The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
9-0, 1-0Big 12
West Virginia
10-4, 0-1Big 12
No. 2 Volleyball defeats West Virginia in Big 12 opener
09.24.2014 | Volleyball
Texas defeated West Virginia, 3-2 for its first win in conference play and a 9-0 start to the season.
MORGANTOWN, W.V. -- No. 2 Texas Volleyball opened Big 12 Conference play with a 3-2 (23-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-18, 15-7) win over West Virginia on Wednesday night in Morgantown, W.V.
It marked the fourth-consecutive year that the Longhorns have won their conference opener.
Senior Haley Eckerman led Texas with 12 kills and nine digs.
Sophomore Paulina Prieto Cerame posted a career-high 11 kills and a .409 hitting percentage, while senior Khat Bell and sophomore Chiaka Ogbogu led the Longhorns in blocks with eight apiece. Bell also finished with eight kills and six digs.
Freshman Cat McCoy posted 24 digs for her third match this year with 20 or more digs.
The first set was filled with service errors from both teams, but the Longhorns and Mountaineers traded points until West Virginia executed a 6-0 run to take an 18-12 lead. Texas went on a 6-0 run of its own and tied it up at 23, but WVU won the last two points and took the first set, 25-23.
The second set stayed even until West Virginia won six of eight points to take an 18-13 lead. Texas closed the gap enough to trail, 19-20, but the Mountaineers won the last five points and the second set, 25-19.
The third set was a different story, as the Longhorns led by as many as eight points and had 43 of their 62 kills. Texas pulled away after the teams tied at 4 and didn't let up to win the third set, 25-20.
The fourth set was similar to the third set, as UT pulled away after the teams were tied at three, winning nine of the next 10 points and taking a 12-4 lead. WVU came back within three, but could not close the gap and Texas won set four, 25-18.
In the fifth set, the Longhorns jumped out to an early 5-2 lead. From there, they took the momentum and ran with it, finishing the set and the match, 15-7.
Texas will return to Gregory Gym to host Iowa State on Wednesday, Oct. 1 in the team's Big 12 home opener at 7 p.m. The match will be aired live on the Longhorn Network.
Post-match Comments
Head coach Jerritt Elliott
On what happened after the second set: We just calmed down. We were very error-prone, very uneasy on our side of the net and we just couldn't get in rhythm. Luckily, we had a chance to settle down and an opportunity to get focused.
