The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Baylor
No. 1 Volleyball preview: No. 3 Baylor
11.04.2020 | Volleyball
Texas hosts ranked match-up at the Frank Erwin Center on Thursday and Friday.
#1 Texas Volleyball vs. #3 Baylor
Texas: 10-0 | BU: 11-1
Thursday, Nov. 5 – 7 p.m. CT | Friday, Nov. 6 – 7 p.m. CT
Frank Erwin Center | Austin, Texas
Top-Ranked Texas
Texas is ranked No. 1 in the 2020 AVCA Top-15 poll for the sixth-consecutive week. The poll debuted on Sept. 30, with Texas at No. 1 and with a 10-0 record the Longhorns have remained in that spot. Texas currently leads the Big 12 and the NCAA with a .359 hitting percentage.
The Baylor Series
Texas leads the all-time series with Baylor 84-3, and holds a 44-0 advantage all-time at home. Last season, Texas swept Baylor at home and lost in five sets in Waco. In the last meeting in Austin, Brionne Butler led the team with 12 kills and eight blocks, while hitting .500. Logan Eggleston tied her career-high with five aces and posted five kills, and seven digs.
Celebrating Shook
Ashley Shook is playing her final matches for Texas, finishing a four-year career that has included playing in 79 career matches and totaling 1,931 assists, 120 kills, 390 digs and 104 total blocks. In 2017, Shook led the Longhorns with 1,149 assists and was named an honorable mention All-American.
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 leads the nation at a clip of .359. Brionne Butler leads Texas and the Big 12 with a .438 hitting percentage, followed by Asjia O'Neal at .420. Logan Eggleston is hitting .359, Molly Phillips is at a clip of .352 and Skylar Fields is at .336. 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 ranks third nationally with 12.30 assists per set. Twice this season she has set a career high with 58 assists in a match.
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.
Home Matches at The Erwin Center
Texas Volleyball is playing its home matches in 2020 at the Frank Erwin Center, also home to Texas Men's and Women's Basketball, to provide adequate space for social distancing for teams, fans and working event staff. Texas Volleyball has not played in the Erwin Center since 1997. The Longhorns hosted three matches that year in the arena, earning wins against No. 21 UCLA (Sept. 12), No. 14 Texas A&M (Sept. 24), and No. 9 Nebraska (Oct. 17). UT also played select home volleyball matches in the Erwin Center in 1984, 1986-90, 1996 and 1997, but have never played a full season inside the arena. In 1994, it also played host to the NCAA Volleyball Championship and Semifinal matches.
