The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
20-2, 10-1
West Virginia
5-16, 0-8
No. 5 Volleyball sweeps West Virginia at home
11.05.2015 | Volleyball
Senior Molly McCage posted a perfect hitting percentage on eight kills.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 5 Texas Volleyball defeated West Virginia, 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-9) on Thursday night inside Gregory Gym to improve to 20-2 on the season and 10-1 in Big 12 Conference play.
Senior Molly McCage had a career-high perfect hitting percentage, posting eight kills on eight attempts with no errors. She also added five block assists, helping to extend her rank as the all-time Texas leader. Junior Chloe Collins also had a perfect hitting percentage on her three kills for the night.
Junior Chiaka Ogbogu also recorded a season-best hitting percentage with nine kills on 12 attempts and no errors at .750.
Senior Amy Neal led the Longhorns in kills with 13 (.303), while junior Paulina Prieto-Cerame joined her in the double digits with 10 kills (.600).
As a team, Texas hit its second-best mark of the season at .488, while holding West Virginia to .174. This marks the 14th time this season Texas has held its opponent to .200 or below. The Longhorns also outblocked the Mountaineers, 15-4.
The score was tied at six early in the first set until the Longhorns went on a 6-0 run, featuring a Cat McCoy ace and three-consecutive Prieto-Cerame kills to take a 12-6 lead. Texas operated on cruise control from there, holding an 11-point advantage three times and closing out the set 25-14.
West Virginia came out strong in the second set, heading into the first media timeout with a 15-13 advantage over Texas. The Longhorns battled back with kills from Ogbogu and Prieto-Cerame to tie the score and a Mountaineer error gave Texas its first lead of the set at 16-15. The Longhorns continued to improve on the margin, forcing a West Virginia timeout after a McCage block gave the Horns a 19-16 advantage. Texas never let up and took the second set, 25-21.
After opening the third set on a 9-2 run, the Longhorns continued to dominate the court behind strong blocking efforts, including four McCage block assists, and a .545 hitting percentage. UT closed out the set 25-9 for its 16th sweep of the season.
Texas will hit the road to take on No. 10 Kansas on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m. The match can be streamed live at http://es.pn/20qxVRA.
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Jerritt Elliott
On winning back-to-back sweeps: Well it's just trying to get back and finding rhythm, feeling good about ourselves and getting ready to play at a high level next week.
On slow starts in the first and second sets: I don't think the first set it was a slow start; offensively our numbers were good. We gave them some easy outs and they know that. Tonight we struggled blocking the outside hitters tremendously. Block timing, blocking position… they were hitting over .400 on one-passes and dig transition outside. That was the difference in game two, we just couldn't stop them. Sometimes the block timing is a little bit different with some teams, and they were kind of hitting on their way down and it took us a while to make that adjustment.
On winning set three so decisively: I think we slowed down their outside hitters; we got them in situations that we were able to transition. Offensively, our numbers were good all night long and our transition game was at a high level. Again, we were giving a ton of first-ball kills on the outside and a lot of option passes and big transitions. That was the difference to really just give us some opportunities to get separation.
On Texas' 45 kills and four errors in the match: I like it. When we're in that position we're tough to beat. It's how we have to play, and we have to play at a high level and that's what we're doing and focusing on.
On looking forward to playing Kansas in Lawrence next week: We need mental toughness. If you take a loss you you're able to kind of learn from it, I think it puts a sort of urgency for every practice and every match, and now we have to be ready to go there and win in their house. It'll be a great match. I'm sure they feel like they can play a lot better than they did here. We played our best match of the season when we played them and we'll have to come back at a high level. That place is a tough place to play and we'll have to deal with the crowd being loud and the emotions of that, but that's what this program is made out of, is being to play in those kind of environments and play at a high level regardless of what's going on around you.
On shifting the mindset from a winless West Virginia team to a tough Kansas squad: I think there's a huge difference, but coaches are probably more worried about a match like tonight's than they are with Kansas because I think the girls will be prepared emotionally for that. The key is how to get your team to be good night in and night out and respect every opponent. I thought tonight we did a nice job of that. We'll watch the film, we'll get prepared, we'll do what we do with our routines, we'll go there and see what we can do.
On the programs lead in the game and upcoming Kansas: This program has great leadership. I think these girls take a lot of pride in what they are doing. You are worried if they are going to come out and play at their highest level. I don't think they are going to be a let down, so much as are they going to come out and sustain and motivate themselves. That's what you expect form great teams and great athletes. I am very proud of this team and they are a great group. They are committed to what they are doing, so I don't lose sleepless nights whether they are going to prepared or not. I think they do a good job of that.
Senior Middle Blocker Molly McCage
On the turnaround in the second set: For us it just was communicating. Talking to our main blockers and telling them to wait, so that you can get good touches for our defense. And making sure everyone is on the same page.
Junior Setter Chloe Collins
On what's it is like being a setter and knowing your hitters will make a good play for you: As a setter, it's absolutely great, knowing that you have hitters that can just go up and terminate the ball. It is awesome.
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