacy. This is what we want the younger girls to do when they get here, so it's just kind of a standard we have here."
Seniors Khat Bell and Eckerman have indeed built a standard, only losing twice thus far at Gregory Gym in their four years on the Forty Acres, with a record of 53-2.
"Playing at Gregory means everything," said Bell, two-time All-American. "The last four years have meant a lot to me and so have the girls that I've played with in the past and right now. I love Gregory. It's an amazing gymnasium with a great atmosphere."
Bell, who had nine kills and three blocks on Wednesday night, credits the fans for part of the reason why Texas broke the record.
"The crowd gets us through close games, for sure. The crowd never stops cheering us on, even when we're playing bad."
In the 34-match span at Gregory Gym, the Longhorns have won six playoff matches and beaten 10 Top-25 teams, including No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Stanford, No. 4 USC and No. 12 Nebraska.
Texas has built a home court advantage over the years. Dating back to 2007, Texas has a record of 116-4 (.967 win percentage) and has yet to drop a set at home this season, sweeping all seven matches.
For Eckerman, there is nothing better than playing in front of a sold-out crowd at Gregory.
"It's such a great environment," Eckerman said. "I love being here and knowing we're going to have support, no matter who we are playing. On and off the court, everyone supports us."
Over the last four years, Eckerman and the fans have developed a special bond. Each time the senior serves, the crowd yells, "BOOM!", putting extra emphasis on her powerful serve.
"It's really cool when they [the fans] do the 'BOOM' when I serve," Eckerman said. "At first, it kind of catches some girls off because they're not expecting it. It's really quiet and then out of nowhere, there's like a big boom. It never gets old."
But it hasn't all been an easy ride. Eckerman still remembers the loss to Illinois back in 2012.
"That was a great game and we played really well against them," said Eckerman. "Then we ended up going there and beating them in five the next year. It's hard losing here. It was tough, but we used it as motivation and ended up winning the season [National Championship]."
Eckerman said it's important to stay grounded and focused for each game.
"Last year, we had that feeling of what it felt like to lose, so I think coming in this year, we just know that we can't take any game for granted, or any play for granted," Eckerman said. "We are just staying focused on that and making sure we are going all out, every point."
With at least seven home games remaining in the season, Bell and Eckerman want to finish their legacy the right way, but they're taking it one game at a time.
"We're always motivating each other, keeping the intensity up and working hard in practice," Bell said. "We just want to make sure we're doing the things we need to do."
Texas looks to extend its streak on Saturday with a matchup against Oklahoma. First serve is set for 5 p.m. CT and will be televised nationally on Longhorn Network.
