The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
24-4, 14-2Big 12
SMU
26-8, 18-2AAC
No. 4 Volleyball advances to 11th-straight Sweet 16 with sweep of SMU
12.03.2016 | Volleyball
Junior Ebony Nwanebu led Texas with 15 kills, hitting .577.
AUSTIN, Texas — No. 4 Texas Volleyball (24-4) advanced to its 11th-straight NCAA Regional semifinal with its sweep of SMU (25-15, 25-18, 25-12) on Saturday night at Gregory Gym.
The Longhorns will advance to the "Sweet 16" for the 29th time in program history, improving to 65-9 in NCAA matches played in Austin and 85-30 in NCAA matches all-time.
Junior outside hitter Ebony Nwanebu led the team in kills for the ninth time on the season with 15, hitting .577.
Senior Paulina Prieto Cerame and freshman Micaya White also finished in double-digit kills, Prieto Cerame with 14 (.312) and White with 13 (.414).
As a team, Texas registered a .438 hitting percentage for the match for the fifth time this year that the Longhorns have earned above a .400 hitting percentage.
Texas was also sharp defensively as they held SMU to .144 hitting percentage, including a -.029 mark in the third set.
Three Longhorns posted double-digit digs, junior Cat McCoy leading with 18, White adding 12 and senior Chloe Collins 10 to go along with her 45 assists.
As play opened, the Mustangs jumped out to an early 4-1 lead on the Horns, but Texas battled back to tie it 6-6 on a kill from Prieto Cerame. A kill from Nwanebu gave Texas their first lead of the match, 8-7. The two teams began to trade points, until the Horns were able to create some distance on a 3-0 run that saw two kills from Collins, bringing the score to 15-11.
SMU called a timeout hoping to stunt the Horns momentum, but as play continued the gap widened to six points, 18-12. The home team would go on to only give up three more points on the way to winning the first set, 25-15.
In the second set, it was the Longhorns that got off to a hot start taking a 7-4 lead. The Mustangs battled back with help from junior outside hitter Lauren Mills who had three kills to bring the visitors within one point, 12-11. White and Prieto Cerame began to come alive at this point in the set, combining for seven kills to stretch the lead to 19-15.
Two errors from the Mustangs and yet another Prieto Cerame kill forced the visitors into a timeout with a 15-22 disadvantage. Kills from outside hitters Yaasmeen Bedart-Ghani (1) and Nwanebu (2) would earn the Horns a set two victory, 25-18.
The Longhorns again found an early lead in the third set, 8-4. Texas then went on a 6-0 rally including three kills from White to stretch the lead to 14-5. The Mustangs simply could not find an offensive rhythm, calling a timeout trailing 18-9. The break would not be enough to stop the home team as they mounted another 6-0 scoring rally. A kill from White set up match point for Texas, who went on to earn the sweep.
The Horns will face BYU on Friday, Dec. 9 at Gregory Gym.
Postgame Quotes
TEXAS
Texas Head Coach Jerritt Elliott
Opening Statement: Let's give credit where credit is due to SMU for reaching the second round of the tournament. This is the first time in their program history, and I think they are doing a great job down there. It is a really good team. You know we had our concerns going in. They are just a grinding team, those kids just work really hard. Their libero is a fighter and their two middles are really good. Our worry was their middles and being able to contain them and their opposite. I just thought on our inside we were just really steady tonight, and it started with our first touch and what Cat (McCoy)was doing back there as a libero. We just managed our game very well and with good touches. Chloe (Collins) setting a good offense you know we were just kind of relentless with our offense. You know when you are below six percent hitting error; our goal is to be at twelve. This offense and our kill percentage can be a challenge for teams to defend.
On the effect of Texas' top hitters hitting well: It starts out with our passing. When our passing is there, our hitting percentages go up. So Chloe just did a good job and as our middles improve, teams are respecting them a little bit more, so it's starting to open up some seams and starting to really do some things for our offense. I think Chloe's starting to see the block better and make some better decisions and set better location. The whole flow of everything is going well, and when we're doing that, we've got such powerful arms and experienced attackers that they do a really good job.
