The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
West Virginia
No. 1 Volleyball preview: at West Virginia
11.11.2020 | Volleyball
The Longhorns head back on the road to face the Mountaineers on Thursday and Friday.
#1 Texas Volleyball at West Virginia
Texas: 12-0 | WVU: 7-5
Thursday, Nov. 12 – 5 p.m. CT | Friday, Nov. 13 – 5 p.m. CT
WVU Coliseum | Morgantown, W.Va.
Top-Ranked Texas
Texas is ranked No. 1 in the 2020 AVCA Top-15 poll for the seventh-consecutive week. The poll debuted on Sept. 30, with Texas at No. 1 and with a 12-0 record the Longhorns have remained in that spot. Texas currently leads the Big 12 with a .337 hitting percentage and 14.51 kills per set.
The West Virginia Series
Texas leads the all-time series with West Virginia 16-0, and holds an 8-0 advantage all-time in Morgantown. Last season, the Longhorns completed a pair of sweeps over the Mountaineers. In the meeting at West Virginia, Asjia O'Neal was unstoppable, putting down eight kills on eight attempts for a perfect hitting percentage and adding seven blocks, two aces and two digs. Skylar Fields led the team with 13 kills and a career-best eight blocks.
Dominant Effort from Butler
Brionne Butler was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season following the wins over No. 3 Baylor. Butler was a dominant force in the middle, finishing with 17 blocks and 21 kills during the two wins over the Bears. The junior MB hit a team-high .419, averaging 2.10 kills per set, while also averaging 1.70 blocks. In last Friday's five-set win, Butler had a career high-tying 11 total blocks. Following the two wins over Oklahoma to open the season, Butler earned the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week award. This is Butler's fifth career award and her third as Defensive Player of the Week.
Most Efficient Team In The Nation
As a team in 2019, Texas hit .325 on the season, to lead the nation. That mark was also tied for fourth-best in Longhorn history, matching the percentage hit in 2012. So far this season, Texas is third in the nation at a clip of .337. The trio of Brionne Butler, Asjia O'Neal and Molly Phillips are the top three hitters in the Big 12. Butler is hitting .448, while O'Neal is at a .385 clip and Phillips is hitting .363. Skylar Fields is hitting .320 and Logan Eggleston is at a clip of .302. All five of those players rank in the top 10 in hitting in the Big 12.
Sharing the Wealth
With five attackers hitting at a very high level, the Longhorns have managed to create a balanced offensive attack. Setter Jhenna Gabriel has been a big part of that and leads the big 12 and ranks fourth nationally with 11.65 assists per set. Twice this season she has set a career high with 58 assists in a match. Gabriel's 58 assists at Oklahoma on Sept. 25 are third-most in a four-set match this season.
Balanced Offensive Attack
In the Sept. 25 win over Oklahoma, Texas accomplished something it had not done since the 2010 season, when five Longhorns finished with double digit kills. Logan Eggleston led the Longhorns for the second-straight night, totaling 18 kills while Skylar Fields finished with 16 kills and added two blocks. Brionne Butler had 12 kills and five blocks, while Molly Phillips also had 12 kills and three blocks. Asjia O'Neal finished with 11 kills and five blocks.
3-PEAT
Logan Eggleston was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for the first three weeks of the season. She became the first Texas Volleyball player to receive the Big 12's weekly award for offense or defense over three straight weeks. The junior continues to lead Texas and the Big 12 in kills with 5.12 per set. Eggleston's 133 service aces are the second-most in the league. Her .359 hitting percentage this season is the fourth-best among Big 12 players. In addition to Eggleston's three awards, Brionne Butler earned the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week award following the two wins over Oklahoma to open the season.
Celebrating Shook
Following the Nov. 6 match against Baylor, Texas recognized senior Ashley Shook, who is playing her final matches for Texas. Shook is finishing a four-year career that has included playing in 79 career matches and totaling 1,937 assists, 120 kills, 390 digs and 105 total blocks. In 2017, Shook led the Longhorns with 1,149 assists and was named an honorable mention All-American.