On the development of the confidence of the team since its last loss to Iowa State: I think it's more relaxed. There's more confidence, but I think that some of the goals that we set after that was just to make sure that we're looking at each other in the eye and had positive talk. That positive talk starts with our self, so positive self-talk going through our head and making players around you better. This season hasn't been as easy as seasons past as we've lost some more games. But as I've said, it's been more enjoyable. I've lost a lot more sleep, but it's been in trying to figure out the equation to it. I feel like right now we've lost five games, we've had matches when we've been hitting over .400, so it's been an ongoing battle, it's been nonstop communication with our captains and our team in terms of how we're going to get this and get some belief in them. They wanted to do that, so the confidence comes from what they've been doing and their hard work that they've been doing on a daily basis. Hopefully it's good enough for another win next weekend.
Junior Libero Cat McCoy
Overall thoughts on making the Sweet Sixteen: It is obviously really exciting. It is a blessing to get to the sweet sixteen. Is not as easy as everyone thinks. We are really lucky to be hosting it and having our fans support, because that is huge for us. Obviously, last year that was unbelievable. So hopefully everyone comes out and supports us, and we are really excited about it.
On defensively allowing a .144 percentage and what was working for them: In practice Jerritt, Erik (Sullivan) and Tonya (Johnson), they just have really been emphasizing the kind of roll court to make easier on Chloe so she can set nice balls to our pin hitters and our middles. Just been working on that in practice, and I just made that the focus tonight. I know Autumn (Rounsaville) did and Nicole (Dalton) did as well.
On the effect of the atmosphere of Gregory Gym: I just think our fans are so loud. Especially during postseason, they really get into it and for you to make a great rally at the end of the point, the crowd's just electric, it really feeds off of us. So it's really going to help next weekend for sure.
Senior Setter Chloe Collins
On what the day was like for the graduates Chloe and Paulina: My day began at 8. I woke up this morning around 8. I had breakfast, and then I had to be at the ceremony at 10:30. It started exactly at 12. It was prompt and at 1:30 pm, I got back to gym and at 2 pm, I warmed up a little bit and served and passed to get ready for the game. It was one thing after another, but it was an awesome day just having my family there. Seeing them smile and be so proud. I'm just so happy.
On worry about any possible additional stress, tiredness or emotion from the graduation day: I think that my whole phobia was not staying in my heels too long. But other than that, no. The other day, Jerritt did a really great job of planning it out for us so we were not stressed. We were just able to come in and focus on the match.
Senior Outside Hitter Paulina Prieto Cerame
On what the day was like for the graduates Chloe and Paulina: It was a hectic day, but with my family not being here, it was awesome to have my teammates and Jerritt there at the graduation and just a blessing to be able to get a college degree.
SMU
SMU Head Coach Lisa Seifert
Opening Statement: First I just want to wish the University of Texas all the best in the rest of the tournament. I'm incredibly proud of what we've been able to accomplish over the course of the last four months. I don't know if anybody other than the SMU staff in here saw us play in September, but we've definitely developed and grown. We took another huge step in the history of the program, and I'm really proud of that.
On how tough it was to play Texas: The fundamental part of what we were trying to do was win the serve and pass game, but to be honest, even if you serve incredibly tough, the ball is going to go to the pin out of system. But as athletic and high as they are, they are still able to crush balls. What we tried to do with that defensively is move our defenders up and in. But even with that we weren't able to hold on. It was just hard to match up.
On how the team has improved from last season: The senior class is very strong; they are emotionally very strong. The work ethic is incredible. The passion for the game and for each other is incredible. I believe I mentioned yesterday, our team chemistry, I really believe that has been the X factor through the whole course of the season. We've had some ups and downs, but we stayed together, and they've continued to work.
Junior Outside Hitter Katie Hegarty
On her journey this year: Last spring we lost a lot of strong seniors, and we had a huge freshman class come in, so in the spring we didn't know what we were going to look like this season. Coach told us from day one that we can make it make to this point. We could do some things in conference, and she had more faith in us than ourselves. But our development over the season, I couldn't be more proud. We had a great senior class this year, as well, but we have some strong freshmen that are going to step in some really important positions for us. But I'm really proud.
On if she surprised herself this season: Definitely. Last year I stepped into a big role that was vacated by a previous right side and I was kind of figuring things out. The coaching staff was just so supportive. This was the first time ever playing back row, first time doing a lot of things for me, so there was a lot of personal growth in that season as well. I couldn't have done it without the support of all my teammates and my coaching staff. It was a great season overall.
On what Texas did to them defensively: They are a very big block, and they are very well coached. They knew what we were going to bring at them. We were doing shots and doing some different things, but it was something we haven't seen before. They were very big, and we respected that.
